One of the best tech tools that I share with my clients that is less familiar to most is the Town of Nantucket’s Geographical Information System, commonly referred to as “GIS” or “Map Geo”. It’s an online tool available to the public (for free) and an incredible resource that real estate professionals use multiple times daily.
The GIS is maintained by the Town of Nantucket, as well as other organizations. It’s worth pointing out the Town’s disclaimer that the Town “makes no claim to the absolute validity or reliability” of the data, but it’s very good for general use and something that Town officials, real estate agents, attorneys, and others have come to rely on.
Users can enter nearly any address on Nantucket, and the GIS will provide an aerial view of the property as well as the owner’s name, sales history, tax assessments, utility access, wetland impact, zoning information, and much, much more. Considering the price points we’re working with on-island, it’s essential that buyers and sellers are equipped with as much information as possible.
Enter an address in the box in the upper right corner, hit enter, and then click on the address you’re looking for below in the results field.
The next best thing is to click on the “Themes” button, which displays many optional fields. Click to change the view from “Road Map” to “Google Satellite” for satellite imagery. Scroll down the right-hand column for additional data fields like Utilities, Topography, Fire Hydrants, Zoning, and many more options. You can even go back in time under the “Aerial Imagery” with imagery starting in 1998, which may be particularly helpful if you’re looking at waterfront property and want to see what effects erosion has had. The latest imagery was taken shortly after Hurricane Henri in 2021.
Reminder about the disclaimer: the GIS can potentially miss some critical information that may be discovered during your due diligence, so make sure you’re working with experts you trust who can assist you.
Go check it out and get to know the island even better!