Jupiter, Florida based My State MLS, a nationwide multiple listing service, recently adopted what3words, a free app that makes it easier to guide users to an exact location. Millions from around the world use the app to find and share precise locations. What3words enables My State MLS members to easily navigate to hard-to-find properties.

Examples of how what3words can help My State MLS members include: 

• Vacant land real estate agents can easily direct other agents to a property that does not have a street address. 
• Agents working with city properties that may have multiple or confusing addresses can direct potential buyers to the correct entrance with minimal frustration.
• In situations where parking is separate from the actual property (such as apartments), it’s easy to specify precisely where to park. 

What3words divides the world into 57 trillion squares, each measuring 10 feet by 10 feet. Each square has a unique, randomly assigned 3-word address.

For example, ///fires.rested.amused is the what3words address for a 10-foot square at an entrance to the Empire State Building. Anyone can enter these three words into the free what3words app and tap “Navigate” to get directions with their favorite navigation app.

what3words webpage image to Empire State Building entrance in NY City

If a listing is difficult to find, a My State MLS member can simply type the address into what3words, receive the what3words 3-word address for the exact meeting point and then share it with their client. The client can then input the 3-word address into the what3words app and easily navigate to the exact viewing location from a navigation app. Members and clients can arrive hassle-free and ready to see the property.

“At My State MLS, we are always looking for ways to help our members become even more successful,” said Dawn Pfaff, founder and president of My State MLS. “By adopting the what3words app, we are helping our members solve a lot of direction problems. There’s nothing more frustrating than a potential purchaser getting lost because street addresses aren’t accurate enough and missing out on viewings or arriving stressed.”  

My State MLS Florida map view

How is this different from Google Maps?

Google Maps is a tool for navigation, public transportation and for looking up addresses and points-of-interest. What3words has a very different function – it’s an easy way to communicate exact locations within 10 feet, whether that’s spoken over the phone or into a car voice navigation system or typed into a taxi app or a website checkout page.

In addition, dropping a pin on to Google Maps isn’t useful if you’d like to revisit or share that location weeks after you see it, if you need to share it with someone over a phone call, or enter it into an address field.

What3words is a really quick and simple way to find, share and save exact locations within 10 feet. The system converts GPS coordinates into 3 word addresses.

Although you can’t yet enter a 3 word address directly into Google Maps, you can find a 3 word address on the what3words app or website and navigate their via Google Maps.

Browse what3words

You can also browse the 10-foot squares and see what three words are used for each one. In Manhattan in NY City, on 5th Ave. across from Central Park, every square already has a three word label. Here’s an example up on a deck overlooking the park [///deck.plan.meal]:

///deck.plan.meal what3words NY City Central Park on 5th

Imagine wanting to meet a client in Central Park to show them the building exterior first. There is no address in Central Park. You’ve never met and have no idea what they look like. You can give them the exact spot to meet you.