Method and apparatus for apartment listings
Four main sets of features designed to improve the apartment rental and listing process are discussed: (i) improved visualization of listings for renters using clustering, especially for mobile; (ii) landlord transaction flow and support; (iii) cross-checking of data using user-initiated third-party web data; and (iv) maintenance flow and support. The clustering approach provides visualization of dynamically developed clusters from available listings; rapid (re-)computation of clusters as the map is adjusted by users; and representation of all matching listings in the region in a cluster or as a single entry cluster at all times.
1. A method for defining an alert on a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving an alert creation signal on the mobile device corresponding to a display of a map region, the map region displaying a first icon representative of a plurality of physical buildings geographically located proximate to the first icon, wherein the plurality of physical buildings are represented on the map region only by the first icon and no other media corresponding to the plurality of physical buildings, the first icon having displayed thereon a first number indicator representative of a total number of physical buildings included in the plurality of physical buildings, and wherein a particular color of the first icon indicates a user's prior viewing history with respect to at least one of the plurality of physical buildings;
receiving a listing selection signal on the mobile device corresponding to selection of the first icon;
in response to receiving the listing selection signal, retrieving listing information from a remote database at a listing system, the listing information comprising pertinent rent, lease, or purchase data corresponding to listings associated with each of the plurality of physical buildings represented by the first icon;
displaying a first set of listings in a listing pane, wherein the listing pane is displayed adjacent to the display of the map region, and wherein the first set of listings comprises listing information corresponding to the plurality of physical buildings represented by the first icon;
receiving a map adjustment signal on the mobile device, the map adjustment signal corresponding to an input to perform a zoom-in function with respect to display of the map region;
adjusting the display of the map region responsive to the map adjustment signal using the mobile device to define an adjusted map region, the adjusted map region comprising a display of a zoomed-in version of the map region;
responsive to the map adjustment signal, displaying a second icon on the adjusted map region, the second icon representative of a subset of physical buildings contained within the plurality of physical buildings represented by the first icon, wherein the subset of physical buildings are represented on the adjusted map region only by the second icon and no other media corresponding to the subset of physical buildings, the second icon having displayed thereon a second number indicator representative of a total number of physical buildings included in the subset of physical buildings, and wherein a particular color of the second icon indicates the user's prior viewing history with respect to at least one of the subset of physical buildings;
modifying the listing pane to display a second set of listings comprising listing information corresponding to the subset of physical buildings represented by the second icon; and
defining an alert and associating the alert with the adjusted map region, wherein the alert relates to at least one physical building in the subset of physical buildings displayed within the listing pane.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a plurality of input mechanisms for receiving a plurality of filtering criteria, the filtering criteria defining non-geographic aspects of the alert.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of filtering criteria selected from a set including one or more of: a low price, a high price, a pets accepted, a cats accepted, a dogs accepted, photos available, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical buildings comprises one or more apartment units.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular color of the first icon is from the group consisting of red, yellow, blue, grey, and black, and wherein:
red indicates at least one newly-listed building included in the plurality of physical buildings;
yellow indicates that the user's prior favorite physical building is included in the plurality of physical buildings;
blue indicates at least one unviewed physical building included in the plurality of physical buildings;
grey indicates that all of the physical buildings included in the plurality of physical buildings have been viewed; and
black indicates that a particular physical building searched-for by the user is included in the plurality of physical buildings.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular color of the second icon is from the group consisting of red, yellow, blue, grey, and black, and wherein:
red indicates at least one newly-listed building included in the subset of physical buildings;
yellow indicates that at least one of the user's prior favorite physical buildings is included in the subset of physical buildings;
blue indicates that at least one unviewed physical building is included in the subset of physical buildings;
grey indicates that all of the physical buildings included in the subset of physical buildings have been viewed; and
black indicates that a particular physical building searched-for by the user is included in the subset of physical buildings.