< User Guide > Property Reports: Map Settings and Layers

• Map views in iMapp reports overview
• MLS Listing Report map features
• Comparable Properties map features
• Property Tax Report map features
  • Navigation and data view options
  • Tools bar
  • Layers
  • Identify
  • Select
  • Measure
  • Save Map
  • Property Overlays flags
  • Map view options

Map views in iMapp reports overview

Thanks to interactive maps, iMapp gives you an opportunity to work with property’s geolocation: the location is visualized on the map. For some reports, map view gives a glance of the neighborhood area, for the other reports map section becomes not only a visualization, but also a powerful tool for area analysis and property analysis. Not all map layers are available at all zoom levels or in all locations. If you do not see a layer you are expecting, you may need to zoom in or out or pan to a place where that data exists.

In iMapp Property reports, the map view is available for:

• Property Tax Report
• MLS Listing Info Report
• Comparable Properties tool and report

For Property Tax and MLS Listing Info reports iMapp provide a map view of the region around the subject property, for the Comparable Properties iMapp the map view encompasses the listed compared properties on the report.

If you want to get more information about all iMapp reports section, visit our iMapp Property Report User Guide page.

MLS Listing Report map features

Check property’s map section in MLS Listing Info report: the map displays the area of the subject property with house point icon to identify property’s location. There are two map view options, street and satellite:

• street view is a regular regional map view, which includes the neighborhood streets and their names, parcel boundaries, parks and other city infrastructure (if available at the zoom level). It’s a good option to see the area at a glance.
• satellite view enables you to get realistic, satellite images of various locations on the map. You can use the satellite base layer to check how a particular site looks in real life, get an image overview of a specific area, etc.

To switch between the maps view options, use Satellite/Street checkbox on the map section:

This map is interactive: you can zoom in/out the distance and pan around the area around the map using mouse or check boxes labeled: City, Neighborhood, Block, where Block view will be the closest to the property view option available for the map. If you go too far away from subject property on the map, click on house point icon near distance settings buttons to be returned back to the subject property location.

The maps view in this report is controlled via Show Report Sections setting: if you want to hide/unhide it, use checkbox “Photo” there:

Comparable Properties map features

The map view on Comparable Properties page displays the location of the properties which are used for comparison analysis (the list of properties is available in Comparable Properties section). The subject property is identified with red house icon, the properties used for comparison calculations are displayed as blue icons.

To see how close the comparable properties are located to the subject one, use circles on the map: each circle indicates the distance, so if the property from comparison list is close to the subject property, it will be displayed within first circle, which is 1/2 miles distance. The second circle includes 1 mile distance, the third is for 2 miles, etc.

This map view is interactive: you can use zoom in/out to change the street view (you can zoom in to see all streets and neighbor houses around the properties), you can remove the property from comparison in Comparable Properties section (it won’t be displayed on the map).

The view options of the map are available in Show Report Sections setting: use checkbox to hide/unhide the map from Comparable properties, use drop down to change the size of the map section (Large Map and Small map options):

Property Tax Report map features

Property Tax Report includes an interactive map with many additional visualized data and tools.

Navigation and data view options

Zoom in and zoom out options allow getting closer to the property item or see the area where the property is located (the house icon on the map points the subject property). Pan around and change the area which the map shows if you want to have a look at a larger area.

If you get closer, you’ll be able to see the streets and parcels in the area. Click on a parcel and you’ll see basic property information: this works for any parcel on the map, even if it is not a subject property. In case the property you selected on the map is not report’s subject property, but you want to get all details about it, click on the pop-up link and iMapp will take you to item’s property report page. Use regular browser’s back options to return.

The property pop-up includes different type of data: the main block of information presents tax data, and if the property was listed in MLS (when available), you’ll see additional section with flag and general info. Click on the link to get MLS report for this property:

Tools bar

Use map tools to work with the map: tools bar includes adjustable map layers option to change the map view layout and display properties according to selected parameters (1), identify to choose an item on the map (2), select to search within an area you’re interested in (3), measure to calculate an area or distance (4). Save map option will activate the downloading the map area as an image to your computer (5). Map Base Layers types (6) setting offers you different maps to work with.

Layers

On the right corner, the option Layers changes map layout. Here you can select the map view which is appropriate for your work: each of the options (Base Map, Overlay Boundaries, Parcel Boundaries) has its own list of layers, boundaries and outlines, which can provide valuable context to your research. Click on pre-selected default value to see all options in the dropdown:

• Base Map option changes base layer (you can select between street, aerials, flood); the dropdown options coincide with the map base layer type settings in right bottom corner: if the base layer was selected in the bottom, you’ll see the same set up in the dropdown.
• Show Boundaries dropdowns allows to select different types of border lines, thus highlighting the boundaries depending on division (zip code boundaries, city boundaries, neighborhood boundaries, county boundaries, etc.). To activate this layer, check the checkbox “Show Boundaries” and select the option you prefer in the dropdown.
• Parcel Annotations checkboxes include layers with additional information or parameters, and the properties, which fit these parameters (Tax Delinquent, Rental properties, etc.). Check your preference and iMapp will display this info on the map.
• Points of Interest include categories such as MLS listing flags of various statuses (MLS Listing Data) and foreclosures info (Foreclosures). When the checkbox is disabled, the flags disappear from the map and Property Overlays bar and the bottom of the map
• Lot Dimensions or lot size, the dimension or measurement of a property. When clicked, you’ll see lots line lengths displayed on the map.
• Subject property disables/enables the display of the subject property item (if you uncheck the screenshot the icon will disappear)

The Property Tax report map works not only as visualization of real estate data, but also includes additional tools to begin further research of properties:

• checking property’s details with Identify tool
• search tool via Select option
• measure tool via Measure button
• saving your customized map image option via Save Map option

Identify

When Identify is selected, you can choose the exact property on the map: just zoom in to see the lot boundaries on the map and click the one you’re interested in to see the pop-up with property details and access a full report for that newly selected property. Identify literally identifies a new subject property.

Select

While viewing a map on a property report, you may be inspired to start a new search in the area you are working. Click the Select button to start a new search right from the property report. You will be prompted to draw your customized geographic region(s) on this map and click Continue to start that search.

To get all details about search functionality, click check New Search and Map Browse user guides.

Measure

The Measure tool allows you to measure an area or distance on the map. To activate it, select Measure and click on the map in the area you want to set as a start point. Then add more points by clicking the mouse thus having different shapes to measure: from simple line with start and end points to rectangle or any other shape you need. When the points are selected, double click on the first point to finish drawing on the map (or double click while pointing the last dot) and see the results of distance/area calculation. To remove the shape and to start the measure again just click on Measure button one more time. Alternatively, after selecting this tool, you can double click on a lot and have that lot automatically measured.

Save Map

Save Map allows users to save the map area as an image (.png format), with all custom layers, flags and measure selections if any. This allows you to share the map and any customized layers and information with your partners and clients.

Property Overlays flags

The flags in the Property Overlays settings bar are responsible for displaying various icon layers, including statuses from real estate listings (when available). Use checkboxes to turn on and off the visibility of the real estate listings (active, pending, sold, cancelled, and expired where available) on the map. The Foreclosures flag is also here, it it responsible for showing the properties for which legal foreclosure process has been started. If you have lost your subject property on the map, click on subject property point icon and the property will be in focus of the map again.

NOTE: iMapp remembers your previous overlays selection, so next time you use the map the flags will be on/off depending on your last session settings.

Some overlay layers, when turned on, will also added the quick “Property Overlays” menu at the bottom of the map for easier customization. The number of layers is limited to the allowed space on the “Property Overlays”:

Map view options

To customize the best map view for your work, we suggest Map Base Layers types settings and 2 different view options in Show Report Sections setting:

• map base layer option includes 3 map types to select: streets, aerials and flood. Select the one depending on what you’re focusing on at the moment: default street option for common street map perspective to analyze the area, flood to see community's risk of flooding, aerials to activate satellite view with aerial photos.
• map view options include large and small size options: if you want to expand the map view while working with the map, go to Show Report Sections and in the dropdown select the Large map size. iMapp will maximize map size and will remember your selection for the next logins.

If you don’t need map visualization for your work, you can switch it off in Show Reports Section: make checkbox Map disabled and map won’t be displayed:

Happy map exploration! 🙂