GeoCoding or mapping your listing is a very important step as you input your listing. By GeoCoding or mapping your properties, you tell the mapping solution inside Paragon the location of your listing.
Why is it important to have your listing geocoded/mapped?
Two reasons:
- First, when your fellow agents are using a Paragon map search tool to look for listings for their buyers, if your listing is not geocoded, it will not be part of their search results. Even if all the other criteria matches your listing closely.
- And second, if your listing is found in any other type of search by other agents and they want to send it to their buyer with it showing up on a map or with driving directions to your listing, it will not appear because your listing will say “No Map Available”.
And with mapping tools becoming more popular, it only accentuates the importance of making sure your listings are geocoded. This guide will show you how to manually gecode a listing.
When a new listing is input and saved, the mapping tool will automatically take the address of your listing and try to place it on the map. If it finds the location within a high level of certainty or quality, it will then automatically geocode the listing. If it doesn’t find it, it is not mapped. Later in this guide we talk about the level of “quality” for geocoding.
On the listing input/maintenance screen, there is a Geocoding field called “Search By Map Validate Map”. This field appears after you have input the listing’s complete address.
When you click on Validate Map, a modal opens displaying a map where the Paragon mapping solution has plotted your property. Review the location to verify the accuracy of the plotting. If the plotting is correct, click Save to accept the mapping solution to your listing.
If the plotting is incorrect, you can change the Geocode or mapping of your property. Pan or move the map using the map directional tool or click on the map, hold, and drag the map in the direction needed to place your listing in the correct location. Then click Set Location icon at the bottom center of the Change Geocode modal. You can, using a single click, relocate the red X to the correct property location. If you want to adjust this new location to a more accurate location, click Set Location again and click again for the correct location.
When the plotting is correct, click Save to add the new geocoding to the mapping solution to your listing.
Tip: At this point you can also set the default zoom level for others to see your Listing. Rule of Thumb would be to zoom in closer if there are plenty of known cross roads viewable. If your listing is in the city, that could be the case. If it is more in the country, zoom out more to view main roads or county highways.
Given the address in your listing input screen, when you click Validate Map, you may have several possible locations in the Left Navigation Pane. Select the location that is closest to the actual location. Then follow the geocoding process we just talked about to map your listing.
When the plotting is correct, click Save to add the geocode to the mapping solution to your listing.
Geocode Quality is a rating on the accuracy of the displayed mapping solution, as far as the Paragon mapping solution can determine. The following is a description of the ratings.
- 1.0 Means the listing owner has manually selected the property’s location.
- 0.95 Means the Paragon mapping solution has found the location on the street.
- 0.90 Means the Paragon mapping solution could locate the property as close as the nearest street intersection for the property.
Paragon will not map any solution below 0.90. The next level, 0.85, is center of the zip code.
Missing Geocode Search
Missing Geocode Search is a tool inside Paragon that helps you find listings that are missing a geocode. To access this tool, click Listings and click Missing Geocode Search.
A search criteria template opens with Your own Listings select as the Listing Owner. You can enter additional search criteria into the template to narrow your results. Click Search to display your listings that are missing Geocodes.
Note: Based on your security level of access to Paragon, you may have other listing owner options. Using the drop down box, you can select a different listing owner filtering value.
A spreadsheet of results will display properties missing Geocodes.
Step 1 Select a listing by clicking the checkbox for that listing.
Step 2 Click Actions button on the Action bar.
Step 3 Click Change Geocode.
The Change Geocode modal will open.
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