Find off-market properties from aerial imagery
GeoSpectre searches the aerial imagery of a whole area for the properties you describe in your own words, such as vacant parcels, roofs showing wear or oversized parking lots, and maps every match. Where ownership is public record, each match carries the owner, so a property that is not for sale still has someone to contact. Plans start at $49 a month.
How it works
- Draw or name the area to search
- Describe the property you are looking for
- Every match is mapped, with its condition and owner where public
- Shortlist, model the deal and plan the outreach
Searches you can run
- Commercial buildings with large flat roofs showing patching or ponding
- Vacant parcels next to existing residential streets
- Retail centres where most of the parking lot is empty
Write the search the way you would brief a colleague. There is no fixed list of things to pick from.
What it can see from above
- Buildings, roofs, parking lots, pools, yards and open land, outlined on the map
- Visible wear: faded striping, greying asphalt, patched sections, wide cracks
- Roof staining, patched or replaced sections, ponding, rust, moss and tarps
- How much of a lot is paved or built on, measured from the outline
What it cannot tell you
- Whether a property is for sale or the owner wants to sell
- The age of a roof or anything under the surface
- Hairline cracks, which are too fine for the included imagery
- Anything that changed after the date of the picture
The rest of the job, in the same workspace
Prospecting
Searches the imagery and maps the matches.
Financials
A pro forma with cap rate, cash-on-cash and IRR for the ones worth pursuing.
Zoning
The zoning district and a first read on what fits there, in the largest US cities.
Decks
The shortlist as a presentation, exported to PDF or PowerPoint.
How do you find off-market properties from aerial imagery?
You draw or name an area and describe the kind of property you want in plain words. GeoSpectre reads the aerial imagery across that area, outlines every property that matches, and grades the visible condition of paved surfaces and roofs. Where ownership is public record, it adds the owner, so you can approach properties that are not listed for sale.
Does it show who owns each property?
Where a US county or state publishes parcel ownership as public record, each match can show the owner on record, the mailing address, the parcel number and, where published, the last sale, together with the source and the date of the record. Where ownership is not published, we do not look it up.
How recent is the imagery?
The included imagery shows detail down to about half a metre, which is enough to see parking lots, roofs, pools and the condition of a paved surface. Depending on the place it can be anywhere from a few months to about two years old, and each result shows its date. When you need a current picture, you can order a fresh capture separately.
Can it tell me if a property is a good deal?
It tells you what is visible and who owns it. Whether the deal works is for you to judge, and Financials helps: build a pro forma with NOI, cap rate, cash-on-cash and IRR, and compare scenarios for rent growth, vacancy and expenses.
How much does it cost?
Pro is $49 a month for one person and covers up to 100 square miles of search a month. Business is $149 per person a month for teams of 2 to 49 and covers 250 square miles. Enterprise starts at 500 square miles; contact sales. Fresh imagery can be bought separately when the included imagery is too old for the job.
Related
- Find vacant land and underused parking lots — Land and infill sites
- Real estate site selection, starting from a description of the site — Site selection
- Real Estate & Development — Real estate and development
Describe the property you are looking for. See what it finds.
Pick an area you know and write the search in your own words. Pro is $49 a month for one person and starts with a 7-day free trial.