A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a set of computerized tools (including both hardware and software) for collecting, storing, retrieving, transforming, and displaying spatial data. GIS is essentially a marriage between computerized mapping and database management systems. Think of GIS as a powerful presentation tool. A GIS creates high quality maps that communicate considerable amounts of information in an efficient and attention-getting manner. "A picture is worth a thousand words."

The real estate industry has always known geography matters—after all, real estate practitioners coined the phrase "location, location, location."