August 20, 2014
Property website homesales.com.au, the property arm of Australia’s No.1 automotive group carsales.com has launched a new Map Search function which details public transport transit times. The feature champions technology created in-house during one of the Australian online business’ ‘Hackathon’ events.
carsales.com uses Hackathons to fast-track development of innovative solutions and ideas.
In the most recent event more than 150 employees across carsales’ varied business categories participated. Teams ‘hot-housed’ innovations over a stand-alone 30-hour period to build working prototypes of new technologies for the wider carsales.com Ltd business.
Map Search was one of the winners as chosen by a judging panel including carsales.com CEO Greg Roebuck and the company’s CIO and Director of homesales.com.au, Ajay Bhatia.
Mr Bhatia stated: “Hackathons are all about pushing the boundaries by maximising the creative and technical abilities of our world class team,”
“This innovation drives our ability to deliver the very best experience across our network of over 25 classified websites.”
homesales.com.au’s new property map search integrates public transport travel times allowing property seekers to find properties based on commuting parameters. The site is live with data for most states and all of Australia will soon be covered.
By way of example, the feature allows a maximum travel time to be set from a relevant location, such as a workplace. Properties within the specified transit time zone will then be displayed.
Rhett Dallwitz, General Manager of homesales.com.au said “This style of property search puts homesales.com.au at the forefront of map-based information innovation.
“This is unique technology and one for which we’ve applied for a patent. It’s another case of carsales.com Ltd’s development talents leading the field.”
Other features of homesales.com.au map search include the integration of points of interest data across the platform. This allows consumers to find property at close proximity to schools, hospitals or even shopping and entertainment amenities.
“POI and travel time searches, coupled with our unique investment search engine, have changed the way property seekers would traditionally search for property, and are key examples of how homesales.com.au is pushing innovation boundaries,” Mr Dallwitz stated.
For more information contact: media@homesales.com.au or 1300 291 914