How to

Use the ‘Looking Glass’ application…

Welcome to the tutorial for the ‘Looking Glass’ application.  This very powerful tool is free to use and is quite easy once you take time to read the following explanation.  This tutorial explains how to launch the ‘Looking Glass’ browser and general information on how to navigate. 

Let’s get started…

Your subscription is based upon your search criteria.  With your subscription you will be able to search for a property like never before.  All of the functions are available for your use. 

Depending on your search critria, emails will be automatically sent to you once a home(s) has met your requirements.  Your search results will have “Real Estate Listings xx.xx.xx” ( the xx.xx.xx will represent the search results date) in the Subject line of the email.  Example below;

Figure 1.a

Located in this email above the ‘Tell a Friend About This Service, Click Here’ button, are areas of town you subscribed to.  By clicking on your subscribed area, the ‘Looking Glass’ application will open for your use. I strongly urge you open your personal ’Looking Glass’ and follow along as I go.

For this tutorial, North Portland will be used.  Keep in mind that your subscribed ‘Search’ area may be different.

The ‘Looking Glass’ at first glance…

Your Internet browser will open a window similar to the image below.

 
Figure 1.b

For the use of this tutorial, areas of non-interest have been grayed out to draw your attention to the topic area.

The MENU Navigation, located in the upper left side…

 
Figure 1.c

The MENU drop-down is divided into six categories.

Favorites - Allows you view properties that you saved as a favorite.
My Neighborhoods – Allows you view available properties to search from.
Search Criteria – Allows you change your search Criteria and filter out unwanted properties from your search.
ML Number Search – Allows you to search for a property by a MLS #.
Aerial Panos- Displays Aerial Pano pictures of various areas.
Streets- Displays various interesting streets around town.

By default, the My Neighborhoods subcategory is automatically expanded every time you open the ‘Looking Glass’ application.

My Neighborhoods…

1.) Let’s see what properties are available…
To start, you need to select a ‘Neighborhood’, no listings will appear until you do so.

For this tutorial , ‘Cathedral Park’ will be chosen under North Portland.

 
Figure 1.d

As you will notice, little RED icons of available properties appeared on the map.  Newly added/changed/ back on the market properties will appear in GREEN, after 24 hours green homes turn red.

2.) Let’s use your mouse to locate a home of interest…
To do this, move your mouse over to any home icon you find interesting – let your mouse hover over the icon.  This will pop-up a information call out about the listing.  Example below;

 
Figure 1.e

3.) Let’s find out more about this property…
To do this, double-click on the home icon with your mouse.  Your screen will change, showing the RIGHT side panel, with all of the details available to the public about this property.  Example below;

 
Figure 1.f

4.) Let’s pause for a second to learn more about the right side panel…
This panel has some very cool tools to aide you through the home looking process.  Located at the top of this side panel, you can do the following;  Explained from left to right.

 Figure 1.g

• Change the listing view to either ‘List View‘ or ‘Detailed View‘.
• Click on either arrow ‘<‘ ‘>‘ to view additional homes available.
• Click on ‘Request Showing‘ to access on new window, telling me that you are interested in seeing or learning more about this property.  After you have requested a showing, this listing will automatically be added to your ‘Favorites’. 
• Click on the ’gold star‘ icon to add this property to your ‘Favorites’.
• Click on the ‘printer‘ icon to print out the properties details.
• Click the ‘check-box‘ to indicate that you have viewed this property in the ‘Looking Glass’.  This is very useful when you are trying to figure out if you are looked at this property in the future.

Located on outer edge of this side panel, you can do the following;  Explained from top down.

 Figure 1.h

• Click on ‘Multi-Arrowed’ dark blue icon to open a window simular to a RMLS print out of a property.
• Click on either the light blue ‘left’ pointing arrow icon or the ‘right’ pointing arrow icon to adjust this side panel.
• Slide the ‘Zoom’ fuction up or down to adjust your map display accordingly.
• Click on the ‘Magifining Glass’ icon to zoom into a particular area of the map displayed.
• Click on the ‘Auto Zoom’ icon to force the map to re-center on a home of interest.

 If you feel that you clicked on a wrong icon on this side panel, you can easily click on it again to undo your last change, some restrictions do apply.

This concludes the tutorial of the ‘How to use the Looking Glass…’  Take several minutes to familarize yourself this great tool.

If you have any questions feel free to give me a call at 503.467.9997, I would be more than happy to walk you through this exciting tool.