Given the rise of real estate sites like Trulia and Redfin, it’s clear that the internet has become a primary resource for prospective home shoppers. But what should people do when they don’t know what city to live in, much less which home?
Hoodeo, a new website that launched today, is looking to match people with their ideal neighborhoods. The site uses a brief questionnaire to determine a user’s ideal location, and then uses real estate data from Trulia to offer a number of available homes within the region.
Unfortunately, it seems like Hoodeo’s matchmaking system could use a overhaul. The site bases a user’s “neighborhood personality” on only eleven questions, most of which revolve around income and profession. In fact, there are only two questions that seem to be based on personal preference (”Do you want to live in a family friendly area?” and “Do you want to live in a city or suburb?”). So much for creating a lifestyle profile.
Given such a limited analysis, it’s not surprising that the results are pretty questionable. After creating a profile that would have been perfectly suited for San Francisco or the Silicon Valley, my top match was Sacramento - hardly an ideal choice for a young man in the tech industry (the runner-up was Stockton). Of course, Hoodeo has no idea what industry I’m part of, because it never asked.
If Hoodeo can fix their matching algorithm, then the site might stand a chance. In the meantime, users are better off using the neighborhood data available on sites like Cyberhomes and Trulia.
Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0
