Building a sustainable broker-free real-estate marketplace with Google Maps Platform

Editor’s note: Today's article comes from Amit Sharma, SVP of Engineering, NoBroker. Amit shares how NoBroker leverages Google Maps Platform to build a broker-free real-estate platform and promote sustainable living in India.

Before NoBroker was established, India’s real estate market was largely fragmented, inefficient, and dominated by middlemen who added little value while charging high commissions. This created a challenging environment for buyers, sellers, and tenants alike. NoBroker set out to solve these issues by introducing a transparent, cost-effective, and user-friendly platform that removed the need for intermediaries.

Recognising the inefficiencies caused by third-party brokers—such as inflated costs, delays, and limited access to reliable information—the founders of NoBroker launched a property marketplace in 2014 designed to facilitate the open exchange of information. Their goal was to empower users with accurate, trustworthy listings and local insights without relying on brokers. A decade later, NoBroker has helped Indians save nearly a billion dollars in brokerage fees each year.

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its broker-free model to more cities across India and stand out in a competitive market with AI-driven, value-added services. To support this scale of transformation, NoBroker turned to the robust and accurate geospatial capabilities of the Google Maps Platform.

Creating a seamless property discovery experience

A key part of NoBroker’s platform is its integration of hyperlocal intelligence, enabling users to make informed decisions without leaving the app or site. Traditionally, prospective buyers or renters would have to open multiple browser tabs to research neighbourhoods, assess commuting times, or locate amenities like schools and hospitals. With the Google Maps Platform Places API, NoBroker brings all of this information into a single, intuitive dashboard. This streamlined approach has improved user experience and increased conversion rates by 30–40%.

In addition, NoBroker enhanced personalisation across the customer journey. Using neighbourhood data and the Distance Matrix API from Google Maps Platform, the app delivers tailored property suggestions based on lifestyle indicators such as local services, real-time traffic, and typical commute times. Since launching these AI-powered tools, engagement has increased and fewer users have abandoned their searches—demonstrating the impact of combining smart technology with practical user needs.

The metro-based search option lets customers zero in on housing located near public transportation routes.

The Maps JavaScript API enabled NoBroker to embed a familiar, interactive map directly into its website, enhancing how users explore properties. Instead of typing out an address, users can simply drop a marker on the map to search within a specific area of interest. This feature is especially helpful in densely populated urban zones, where users can quickly scan multiple listings in close proximity with ease.

Simplifying property listings

Google Maps Platform’s user-friendly SDKs have also streamlined the process of onboarding property owners and sellers. Developers, for example, can easily integrate their NoBroker data with Google Maps to list properties for rent or sale almost instantly. New sellers no longer need to worry about how precise their registered address is—thanks to the Geocoding API, even loosely defined addresses are converted into accurate map points. This allows potential tenants to visualise properties clearly on the map and confidently plan their visit, whether travelling by foot, car, or public transport.

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Users can search for nearby essentials such as hospitals, schools, and ATMs.

Migrating our accelerating business onto the Google Maps Platform was a breeze as well. Google’s well-documented SDKs sped up onboarding and implementation, so there was little to no impact on traffic and quality of experience, and tech partner Lepton ensured the process adhered to best practices. 

De-congesting urban clusters, one city at a time 

We know, however, that in the future a broker-free model alone won’t be enough to truly disrupt the real-estate market. Now that we have a robust tech foundation in place, we want to take advantage of our industry leadership to deliver positive changes and promote eco-friendly urban development. Our metro-based search option epitomizes this ambition. It lets customers zero in on housing located near public transportation routes and reduce dependency on private vehicles, as well as the need to live close to office complexes and IT parks. This feature will relieve the pressure on natural resources, which are under severe strain due to overcrowding in cities, and rationalize rents. 

To continue to innovate and stay a step ahead of the competition, we look forward to deploying more of the Google Maps Platform advanced geospatial APIs. Our investment in Google’s technology has proven to be a cornerstone of our success and underpins our country-wide mission with reliable and scalable mapping technologies.

Get in touch today to find out how you can benefit from Google Maps too!

(Source: https://mapsplatform.google.com/resources/blog/building-a-sustainable-broker-free-real-estate-marketplace-with-google-maps-platform/)