For Google, the rubber has got to meet the road at some point for its investment in Google Maps. Only so much can be generated from ads, and many mappable services--restaurants, gas stations, speciality stores and the like--can’t add much more than a trickle to a hoped for stream of revenue. Google has decided to expand its maps into a market that can pay: real estate.

Back in July Google Maps added the ability to directly view real estate listings. In the mean time Google has added some new features to make this facility easier to use, including brand new high-resolution Street View imagery (so you can see what slobs your potential neighbors might be), and more detailed map data.

In addition, the real estate listings are now easier to find. And not just real estate for sale, but rentals and foreclosures as well. (Nothing like making a buck on the misfortune of others, is there.) According to the Google Lat Long Blog, “you can simply select "Real Estate" from the 'More' button on the top right of any Google Map to discover listings.  From there, it's a simple matter to refine your search using the left hand panel - price, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so on.” You can hunt down real estate in the Untied States, Australia, New Zealand and India. (India?)

I’d like to report back how well Google Maps new real estate search feature works, but, as the image below shows, the referred to “Real Estate” option under the “More” button is pretty obviously absent.

Image Credit: Google