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Scout Investor Hotspots with Google Earth and Multiplottr

Justin McClelland
2 min read

As an investor who desires to dominate their farm area, you need all the tools you can get to make educated market decisions.  If you’re like me and you like to crunch numbers and analyze statistics, the numbers never lie and they won’t steer you wrong if you read them right.

Stats tell stories

Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic information program.  It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe.  Multiple addresses can be plotted onto a Google Earth map and tagged with different categories, thus making Google Earth an invaluable tool that will allow you to analyze statistical real estate data graphically.

Google Earth can be used in conjunction with Multiplottr.  Multiplottr allows you to import address and category data into a map which can then be saved as a KML file.  Multiple KML files can then be imported into one Google Earth map.  These features are great for efficiency and data-map layering purposes.

How can this work for me?

Let’s say for instance that you are a real estate wholesaler and you would like to know where the cash buyers have been buying in the past 60 days.  Cash buying activity can be found on the MLS.  You could either gather these addresses through your own MLS access or have a Realtor provide you with this information.  You would then put the address information into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and perhaps categorize them with green flags.  Import that Excel file into Multiplottr and save your KML file.

You may then import your “Cash Buyer” KML file into Google Earth and viola, you have a map of cash buying activity in your area.  Each property bought with cash would be green-flagged in its’ geographic location on the map. 

However, it doesn’t stop there. This gets better!

Multiple layers can be created in Google Earth with various KML files.  You may create a layer that consists solely of MLS listed properties and/or FSBO properties.  Or you may create layers specific to each cash buyer.  With each layer, you would dedicated a different color flag.

Below, you will see an example that I created where two different flags are used to designate where each cash buyer is buying. Click on the image to be taken to the actual map.

I’m sure by now you can see how powerful this is.  By using Google Earth and Multiplottr, you will be able to stay abreast of trends in your market and ahead of the curve.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.