The latest player to enter the market is Keyhole Corp. , a technology start-up launching its EarthViewer service later this month. EarthViewer integrates street maps into its application, allowing street names and other information to be overlaid directly onto the photos. Real estate brokers can show clients not only an aerial view of the neighborhood, but also nearby restaurants and businesses. The EarthViewer database currently includes 4.6 million identifiable businesses. It's a great way to understand properties, as well as see how close they are to amenities, restaurants and other business infrastructure.
Users can see objects as small as cars and people.
The best resolution we have has each pixel on the screen equal to 6 inches. When Keyhole launches its service, EarthViewer will include 40 U.S. cities. Image data will be updated annually. Some markets with fast-growing outlying areas may be refreshed more often, Hanke added. Keyhole and its competitors gather data from firms including satellite providers, aerial photo businesses and other companies typically tapped by commercial real estate companies for similar data.