Why have a real estate website

You've probably wondered why you should have a real estate website if things have gone quite well with your business premises so far, or perhaps you don't have enough information to encourage you to start a new virtual business.
In this post I'm going to show you the advantages of integrating your real estate business into the world of e-commerce and what requirements you need to get it up and running.

You will learn about many of the features and benefits that you can access and also perform a TEST DRIVE to evaluate the user experience with the website

 

>>>  I WANT MY REAL ESTATE WEBSITE <<<

Why is it essential for a real estate agency to have its own website?

According to recent statistics from the real estate market, almost 80% of people interested in real estate transactions look for information online about properties of interest “before” going in person to a real estate agency.

That is why more and more clients come to a real estate agency through the Internet and not in person to the point that, in fact, you no longer need to have a commercial office to develop your real estate business.

Customers no longer look at the local real estate agency, or the one recommended to them by a friend, or the ones they saw on various public roads, or in the classified ads in newspapers.
There are very few cases of people who plan to rent or buy a property who go directly to a real estate agency to ask about different options, and it is very likely that these options will not be entirely satisfactory for their search, and their consequent waste of time.

There are more and more clients looking for properties every day and there are also many real estate agencies competing in the market, and that is why it becomes more important for your business to have a solid and strategic online presence.

Having your own website for your real estate agency is a key point in this process and will undoubtedly be your best letter of introduction for your business, as well as helping you compete in the real estate market itself.
Besides, if your real estate agency does not have a website, you will miss out on the opportunity to attract potential clients and correctly display all the offers for your properties.

The most important thing about having a real estate website is that you do not need to have a “physical” commercial office for customer service, and the resulting costs of rent, services, employees and other expenses.
Currently, there are many real estate agencies that operate only virtually and attract their clients through their websites.

Just as an example…

First of all, I want to show you a demo of the web design for real estate that I have created so that you can experience interacting as a client and appreciate the design and communication options that I propose for your new real estate website.

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Las agencias mostradas en esta demo son ficticias, así como sus datos de dirección, teléfonos y sus agentes, y es por eso que encontrarás algunos textos simulados incomprensibles, pero que cumplen la función que se proponen demostrar.
Por el contrario, las propiedades publicadas en los ejemplos son 100% reales de propiedades en mi país Argentina, con sus direcciones, locaciones, imágenes y características, y fueron tomadas de otros portales inmobiliarios sólo a modo de ejemplo.
Las imágenes fueron editadas y mejoradas, y sus textos fueron redactados para optimizar y normalizar el conjunto de publicaciones del sitio web.
Los planos de plantas y recorridos virtuales no se corresponden con las propiedades mostradas y son sólo a modo ilustrativo.

Requirements for having a real estate website

The requirements for having a real estate website are not very different from any traditional website, and are as follows:

  • Company name
  • Logotype
  • Web domain
  • Graphic designer and Webmaster
  • Webhosting service provider

 

You can read my post Requirements to have a website for more information.

 

To start, you must have the name of the company with its respective logo.
Then you must acquire a web domain, which is your address on the Internet (for example www.yourrealestate.com) and hire a good graphic designer who also acts as webmaster.
Finally, you must hire a web hosting service provider to host the site so it can be online; this is usually an outsourced service.

Generally, many of these elements will be provided to you by the designer and webmaster you have hired, who will take care of all these aspects that you are probably unaware of, and will make sure you don't have to worry about the matter.

Diseñador web

The importance of entering the online real estate business

While you waste your time thinking about whether or not it is worth investing money in a website for your real estate agency, your competition has been gaining new clients for years with its online agency, and positioning its business in an increasingly competitive market that grows every day.

Te invito a que te hagas algunas preguntas que quizás te resuenan de alguna manera y te inviten a reflexionar…

  • Have you noticed the number of real estate agencies there are in each neighborhood of your city and the number of properties on offer?
  • Is your real estate agency up to the task?
  • Do people recognize and identify your business easily?
  • Can you make a full living off the income generated by your real estate business?
  • How many properties do you have to offer?
  • How many advertisements does your real estate agency have on public roads?
  • Does your business have a good corporate image in terms of logo and communication strategies?
  • Does your office have a good graphic and functional identity through marquees, banners and screens?
  • Does your business have a Google Business profile?
  • Does your real estate agency have updated social media?
  • Do you get positive reviews from customers?
  • Do your clients recommend you to other clients?
  • Do you respond quickly to queries?
  • Do you have qualified staff working in your agency?
  • How many monthly inquiries does your real estate agency receive?
  • Do you publish your properties on other real estate web portals?
  • How much money do you monthly invert on your publications ?
  • Are you satisfied with the current performance of your real estate business?

If any of the answers to these questions is NO, you are definitely doing things wrong.

But I want to give you good news and assure you that many of these aspects can be improved and consolidated through a professional website for your real estate business.

A website is not just about showing properties for sale or rent and waiting for someone to call you.
A well-designed website with the right communication criteria transmits the values ​​of the real estate agency, generates a solid image of the company demonstrating professionalism, seriousness and trust, allows for dynamic communication with its clients and this attracts new opportunities and the possibility of closing effective deals.

Diseñador web

Selling in the digital universe

A website gives clients a modern view of your real estate business, reinforces your institutional image, your brand, your good name, your track record, responsibility and permanence in the market.

Having a professional real estate website inserts you into the universe of digital business, bringing your agency closer to those potential clients who usually only search online.

With your website you will connect with the new generation of younger customers who were educated and grew up with the Internet and who cannot imagine their lives without these technologies. They get information, buy, compare, share and study from the comfort of their cell phones.

Diseñador web

Adapting your office, your experience and your business vision to these new types of users will allow you to reach a market of clients between 20 and 35 years old, who demand more comfort, greater speed and easier ways to communicate with a real estate agent.

They prefer to browse a website, get information and have previous contacts through digital media such as social networks, email or WhatsApp, and not wander around visiting several real estate agencies to get information and decide on their new home.

Therefore, they require a better virtual customer service and your business should be up to their needs.

Expand your offer availability

Your website allows you to diversify your real estate agency's communication channels, and will allow you to serve a greater number of clients in less time, through emails and live chats directly from your publications.

All of this will reduce calls and visits that only waste your time with undecided people who are not looking for what you have to offer, or who are just asking for the sake of asking.
It will help you attract and secure more qualified visits from clients who know what they are looking for, since they themselves have filtered and discarded other options that have seemed irrelevant to them.

Diseñador web

Advantages of having a website for your real estate business

Below, I show you some advantages and features that a website for your real estate agency offers you:

 

  • Your business is always open 365/24.
  • Your website is 100% self-manageable.
  • Very easy to use and manage.
  • Low maintenance cost
  • You don't pay commissions for publishing.
  • Allows you to incorporate multiple Agents.
  • Property classification by Categories and Featured Properties.
  • Friendly professional design thought with usability by the client in mind.
  • Allows you to display attractive photo and video galleries.
  • Incorporate a virtual tour that allows your clients to take a 360º tour of the properties.
  • Geolocation of properties using maps
  • Download floor plans and documents
  • Contact agents and schedule visits.
  • Share, compare, bookmark and print property pages.
  • Add QR codes to your advertisements
  • User registration, CRM management and IDX integration.
Diseñador web

I recommend you read my article Benefits of having a website for your real estate agency where I show you and explain some of the most important advantages and benefits of having your own website.

Who seeks, finds!

As I mentioned above, just as with any other type of search for purchasing products or services, the vast majority of potential customers will search “first” on the Internet.
This is to get a general idea of ​​the current market, listing prices, and to know the characteristics of the properties both in supply and in demand.

For example, if a family is interested in renting a 3-room apartment, they will search on Google: “rent 3-room apartment in Palermo”, and from the results that Google shows them, they will begin to select the best options, and among those results may be your publications offered on your website.

Diseñador web

The client will compare prices, look at photos and videos, analyze the neighborhood, the means of transportation, the nearby places, and evaluate all the alternatives, first making a mental image of the property and deciding if he sees himself living there...
Then he will make a list of different properties and only then will he begin his direct contact with the real estate agents, first online to clarify his concerns, and then when he is almost decided he will arrange with the responsible agent to visit the property.

Why does this happen? Basically because the Internet is the main source of initial information that your potential client has access to for free from home or from their cell phone.

I want it right now!

We live in times where "immediacy" prevails in accessing information, where it is no longer necessary to see a real estate offer sign on the street that interests you, take note, go home and call the real estate agency during business hours... otherwise, you've already lost it!

A smart proposal from the real estate agency would be to add a QR code to the sign so that the client can scan it and directly access “the website of that property”, without any distractions and being able to contact the real estate agent immediately.
Otherwise, if the property in question does not satisfy them, they have access to the other offers from the same real estate agency right there, and not from others!
On the other hand, if the person does not find the website of the property they are looking for, they are a lost client!

Diseñador web

Prioritize “usability” by the client

 

What is web usability?

Web usability refers to the degree of ease of accessing and navigating a website in an intuitive, simple and fast way, taking into account the organization and classification of content, the optimization of images for quick downloading, the writing of texts in a simple way and the conscious and professional design always oriented towards the well-being of the client.
This is also called "user experience" and it must always be satisfactory in order to gain new clients.

All of this is reflected in a modern design and attention to detail, prioritizing usability and ease of access to the points of interest of the publications.
If a client has to make many clicks to reach a property of interest... something is wrong!

Diseñador web

How to improve the usability of your website?

You have to think about publishing content in a relevant way, so that the client has no doubts about what you are offering, paying attention to the writing of the texts and the presentation of the images and videos.
All of this also benefits SEO (content optimization for internet search engines like Google), since from there come the “key phrases and words” that you should include in your texts.

If your website is not functional for the user, they will look for another real estate website that does meet all these requirements, and you will lose a potential client.

Every unnecessary click you ask the user to make to contact your real estate agency will reduce the chances of them contacting you.
Anyone should be able to find the property they are looking for on your website, without having too much knowledge of the Internet.

Diseñador web

Always choose a professional design

Tu agencia de bienes raíces merece un sitio web con un diseño profesional que favorezca y refuerce su identidad institucional.

Esto le permitirá insertarse en el mundo de los negocios digitales con una plataforma sólida, estética y funcional que te permitirá optimizar tiempos y costes, a la vez de posicionar tu empresa en un mercado inmobiliario cada vez más competitivo.

We talk about identity and we cannot ignore the care of the corporate image of your company, of your brand.
That image that you take so much care to show in your business premises, on bus shelters, public street signs and on your printed stationery must maintain coherence and quality on the web.

Your new website should carefully align with your identity by using your brand colors throughout the website and distinguishing your posts from those of your competitors.

Diseñador web

You have probably noticed that many real estate websites are very similar in appearance, and this is because they are developed with very basic design templates, and have not been customized seeking integration with the company's image, thus obtaining "cloned" websites without their own identity.
This is due in many cases to the fact that the web designer does not offer personalized customer service, or that the client rejects it in favor of a lower budget.

I propose a customized web development for your real estate agency where good taste prevails in the design, care for the identity and above all functionality and usability, both for your company and for your potential clients, and where the advertisements on your website fulfill the purpose of capturing the client's attention and the completion of the real estate transaction.

Diseñador web

Final conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful.
The possibilities that having your own real estate website offers you, there are definitely no reasons not to try to start your own business.

If you want to start your real estate business online and you think I am a suitable professional, do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to advise you.

In the Related Articles section below, you will find some articles with specific topics that complement the one you just read.
I invite you to read them, share them and leave your comments if you wish.
Thank you very much.

>>>  I WANT MY REAL ESTATE WEBSITE <<<

adrian pablo conti director

Adrián Pablo Conti

I am a Graphic and Web Designer graduated from the University of Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA)
Since 1993 I have run Web4, my own freelance graphic and web design creative studio, located in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Me I specialize in the development of visual identity, institutional communication, web sites and online stores, editorial design, catalogs, magazines and packaging design, among others.

Let Share:

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Benefits of having a website for your real estate agency

Do you want to launch your business in the online real estate market?

In this post I want to tell you about the features, possibilities and advantages of having a professional website for your real estate business, which you can take advantage of to successfully launch your agency into the online real estate market.

Conocerás muchas de las características y beneficios a los que podrás acceder y tambien realizar un TEST DRIVE para evaluar la experiencia de usuario con la web.

Benefits of having a website for your real estate agency

Below I list some of the benefits that web design for your real estate agency that I offer you, both for the Owner (administrator) and for the User (client) who visits your website.

 

For the owner (Administrator) of the website:

  • Your business always open 24/365
  • 100% self-manageable
  • No commissions for publishing
  • Agency Management
  • Managing multiple agents
  • Creating, publishing, managing and editing property listings
  • Property Categories
  • Property description and SEO optimization
  • Featured Properties
  • Special labels
  • User registration and CRM management
  • Integration with IDX
  • QR Code Implementation

    For the user (Client)

    • Friendly design + Usability
    • Properties advanced search
    • Photo and video gallery
    • Essential information
    • Description, Details and Features
    • Geolocation
    • Virtual Tour
    • Download floor plans and documents
    • Contact the real estate agent
    • Request a visit to the property
    • User Functions
      • Preview
      • Add to Favorites
      • Add to compare
      • Let Share:
      • Print and download

    I recommend you also read my postWhy have a real estate website for more information.

    Your business always open 24/365

    Your online business is always open 24/365.

    Now you can receive consultations every day, even outside of business hours.

    If you don't have a real estate website, the potential client should take note of your post and "remember" to contact you only from Monday to Friday and during your business hours, and wait for your prompt response... Too many steps, right?

    While your competitors who already have a website can receive instant messages directly from the post, respond immediately and attract a new customer.

    Don't you think it's absurd to lose the opportunity to complete a real estate transaction because you don't have a website?

    tu negocio siempre abierto

    100% self-manageable

    Your new website is fully self-manageable from a user-friendly and intuitive control panel that will allow you to easily manage all your publications.
    You will be able to create, modify, highlight, pause and delete listings from one place and in just a few minutes, as well as obtain data from your users, manage CRMs and customer follow-ups, manage users, agents and agencies, include IDX systems, etc.

    tu negocio siempre abierto

    No commissions for publishing

    You own your own website and domain on the internet and therefore you do not have to pay for your listings. This also gives you complete privacy in the transactions of your properties and no one will know details of your commercial activity.

    On the other hand, your publications can be integrated or linked to various massive real estate portals (such as Zonaprop or similar) that will surely have their established rates and commissions and will expand your possibilities of attracting new clients.

    Agency Management

    Your website can function as a real estate agency portal where you can include various real estate companies on your website, and charge them commissions for publishing on your portal if you so wish.

    Multiple agencies can be included and each of them will have their own agents and their own publications that will be identified in your listings by their respective logos.

    Managing multiple agents

    As the owner (Administrator) of your website, you can add as many agents as you need.
    Each of them will be able to access their own space using a username and password with their respective user level where their publishing capabilities and hierarchical roles are established.
    In this way, they will be able to create and manage their publications, which will be identified with their name and contact form.
    The general administrator of the site (owner) will be able to access, view and edit all of their agents' publications.

    Each agent profile will be able to add a resume with their position in the agency, their experience and skills, as well as their contact information and social profiles, and all this information will be accessible to the public from each of their publications on the website.

    Creating, publishing, managing and editing property listings

    Creating and publishing property listings is very simple and is done from the control panel, where all the property data is completed by default, including its featured image (Main), complementary images and videos for the galleries, floor plans and documents, address, surface areas, number of rooms, bathrooms, garages, descriptions and general characteristics.
    All these aspects are customizable by the owner according to their convenience.

    This data will automatically be displayed in a uniform and organized manner in the publications.
    The lists can be easily edited or deleted once they are published.

    Property Categories

    Properties can be organized into owner-created categories based on a variety of criteria:

    • Type of offer: Sale, Rental, Temporary rental, etc.
    • Type of use: Residential, commercial, lot, land, office, etc.
    • Property type: House, PH, apartment, villa, cabin, duplex, triplex, loft, etc.
    • Geographic areas: Country, province, city, town, village, neighborhood, etc.

    All these elements improve the use of the advanced property search engine and its location on geolocation maps.

    Property description and SEO optimization

    Your website's powerful graphical interface allows you to create great presentations for your properties, applying formatted text, headlines, colors and images, using a powerful integrated word processor.

    It is very important that you spend some time writing your ads, always oriented towards what the client is looking for and try to “include phrases and keywords” that the potential client would use and that describe your property correctly. For example: “3-room house with garage in Palermo”

    Not only does this describe your property, but it also helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and makes your posts accessible even from outside your website.

    Don't waste this great tool and clearly and concisely describe the main features of the property in the first paragraph, as this will be the text displayed in the listing preview in the general listing.
    For example: If a client is looking for properties with a garage, you should clarify this in the first paragraph to avoid wasting time on useless searches.

    Featured Properties

    Properties can be highlighted using special tags, and these will be displayed within a special section in a privileged place on the website, in addition to the listing in the general grid of each category.
    You can charge the client an additional fee to highlight their publications.

    Special labels

    Special labels are displayed printed on the main photo of the listing and also on the individual page of each property.

    They can be used to indicate current statuses of the property, just as you would on a street sign: For Sale, For Rent, Repriced, New Price, Reduced Price, Reserved, Sold, etc.

    They are used not only as relevant information about the property but also as elements of real estate marketing.

    User registration and CRM management

    Users can register on your website to make inquiries, compare properties, add to favorites, etc.
    This allows you as the website owner to access certain information about potential clients to perform follow-ups, create CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programs that will allow you to create a set of practices, business strategies and technologies focused on customer relations, send mailings, etc.

    Integration with IDX

    Your website can be easily integrated into IDX systems that allow you to automatically display properties taken from certain databases on your website.
    These properties are integrated and coexist with your particular publications, improving your chances of completing real estate transactions.

    QR Code Implementation

    Each property is developed on a separate website, and therefore we get a particular URL for each offer.

    A smart proposal from the real estate agency would be to add a QR code to public street signs and other promotional pieces, so that the client can scan it and directly access “the website of that property”, without any distractions and being able to contact the real estate agent immediately.

    Otherwise, if the property in question does not satisfy you, you will have access to other offers from the same real estate agency, and not from others!

    Friendly design + Usability

    Searching for properties to move into or settle in is a stressful situation in itself.
    The offer is huge and the client is often “saturated” with too much information, and much of it is not relevant or does not match their search criteria.

    It is vitally important to develop a website where customer usability is the priority.
    The customer must find the information they are looking for in an easy, fast, enjoyable and pleasant way.

    A user-friendly design will make your customer's experience with your website more pleasant, where they can easily find exactly what they are looking for, and that also matches what you are offering.

    The key is a professional-looking design, developed “with criteria” by professionals and for professionals.
    This design must be sober, elegant, aesthetic, direct, functional and above all “usable” by the client, without unnecessary elements that distract their attention and make them leave the website.

    A homogeneous design allows us to show a wide variety of properties with the same quality and publication criteria, from a large luxury apartment with a pool and sea view to a small studio apartment in an underdeveloped neighborhood.
    They should all be shown with the same care, because all clients are important and deserve the same attention and, ultimately, your real estate agency will want to complete all transactions through its website.

    Properties advanced search

    Your website has an advanced property search engine that allows you to optimize the results obtained with the standard search engine.

    Advanced search elements are fully customizable according to the criteria you need for your business, and allow you to filter only results relevant to the client's needs, discarding all those options that do not meet the requirements and result in wasted time.

    Photo and video gallery

    Images are the most important and fundamental elements to attract the attention of a potential client, and they must be of high quality and show in the best possible way the most relevant aspects that could interest the client.

    It is very important to choose an appropriate “featured image”, which will be the one displayed in the general grid of properties, acting as a hook for the client's attention and motivating them to view the entire publication.
    In some cases it will be the facade of the property, and in other cases its main or most representative space.

    You can add as many images and videos as you need, creating a gallery that will give the client a general idea of ​​the property's features.

    Essential information

    Immediately below the image gallery, a bar is displayed with the essential aspects of the property.

    This bar is customizable and should display items quickly and easily so that the customer can compare that data with other properties without having to read the entire content of the post.

    These data generally correspond to the elements of the search engine: Type of operation, type of property, surface areas, age, garages, etc.

    A reduced version of this information is also shown in the general property index grid.

    Description, Details and Features

    As we mentioned before, it is very important to have a detailed, precise and simple textual description of the property, which leaves no doubts to the client about what you are offering. This will prevent you from having to answer unnecessary questions and the consequent loss of time.

    Followed by a table of details as a summary with the main aspects of the publication that allow the client to evaluate your proposal without having to read all the texts, and finally complemented with a list of characteristics and amenities that will make your publications more enjoyable and effective.

    Geolocation

    Geolocation is a fundamental element for the client to be able to evaluate whether he or she is interested in your offer, since he or she can know in advance the area or neighborhood of the publication and its means of transportation, proximity to places of interest, etc.
    All this added to the possibilities offered by the integration with Google Maps make it a very powerful tool when choosing the location of his or her next property and motivates him or her to contact you.

    Tour virtual 360º

    It is very easy to include a 360º virtual tour that complements the gallery of photos and videos, and gives the client the possibility of touring the property and having a more precise idea of ​​the spaces, distribution and characteristics of the same.

    You can take a virtual tour in the following example.

    Download floor plans and documents

    You can add to your publications the possibility that the client can view and download floor plans and important documentation, and thus know in advance relevant information for their search and that motivates them to complete the real estate transaction.

    Contact Agents

    Personalized customer service is a very important added value in the real estate market.

    It is very good for the client to know who will accompany and advise them throughout the process, from the search for the property to the signing of the corresponding contract.

    Each property may have one or more agents in charge, who will be clearly identified in each publication.

    The client will have access to your profile and will be able to contact you by email, phone call or WhatsApp chat, directly from the publication, to ask questions or queries before requesting a personalized visit.

    Request a visit to the property

    Once the client has decided to visit the property, they can request an in-person visit or a video call from the agent directly from the property listing, indicating their preferred date and time.

    User Functions

    From the property listing grid

    Images in the general listing grid have small buttons that add advanced functionality and user interaction to the website.
    These are: Preview, Favorites, and Add to Compare

    •  Preview: Displays a reduced version of the property with the most relevant information, without having to access the individual page.
    • Favorites: Allows you to add the property to Favorites (requires user registration) to view it later.
    • Add to Compare: Allows you to add the property to compare it with other listings on the same website. At least two properties must be added and a comparison table will be displayed with the most relevant elements.

     

    From the publication page

    • Favorites: Allows you to add the property to Favorites (requires user registration) to view it later.
    • Let Share: Permite compartir la publicación con otros usuarios.
    • Print: Allows you to print or save the complete publication information in PDF format.

    Test Drive

    Here you can browse a demo of the real estate website that I used as a reference for this post, where you can learn about all the benefits and features that your next website will have.

    Final conclusion

    I hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful.
    The possibilities that having your own real estate website offers you, there are definitely no reasons not to try to start your own business.

    If you want to start your real estate business online and you think I am a suitable professional, do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to advise you.

    In the Related Articles section below, you will find some articles with specific topics that complement the one you just read.
    I invite you to read them, share them and leave your comments if you wish.
    Thank you very much.

    adrian pablo conti director

    Adrián Pablo Conti

    I am a Graphic and Web Designer graduated from the University of Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA)
    Since 1993 I have run Web4, my own freelance graphic and web design creative studio, located in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
    Me I specialize in the development of visual identity, institutional communication, web sites and online stores, editorial design, catalogs, magazines and packaging design, among others.

    Let Share:

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