One of the opportunities I’ve written about is showcasing true local experts in a compelling way. That’s why I find StreetAdvisor a compelling project; they are in a great position to swing at this, and have the right brand name for it.

Real estate and travel are the two industries I know best. Real estate via 5 years at Zillow, 1 year at Virtual Results, & a range of consulting projects over the last few years. Travel via building Oh Hey World and Horizon since 2012. The two industries (both with massive reach to all corners of society) are remarkably similar, in two ways. Everything revolves around location, and the accommodation — where to live or where to stay — is the consumer hook as well as the monetization mechanism of each respective industry. The location aspect to each, means the local expert opportunity is relevant — though in different contexts. If you follow the travel industry, you may know Expedia is betting big on the local expert opportunity in travel with their “Local Expert” initiative. They also purchased Viator last year.

How long until one of the big multi-billion dollar companies — Zillow or Realtor.com/NewsCorp –takes a stab at the local expert opportunity (in real estate)?

I’m betting BIG…it’s a matter of WHEN, not IF.

[Disclosure: StreetAdvisor is a consulting client]