#1 in Commercial Real Estate Online

We believe property listing profiles are at the core of LoopNet’s marketplace. It’s where brokers break down the details of the availability they’re representing. It’s what investors and tenants view to understand a potential investment or lease. Making sure that both listers and searchers can get what they need from the listing profile is critical to creating an efficient user experience for our users.

Tonight we're staying a little later at the office to deploy a new listing profile that we're excited about. Here’s a couple before-and-after screenshots for you to see how listings have changed:

(click image to enlarge or view the listing)


(click image to enlarge or view the listing)


A few notes about the new listings:

1. Improved Information Design
We wanted to present all the listing details in a natural flow where each piece of information is given appropriate emphasis and room to breathe. The font size has been bumped up for readability. And now all details of a space for lease are displayed; previously some details were hidden in another section you had to click to. Furthermore, all the actions you can take on a listing are grouped together in a right column; instead of spread throughout the page. Also the type of property is clearly labeled at the top so you instantly know what you're looking at, a nod to the outdoor signage that brokers have been using for generations.

2. Better Photo Navigation
We love property photos. There’s a cuts-to-the-chase/speaks-a-thousand-words nature to it that’s incredibly engaging. So that’s why we’ve made it clearer when there are multiple photos on a listing by showing additional thumbnails. And when you click to view a photo, we’ve resized the oversized images to save time—no more waiting around while downloading 4 MB photos.

Property photo thumbnails:


Enlarged image:


3. New Sharing Functionality
Commercial real estate continues to be a relationship driven business. Social networks and social media play a role in helping professionals build and maintain their relationships online. We’re excited to introduce links that help you share listings you like with your networks via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Give it a whirl why don’t you? Click on these links and you’ll see a new window that previews and allows you to comment on what you’re about to share:


Sharing your listing on Facebook:


Sharing your listing on LinkedIn:


Sharing your listing on Twitter:

You may be asked to log in to your social network account before sharing. If you don’t have an account with these social networks, you should just try it out—these tools are free.

4. Property Map Right On the Listing
Given how text heavy listings can get, the visual nature of a map helps to balance out a listing’s overall presentation. But what’s more important, is that the advances of online map-based technology over the last 5 years have made maps a key part of understanding a property. You can immediately begin evaluating the physical characteristics of a property and survey the surrounding area via high-resolution satellite imagery and bird’s eye aerial photos without leaving your desk. Having the map right on the listing saves you time by saving a click.

Example of the map at the bottom of the profile:


5. New Styling
Last but not least, we want the listing profile to be an effective marketing piece that brokers feel comfortable—if not proud of—sharing as their primary listing presentation. The profile design hadn’t been touched for almost a decade so it was long overdue for an update. The styling for the new profile is intentionally simple, meant to let the listing details speak for themselves without distracting clutter. Drawing inspiration from print flyers brokers use, the details are wrapped in a container to hint at a tactile experience.

So that’s about it.

If you are marketing listings on LoopNet, we believe the new design will have a positive impact on the way people perceive your listings. The easier it is for them to understand listing profiles; the more likely they are to view more.

If you're searching LoopNet for deals, the new design should help you digest the details better.

If you guys have any feedback, let us know by posting a comment below or giving us a call. It’s hard to get it perfect for everyone but we’re going to keep at it with your support. Until next time, have a good one.