What comes to mind when you think of 'Points of Interest' (POIs)? Airports? Libraries? Schools? To many, points of interest are simply places on a map. But what if you could use POIs to help educate clients beyond just showing them what's nearby?

To give REALTORS® even more data in their arsenal of information, RPR recently added POIs to the maps in RPR Commercial. But these POIs aren't simply just pins on a map. Separated into ten broad categories such as retail, manufacturing, transportation, retail and finance, with nearly 100 subcategories, each point of interest displays basic information about the business at that location including address, number of employees, annual sales volume and industry.

So just how can you use this information with clients? Here are 3 examples from RPR users of how POIs can not only educate and impress clients, but showcase a REALTOR's® local market expertise.

• Property Management: Working with a client on a lease renewal? One RPR Commercial user took advantage of the POIs to support the terms of a renewal on a lease. The property is a convenient store franchise. By pulling financials on franchisees in nearby geographies, the REALTOR® was able to validate that the current location is more successful than other franchisees in neighboring geographies based on the sales volume being significantly higher. The current location attracts consumers and produces sales.

• Business Location: A REALTOR® was recently representing an insurance company looking to open a new office in Orlando, Florida. Using the POIs in RPR Commercial, the REALTOR® was able to not only scout out the competition from a sales volume perspective using the "Insurance" category, but was also able to determine a desirable area for the location based on proximity from the competition, as well as selecting an area that would attract agents, an area with restaurants, grocery stores, and even bar options. The client wanted staff to have amenities close to the office.

• Hospitality: An article in "Choose Chicago" recently caught the eye of a REALTOR®. Reporting that approximately 35,000 hotel rooms exist in Chicago with more than an additional 2,500 rooms under construction, along with an incline in Chicago's occupancy rates, this REALTOR® realized she could use the POIs in RPR Commercial to demonstrate to investor clients which areas/geographies need hotels. Starting by looking at nearby tourist attractions, and then highlighting the annual sales volume of competitors and how many employees are needed to successfully run a hotel, all from the POIs, the REALTOR® left the clients impressed and ready to sign.

These are just three of many ways to use the POIs in RPR Commercial. With 10 categories and 100 subcategories for the points of interest, the possibilities are endless! RPR user Deena Zimmerman said it best when she said, "My client now references RPR as a magic location tool!"

To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.