Editor’s note: Today’s article comes from Dave Herman, SVP of Product and AI Innovation at Realtor.com. Dave shares how Realtor.com is using Google Maps Platform 3D Maps and Grounding with Google Maps to give buyers confidence in their home purchase decisions in a ‘sight unseen’ market.
The process of buying or moving into a new home has long been considered one of life’s most stressful experiences. But before you secure finances, sign mortgage documents or rental agreements, or pack up all your belongings to move into your new space, you first need to find the perfect place. For many people, online platforms are the starting line. And according to our recent research at Realtor.com, nearly half would consider buying a home without seeing it in person first.
As more consumers explore buying homes sight unseen, Realtor.com is focused on giving them the right tools, confidence, and expert edge to do so. That’s why we work with Google Maps Platform and our implementation partner TopHap to help people find their way home through immersive, digital-first experiences. And now, with our new FlyAround feature built using 3D Maps, we can turn what was once a static online experience into an interactive exploration.
Helping people find their way home with FlyAround
A few years ago, my wife and I were planning a move from Boston to Austin — but we’d never been to Texas and had no idea where to start. We turned to Realtor.com to do our due diligence and find the ideal location. Today, thanks to FlyAround, shoppers in that same position can see homes and neighborhoods from a perspective that simply wasn't possible before.
FlyAround brings listings to life through 3D Maps, which uses high-resolution topographical mesh to create a seamless, drone-like experience. By delivering a dynamic, 360-degree aerial view of a property's lot, terrain, and neighborhood context, FlyAround helps shoppers see not just the home but its entire environment.
FlyAround brings listings to life through 3D Maps, which uses high-resolution topographical mesh to create a seamless, drone-like experience.
This also helps answer the critical questions that static photos can’t: Is the backyard sloped? Is there a noisy highway just over the treeline? How does the house sit in relation to the sun? By providing this spatial awareness, we can remove the guesswork from the search process. For a buyer hundreds of miles away like I was, being able to virtually "fly around” the property provides a level of certainty that a 2D gallery never could.
Bridging virtual and in-person journeys
The FlyAround tool builds upon our long-standing use of Google Maps Platform across all Realtor.com surfaces. In fact, maps are often one of the most interacted-with features on our site because they provide the essential context of "place." Street View is integrated directly into listings to allow users to “walk” the block and evaluate a home’s exterior surroundings and character.
Furthermore, our Realtor.com+, a collaborative platform that connects real estate professionals and shoppers, integration bridges the gap between digital research and physical tours, supporting the relationship between shoppers and agents. For instance, if you have five properties you want to see over a weekend, your agent can use our map-integrated tools to optimize driving directions between them. This ensures that your actual time on the ground is spent touring homes rather than sitting in traffic, making the transition from online browser to serious buyer as smooth as possible.
Since the launch of FlyAround in November 2024, we’ve seen a 2x increase in mobile map engagement.
Mapping the future of real estate
With Google Maps Platform integrated into experiences across Realtor.com touchpoints, homebuyers get deeper insights into the homes they’re considering and are empowered to make more informed decisions. We’re already seeing the impact of these immersive features. Since the launch of FlyAround in November 2024, we’ve seen a 2x increase in mobile map engagement. Additionally, roughly 10% of people who view our listing detail pages are interacting specifically with FlyAround, validating that users find significant value in deeper interactivity.
But this is just the beginning. At Realtor.com, we’ve pioneered the digital real estate space for nearly 30 years, and our goal remains the same: to be the most trusted guide for every home shopper. As we look toward our 2026 roadmap, we’re exploring how advancements in AI and even more granular 3D integrations from Google Maps Platform can further personalize the search experience.
Whether it's using AI to highlight the best walking paths to local schools or to visualize how a home's view might change through the seasons, we are committed to using technology to make the journey home less stressful and more inspiring. Together with Google Maps Platform, we can show people so much more than just a house — we can help them discover their future neighborhood with total confidence.
