9 Real Estate Business Models To Consider With Rising Interest Rates or When Inventories Are Low

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Mike Blankenship

Last updated on May 1, 2024

real estate business models for 2021

It’s often said that more millionaires are made through real estate than any other type of business. But what real estate business models do they use?

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And while it’s difficult to measure the validity of that claim, one thing’s for sure: there’s a lot of money to be made in real estate.

Questions are often raised about whether you should become a wholesaler, a flipper, an agent or broker, or even a hybrid agent/investor.

These questions are common in market events, as we have experienced in recent years…

  • Housing prices are up
  • Housing sales are up
  • Mortgage rates are up
  • Housing inventory numbers are down
  • The number of days on the market is down
  • Affordability is down

Even in low inventory / high-value markets, one thing is sure: people will always buy or sell houses.

Our Carrot member data shows a Q4 quarterly increase of 6.24% in leads over Q3.

Carrot Member Leads Q3 2021 vs Q4 2021

And people who put their money into real estate — buying assets rather than liabilities — ensure a lucrative future for themselves and their families.

So the question is, how should you get into real estate?

Here are nine real estate business models to consider. Prepare yourself for low inventory and changing interest rates.

The Diversity of Real Estate Business Models

There used to be just a few different real estate business models.

If you had access to a lot of capital, you could place big bets with the fix-and-flip system and hope the market didn’t dip at the wrong time. You could also buy-and-hold real estate, steadily expanding your portfolio and net worth.

You could become a real estate agent or broker without big money, netting 3% to 6% per transaction.

Those were the options.

Now things are much more diverse.

Here are the real estate business models we will cover in this article…

  • Real estate agents
  • Wholesaling
  • Wholetailing
  • Buy and hold investing
  • House flipping
  • Remote investing
  • Listing service for FSBO
  • Hybrid agent/investor

The good news is… there’s a real estate business model that will work with any budget. So long as you have the discipline to get started and keep going, you can win at real estate.

The Main Challenge of These Real Estate Business Models

While the business models below present a ton of opportunity for entrepreneurs — indeed, at Carrot, we’ve seen many agents and investors build thriving businesses in just about every market — they’re not free of challenges.

These challenges include hiring the right people, being mathematical in approaching every transaction, and building trust with buyers and sellers.

But one challenge stands above all the rest: consistently generating leads .

For agents and investors, having a consistent flow of leads makes your monthly income more predictable and allows you to grow your business more quickly.

How do you do that?

At Carrot, we specialize in helping investors and agents create simple, effective websites that rank in Google (and thus drive traffic) and systematically convert visitors into leads.

We’ve generated over 2.5 million leads for thousands of investors and agents nationwide.

You can learn more about us over here .

1. Real Estate Agents

When someone thinks about getting into real estate, this is usually the first business model they consider — that of a real estate agent or broker.

Real estate agents make money by helping people buy and sell homes, usually pulling in between 3% and 6% of the sales price. A $250,000 home would net between $7,500 and $15,000.

To become a licensed realtor, you’ll need to research the requirements and processes in your local market — typically, this will include taking some courses and passing a test. You might also need to get sponsored by a real estate brokerage.

  • Low barrier to entry. Anyone with enough time, determination, and sales savvy can become a real estate agent.
  • Good profits on high-ticket homes.
  • Requires expertise in sales.
  • It takes time to build a name for yourself.
  • The average transaction takes about 3 months to complete.

2. Wholesaling

Wholesaling is a real estate investing business model that’s cropped up over the last decade or so.

As a wholesaler, rather than flipping real estate or buying and holding your properties, you work as a sort of “deal finder” for other cash buyers. Your job is to find good deals (motivated sellers) and get them under contract for a price you and your cash buyer can afford. When you pass the deal onto the cash buyer, you’ll typically make a $5,000 to $20,000 assignment fee.

The most significant benefit to wholesaling real estate is that you don’t need a massive amount of money to get started — just a few thousand dollars to send out your first mailers and secure your first deal.

  • No license is required (although that is steadily changing in some states)
  • Requires just a few thousand dollars in startup capital.
  • Tons of opportunities in most markets.
  • Can make up to $20,000 or more per deal.
  • Wholesaling has become highly competitive in most markets.
  • New regulations are being introduced in many states to regulate wholesaling.

business model for real estate websites

“6 wholesale deals this month if all goes through. $124k… 4 ppc, 1 organic, 1 Facebook retargeting. 1 have closed the other 5 are under contract with a buyer and the last one waiting on a buyer. Carrot system is still rockin” – Brian Rockwell

3. Wholetailing

The word “wholetail” is a combination of “wholesale” and “retail”. In a wholetail deal, the investor buys a house for a low-ball price, makes just enough repairs so that it’s capable of selling on the MLS, and then sells it to a traditional buyer.

It’s not unusual to make $50,000 to $100,000 on a wholetail deal, but without nearly as much work as flipping takes.

We recommend wholetailing real estate when you’ve found a house that needs very few repairs, you can get it for a price that’s significantly under market value, and you have the cash to purchase the home (your own money or someone else’s).

  • Wholetailing requires very little work but has a big payoff.
  • Wholetail deals are hard to come by.
  • Wholetailing works better as a supplemental investing strategy than it does a primary business model.
  • Requires access to large amounts of cash.

4. Buy-And-Hold Investing

Buy-and-hold investing is probably the best business model for increasing long-term wealth and net worth. In the buy-and-hold strategy, the investor buys properties (ideally ones that are a good deal), fills them with tenants to create cash flow, and holds.

Buy-and-hold investing aims to collect as many properties as possible and build as big of a portfolio as possible.

The hardest part of this business model is securing the cash to purchase properties consistently — we recommend seeking out private money or hard money to fund your deals.

  • Great way to increase net worth.
  • Creates a ton of passive cash flow.
  • Need to manage properties and deal with tenants.
  • Need access to a lot of capital to maintain momentum.

5. House Flipping

House flipping is the HGTV method of real estate investing- perhaps the most popularized way to make it big.

What these TV shows don’t talk about, though, is how house flipping is also one of the riskier real estate business models — because during the time between when you buy a house and when you sell it (often 6 months or so), you’re just crossing your fingers that the market doesn’t take a hit.

Still, house flipping is a great real estate business model to add to your repertoire — it has higher risk but also a higher payoff, often upwards of $100,000 for a single deal.

  • Bigger cash payoff than any other investing model.
  • Requires a lot of fixer-upper work.
  • Has a higher risk.
  • Requires a lot of upfront cash.

6. Remote Investing

Remote real estate investing has only become possible for the everyday investor in the last decade.

Technology has advanced so that investors can generate leads, find deals, inspect homes, purchase properties, and more… all without even being in the same state as the property they’re purchasing.

Check out our guide here to learn more about virtual real estate investing .

This is a great option for people who don’t want their businesses tied down to a single location.

  • You can operate anywhere in the U.S., accessing the most profitable markets.
  • Gives you more time and freedom.
  • It requires a lot of research before entering into a new market.
  • Requires you to buy properties site unseen.
  • You must build a business with clear-cut systems and hire trustworthy people you can depend on.

7. Listing Service For FSBO

What’s great about this business model is that once it’s set up, it can be almost entirely passive — you’ll need to hire a VA to manage some basic tasks and keep up with customer requests.

Here’s how it works: you get your real estate license, set up a website attracting FSBO sellers who want to list their house on the MLS, and offer to do it for a flat fee.

You can charge upwards of $250 per listing, for instance.

And as mentioned above, you can train a VA to do a lot of the heavy lifting. So once you’ve built the website and found ways to drive traffic (paid ads and/or SEO), this will run almost entirely on autopilot.

  • Easy to set up and easy to manage.
  • Decent money maker with very little work.
  • Will need a real estate license.
  • Will be competing with other FSBO listers.
  • Will require a good chunk of upfront work to get everything set up.
  • Will need to find ways to drive traffic consistently.

The BRRRR method (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) is a modified version of the buy-and-hold business model.

BRRRR is an ongoing process by which real estate investors can purchase multiple properties with very little capital relative to the growth of their portfolios. First, the investor finds a good deal and buys the property using cash, private money, or hard money. Then they rehab the property and fill it with tenants to start the cash flow.

After a seasoning period of 12-24 months, the investor does a cash-out refinance on the home — this is where a financial institution provides a new loan on the property and returns the cash that they used to purchase the property in the first place.

Then the investor repeats that process with their original funds. If the investor plays their card right, they can purchase many properties with the same funds .

  • Allows for faster portfolio growth.
  • Requires the investor to secure upfront funding.
  • Requires very accurate math.

9. Hybrid Real Estate Model

The hybrid real estate model is a strategy where an agent is also an investor. So, you are essentially serving sellers up with multiple different offers.

It’s a cash offer. Hey, if you’re looking for speed and convenience and are willing to take a bit of a shave in equity, here’s this.

Or, if they want top dollar, here’s what we can list for them in the market.

That’s all that it is.

  • Flexibility to work with different types of sellers.
  • Easier to adapt to market shifts.
  • Requires agents to be open to learning more about investing.

business model for real estate websites

Carrot member,  Anthony Beckham , is a hybrid agent/investor. He always says his average profit per deal as an investor is around $20,000 to $30,000. His average agent commission is around the $7000 to $12,000 range .

Final Thoughts

There you have it!

Those are nine real estate business models- something for everyone.

If you don’t have much starting budget, wholesaling or becoming a real estate agent are wonderful options. If you have more capital, then you might consider flipping or BRRRR.

Whatever you decide, there’s plenty of opportunity in each business model.

Not a Carrot member yet? Take a free interactive tour now!

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Business Model and Feature Analysis of a Real Estate & Property Listing Website

Business Model and Feature Analysis of a Real Estate & Property Listing Website

Last Updated: July 14, 2022

Online real estate business models are witnessing impressive growth from past few years. These models eliminate manual efforts while providing a wider reach to customers. The captivating and user-friendly UI of real estate listing websites also provides a satisfying customer experience to visitors.

A major reason behind the growth of real estate websites is that customers trust these websites to be a reliable source of information. According to a report from National Association of Realtors (NAR), 87% of new homebuyers confirmed they used the internet as an information resource during their home-buying process, and nearly one-third mentioned they first learned about their newly purchased home from an online channel. The same report also states that real estate related searches on Google grew 253% over the past four years.

These stats surely highlight the demand for a property listing website as well as growth potential, but before you jump into the pool of property listing you need to understand how the online property listing website actually works. In this post, we have carefully analyzed online property listing market and have covered all the vital aspects which will give you an insight into the business before starting it.

Real estate listing marketplace business model

The business model of a Real Estate listing website revolves around connecting property buyers with sellers. It saves time and efforts of both the parties and bridges the gap between them.  The broker/seller lists the property on the website which is available to the people looking to buy/rent.

So the basic function that a Real estate listing website performs is: –

  • Rent property
  • Sell Property

Real Estate Website BM

So after a buyer or a seller understands their requirements they go through these simple process: –

Process for Buyers

  • Select the City/ Region/ Country where they want to rent/buy property
  • Choose the property suitable for you among the entire list of properties
  • If you haven’t registered on the website then register with your phone number and email id.
  • After you have registered yourself an automatic message is sent to the seller to contact you
  • If that does not happen then, the contact number of the seller is available for you
  • Contact the seller and fix an appointment

Process for Sellers

  • Register on the website
  • List the property on the website by mentioning the locality and the address
  • Fill in all the details of your property i.e. number of rooms, property size, the number of floors etc.
  • Fill in the contact details and your property will be listed on the website

Popular real estate listing websites

  • Magic bricks
  • Home Finder

Revenue model

Subscription fees – The revenue model of a property listing website is channeled through brokers. Most websites provide a subscription model to the broker who wants to list their property on the portal. This model allows the broker to list as many properties they want under a certain package which also gives an extra advantage to the website owner as they get a comprehensive list of properties.

Featured Listing – Another easy way to add revenue is by providing feature listing option to brokers as well as individuals. Those sellers who wish to make a quick sale can brand their property on the homepage of the website. Brokers, as well as individuals, will get attracted to this revenue model as listing your property on the homepage of the website can attract a lot of buyers on the property and drive sales.

Secondary revenue stream

  • Personalized assistance to help you find and manage relevant buyers for your property.
  • Know the right price of the property from an expert
  • Expert guidance on all property related issue from experts in astrology.
  • Speak to a legal attorney for all legal advice on property matters such as purchase/lease/rent, property tax, legal advice, property disputes

These revenue models can bring maximum benefits and can be used for different type of users

  • Individuals
  • Agent or Brokers

Critical features

Go beyond just high-quality images –  One of the essential features is to have high-quality pictures on your website. When a customer has to choose if they like a specific property or not, it is through pictures. The website owner has to be very careful about pictures while screening a listing by brokers or individual.

Today, even high-resolution pictures are not enough to convince a potential customer. Many property listing websites are providing 3D view and virtual tours of properties. Website owners also need to optimize images strategically to drive traffic without reducing the website’s loading speed.

Highlight the USP of every property – It is very important that you paint a picture for potential buyers. Include as many details about the flooring, appliances, equipment, etc. Writing a description is the best way to depict in a paragraph about the neighborhood and location which cannot be covered in a picture of the property. For a buyer to make the final decision about the property they surely need to know the details about the neighborhood.

Testimonials – There is nothing better than a user’s review & testimonial to generate potential customer’s confidence on your service. Most property portals include a testimonial on the homepage of the website to grab the attention of users. Incorporating videos from a user on the homepage of the website can yield better results than written testimonials.

Property value calculation – The broker has full knowledge of the market trends and the prices of property, but when an individual sells the property on such portal they need some guidance as to how much their property is worth in the current market.

Home loans – The property listing owner needs to realize that not everyone has enough funds to buy a dream property. So the listing website should have tie-ups with banks that can provide home loans to the customer easily.

Talk to an expert – There are a lot of confusion when it comes to selecting the perfect property you want to buy or while selling your own property. Queries about property tax, legal documents, property disputes, etc. An expert can be provided by the property listing website to give guidance to the seller or buyer. This will help clear confusion and result in more people listing and search for property on your website.

Have a look at the Business Model Canvas below to know the various components involved in setting up an online property listing website.

Real Estate Website CM

Recommended Read:  Your Real Estate Website is a Failure without These Design Elements

In a technology-driven world, people prefer shortlisting property online and eliminate those properties which are not in accordance with their needs. To save the time and efforts of visiting every property and later selecting the best out of the list, people prefer searching for the property online.

Property listing website may not be a new business idea but after checking and analyzing the market trend, it has a secure and promising future. Those who are planning to start a property listing website, there is a huge scope. Entrepreneurs need to keep in mind the latest technology and tactics involved in building a formidable real estate listing website. The above-mentioned points will help you stay informed about the latest trends.

Get Your Real Estate Listing Website Developed by Experts

How much does it cost to start a real estate website?

Website developers are available at an hourly rate and the rate varies as per technology, experience, country and brand reputation. In the USA and Canada, you can find a developer for your real estate website for anywhere between $40 to $100 per hour. In the UK and other European countries, the rates vary from $25 to $75 per hour. In Asian countries like India, Philippines and Israel, the hourly estimates are $25 to $60. 

How long will it take to develop a real estate property listing website?

The timeframe of the project depends on the selected development methodology, which can either be agile development methodology or waterfall development methodology. 

  • In agile development methodology, a software is incrementally developed in multiple sprints and each sprint lasts one to two weeks. Due to this, you can launch a real estate property listing website within a few weeks and keep introducing changes at later stages.
  • In waterfall development methodology, every feature and functionality is finalized beforehand and the entire website is developed as a whole instead of parts. Due to this, the entire time frame takes between 2 months to 12 months. 

A professional web development company can guide you which development methodology would be the right fit for your requirements. 

How do real estate property listing websites make money?

As stated above, there are two main revenue streams that real estate website owners can use to make money:

Subscription Fees: The website owner can charge brokers a subscription fee and provide access to advanced features and some free listings. 

Featured Listings: To highlight specific property listings, the website owner can also levy special featured listing charges.

business model for real estate websites

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business model for real estate websites

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35 Best Real Estate Website Examples to Inspire in 2024

Arto Minasyan

1. Debra Smalley

2. jennifer ferland, 3. park group real estate, 4. the joe taylor group, 5. the coley group.

  • 6. Michael Calcagno & Nancy Hamilton

7. Guy Yarkoni

8. tammi montgomery, 9. oyler hines, 10. david coffey, 11. aaron kirman, 12. debra dobbs, 13. matt epstein, 14. christine nieva, 15. the smith group, 16. sage homes, 17. the eklund and gomes team, 18. the jills zeder group, 19. lux living estates, 20. sandro dazzan, 21. lakeside realty, 22. homelink properties, 23. golden gate realty, 24. bluesky real estate, 25. beach houses (omaha), 26. urban modern realty, 27. heritage homes group, 28. doneff companies, 29. countryside realty, 30. metro loft properties, 31. horizon heights realty, 32. vineyard valley estates, 33. homes.com, 34. living seaside realty, 35. posh properties group, how to create your own real estate website website.

What should a realtor website look like?

A realtor website should be professional and easy to navigate, featuring a clean design that adapts to all devices. It must include detailed property listings with high-quality images, an “About Us” page to introduce the realtor or agency, and clear contact information. Incorporating testimonials and a blog or resources section can build trust and showcase expertise. 

What are the most popular real estate websites?

How do I make my real estate website stand out?

Implement advanced search filters that allow users to easily find listings matching their specific criteria. Provide valuable content, like market analysis, buying/selling guides, and neighborhood insights, to position yourself as an industry expert.

Ensure your website is mobile-responsive, fast-loading, and SEO-optimized to improve visibility and user engagement. Incorporating customer testimonials and case studies can also enhance credibility.

Do realtors really need a website?

It offers a platform to reach a wider audience, generate leads, and provide valuable resources and information to potential buyers and sellers. In today’s digital age, where most property searches begin online, having a website is crucial for realtors to stay competitive, accessible, and visible to both existing and potential clients.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Debra-Smalley-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

What we like the most about this website:

  • The Debra Smalley website presents luxurious homes with premium-quality pictures.
  • The website gives detailed information about neighborhoods, making it easier to understand the local real estate.
  • The site is easy to use, with well-organized listings, neighborhood details, and media.

Debra Smalley is one of the best real estate website examples run by Debra Smalley, a well-known real estate broker in Los Angeles. The website stands out by offering a lot of information on top neighborhoods and luxurious houses. Debra’s knowledge of the L.A. housing market and her professionalism make this site a go-to for people looking to buy or sell houses.

The testimonials section has happy client reviews, which builds trust and credibility. The website has a “Contact Debra” button, making it super easy for visitors to start their home-buying journey.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Jennifer-Ferland-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

  • The Jennifer Ferland website has a clean and easy-to-navigate design.
  • The website includes social proofs in the form of videos.
  • It provides detailed real estate services, covering buying, selling, and special features like Compass Concierge.

Jennifer Ferland expertises real estate services in the San Francisco and Marin areas. Being in the top 1.5% of Realtors in the United States, Jennifer has generated over $165 million in sales volume since 2016, a testament to her knowledge of the real estate industry. This impressive track record is complemented by her unique background in Nutrition, as mentioned on her website.

Testimonials from happy clients increase her status as a successful real estate agent. The main calls-to-action on the Joe Taylor Group website are easily identified. Additional CTAs like scheduling consultations and the property search function are conveniently located under this CTA.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Park-Group-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

  • The Park Group Real Estate website has an easy-to-look-at design with clear information about buying and selling houses.
  • The website makes it easy to find what you need, whether you’re buying or selling.
  • A video of Sam Park presenting his business gives the aura of personalization.

Park Group Real Estate website, run by Samuel Park, is all about helping people buy and sell houses around Chino Hills. Key sections include information for buyers and sellers, detailed listings, resources, and contact information. As one of the more unique real estate website templates, the design of the website incorporates large, visually appealing images, clear typography, and a straightforward menu.

The website has lots of happy customer stories showing the group’s professionalism. The site features distinct CTAs; “Buy With Us” for buyers and “Sell With Us” for sellers, directing them to relevant services.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/The-Joe-Taylor-Group-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

  • The Joe Taylor Group website has an elegant and modern design, enhancing the user experience.
  • There are lots of clear, high-quality pictures of houses in the Las Vegas area.
  • The website stands out with its engaging video content, giving a real feel for the houses.

The Joe Taylor Group’s website positions itself as a local expert in the Las Vegas real estate market. They offer lots of services, like checking your house’s value and getting market reports, which is super handy. They make sure everyone gets the support in a friendly way.

The website has lots of happy customer stories, showing that people trust them. It also invites you to get in touch with the team to get more help. “Explore Homes” is an effective call-to-action button on the Joe Taylor Group website. It’s designed to attract homebuyers by inviting them to browse through available property listings.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/The-Coley-Group-Real-Estate-Website-Example-res.png

  • The Coley Group website features above-the-fold video playback, without impacting page speed.
  • It details the agency’s Unique Selling Proposition by comparing it to those of its competitors.
  • The site shares impressive numbers, like selling over 2,050 homes and being in the top 1% of Raleigh agents.

Gretchen Coley runs The Coley Group, a real estate business in the Greater Raleigh area. They help people buy and sell homes from 12 Oaks to the Governor’s Club. They work with local builders to share stories about building homes in a series called “Building Raleigh.” Their impressive numbers, like selling lots of houses and being one of the top agents in Raleigh, prove they know what they’re doing.

The testimonials section shows client satisfaction and trust in their services, and their call-to-action is effectively placed to encourage user engagement. The primary CTA is “Call/Text Us”, which simply invites visitors to engage with their services.

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6. Michael Calcagno & Nancy Hamilton

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Michael-Calcagno-Nancy-Hamilton-Real-Estate-Website-Example-1.png

  • The site has a modern look, which makes it inviting and easy to browse.
  • The team shows off its success with results of over $1 billion in sales.
  • The website includes useful information about the neighborhoods of specialty like schools, population, median age, etc.

The Calcagno & Hamilton website is all about a top real estate team in the Santa Barbara area. Led by Michael Calcagno and Nancy Hamilton, they’ve been in the business for more than 25 years. They stand out because of their deep knowledge of the local market and their amazing sales record, which puts them in the top 0.5% of agents worldwide.

The site’s testimonials section shows real stories from happy clients, adding a personal touch. They also make it easy for visitors to get in touch, which is super practical for anyone interested in buying or selling property in the area.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Guy-Yarkoni-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

  • The website offers regularly updated blog posts, authored by Guy Yarkoni himself.
  • The About page covers credible information on Yarkoni’s real estate career, thus building trust.
  • The Featured Properties section showcases a range of listings, with pricing and location details.

Guy Yarkoni is a luxury real estate agent, investor, and a well-known member of the community in Downtown Toronto. Yarkoni’s strategy is based on developing strong connections and meeting customers’ various demands. This is one of the most significant real estate agent website examples as it features a blend of market insights, property listings, and practical advice for homebuyers and sellers.

Guy Yarkoni’s website does not feature testimonials . The website has a clear call-to-action “Contact Guy”. This type of CTA is direct and personalized, encouraging website visitors to initiate immediate contact.

https://10web.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Tammi-Montgomery-Real-Estate-Website-Example.png

  • The Tammi Montgomery website features a design highlighting their real estate expertise.
  • The website has social proofing with sales and review records.
  • It includes information on local and house-hunting insights in their specialized areas.

The website is led by Tammi Montgomery, who specializes in real estate services in the Shreveport-Bossier City area of Louisiana. It stands out as being the #1 real estate team in Louisiana, with $201M in total sales, demonstrating its success. The website provides an accurate view of their services, team members, and client reviews.

The testimonials section showcases a variety of positive client experiences, demonstrating their commitment to customer satisfaction. The CTA’s include “See how we can help” and “Read our reviews” in the hero content and “Call Tammi” in the navigation bar, making the website one of the most easy-to-use real estate website examples.

Note

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  • The Oyler Hines website has a playback of the business’s introductory video.
  • The website includes a video gallery with tours and advice for buyers and sellers.
  • The site covers a wide range of services including buying, selling, building homes, and more.

Oyler Hines is one of the well-known real estate wholesaling website examples based in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, focusing on building, buying, and selling properties. The website has a user-friendly interface with interactive features like “Tap The Map” for area exploration.

They provide detailed testimonials, highlighting their active approach from the beginning to the end of each client’s journey. Customer satisfaction is reflected in their impressive 4.9 rating from over 500 reviews. The “Let’s Chat” aspect on the Oyler Hines website is an effective call-to-action element, as it creates a welcoming and approachable tone.

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  • The David Coffey website has a neighborhood guide for clients’ lifestyle choices, from ex-suburbs to urban.
  • The site covers a blog on the how-tos of living in Toronto.
  • It involves a “CoffeyTime report” newsletter on the fast-moving market, the latest listings, and Toronto’s emerging neighborhoods.

David Coffey’s website focuses on real estate in Toronto and stands out with its comprehensive approach. The website also features an in-depth guide to different Toronto neighborhoods and informative blog posts. This combination of services, local insights, and educational content makes this a standout resource for anyone interested in Toronto’s real estate market.

The David Coffey website has great testimonials from happy clients, showing he’s trusted in real estate. It also has a clear call-to-action, making it easy for visitors to get in touch and start their home-buying or selling journey.

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  • Aaron Kirman’s website has a wide selection of luxurious houses with detailed listings and pictures.
  • It provides special services, such as “Estate Dynamics,” which matches purchasers with properties more effectively using AI.
  • The website shows Aaron’s experience in premium real estate and his public appearances.

Among the premium real estate listings in Los Angeles, Aaron Kirman’s website is one of the most unique real estate agent website examples. It is full of luxury real estate listings, each well-photographed and detailed, providing customers with a visual feast. The color schemes for this website portray Aaron Kirman’s specialty in Luxury .

The Aaron Kirman website includes great testimonials from clients, adding trust. It also has a clear call-to-action, making it easy to contact Aaron’s team for luxury real estate needs in LA.

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  • Debra Dobbs’s website highlights a wide range of real estate services for both buyers and sellers in Chicago.
  • It shows detailed neighborhood guides, helping users find the perfect area.
  • The site features a blog with useful insights and tips, adding value to the visitor experience.

Debra Dobbs’ website is dedicated to real estate in Chicago, offering a full spectrum of services for buying and selling homes. The website has a simple design, making it easy for users to find what they need. The site is organized well, with menus that lead to different sections like house listings and contact details.

Additionally, the website displays client testimonials, giving insights into the positive experiences of past clients, and has a clear call-to-action for contacting Debra’s team, simplifying the process for visitors to get started with their real estate journey.

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  • Matt Epstein’s website stands out with its neighborhood guides and local resources.
  • The site features real estate blog articles, offering insights into market trends and home improvement tips.
  • It includes a clear and easy-to-navigate layout with vibrant imagery.

Matt Epstein’s website focuses on real estate services in the San Fernando Valley, particularly in areas like Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and Encino. The author, Matt Epstein, is a real estate agent with over 25 years of experience and is among the top 1% of Berkshire Hathaway agents nationwide. The website’s search functionality allows for custom house searches, making it easy to find listings tailored to specific needs.

Testimonials are precisely displayed, showing the experiences of past clients and thus adding trust and credibility. The website’s CTAs are clear, and engaging, encouraging users to contact Matt, search listings, and explore neighborhood guides.

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  • Christine Nieva’s website offers a personalized “Perfect Home Finder” service.
  • The site includes a comprehensive buyer’s and seller’s guide.
  • It features an interactive mortgage calculator, helping users easily estimate their potential mortgage payments.

Christine Nieva’s website is centered around real estate services in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Christine is a real estate professional focused on providing top-notch services in home buying and selling. The website’s search functionality is user-friendly, allowing visitors to easily find properties based on their criteria.

The website also includes testimonials, giving insights into Christine’s expertise and client satisfaction. The website uses effective CTAs, guiding visitors to schedule a consultation, use the “Perfect Home Finder,” and access buyer and seller guides.

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  • The Smith Group website impresses with cinematic property films, offering an engaging visual experience.
  • It features a strong branding message, “Who You Work With Matters,” that resonates throughout the site.
  • The site includes a diverse range of content, from luxury property listings to real estate blog articles.

The Smith Group Real Estate website, led by Tim Smith, specializes in luxury real estate in Southern California, particularly in Newport Beach. The website provides efficient search functionality for luxury properties, complete with detailed listings and an interactive map highlighting available properties’ locations.

Testimonials from satisfied clients are prominently displayed, highlighting the team’s expertise and customer satisfaction. The website’s CTAs are thoughtfully designed and placed, inviting visitors to connect with the team, explore luxury listings, and view exclusive property videos.

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  • Sage Homes’s website features a clean, modern design with a user-friendly interface, wonderful color combinations, and vibrant images .
  • There is an “Advice Hub” section to appeal to newcomers.
  • Archive of real estate content highlights a comprehensive approach to renting your next home.

Sage Homes specializes in providing quality, affordable homes in the UK, with a focus on Shared Ownership and rental properties. Their approach is towards making homeownership more accessible to a broader range of people. The site’s search functionality is streamlined, enabling users to easily find homes for sale or rent.

Testimonials are not featured, but the website compensates with detailed information about their services. The website’s CTAs are clear and direct, encouraging users to explore available properties, learn more about Shared Ownership, and access the customer hub.

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  • The Eklund and Gomes Team website offers exclusive, members-only access to unique listings.
  • The site has a luxury-oriented design, with a strong emphasis on high-quality imagery.
  • It features “The Hot List” and “Private Listings,” showcasing highly anticipated, liked, and off-market properties.

The Eklund and Gomes Team, part of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, is a high-profile real estate team led by Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes. They specialize in luxury properties in New York, Florida, California, and Texas, with a reputation for handling high-end real estate transactions.

While testimonials are not a primary feature on the site, the focus is on exclusive listings and lifestyle content through their digital magazine “Estate.” The website’s CTAs are focused on exclusive membership sign-up, offering access to private listings, a digital magazine, and curated content.

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  • The Jills Zeder Group website has an elegant design with high-quality images of luxury properties.
  • The site has an interactive search by property type, number of beds, and price range.
  • The website includes accurate neighborhood guides and detailed market updates.

The Jills Zeder Group, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty, specializes in luxury real estate in Miami and South Florida. The Jills Zeder Group is one of the best real estate website examples because of their strong reputation. Additionally, they have been recognized as a top real estate team nationally.

Client testimonials are available, showcasing the team’s success and client satisfaction. The website’s CTAs are effectively placed, inviting users to search for properties, contact the team, and sign up for exclusive market updates.

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  • Luxliving Real Estate’s website showcases a diverse selection of properties with detailed listings and images.
  • The site includes dynamic image sliders showcasing different aspects of each property.
  • The website includes an interactive map, allowing users to visually explore property locations in Dubai.

Lux Living Real Estate offers a diverse range of properties for rent, buy, and sell in Dubai, UAE. Their website focuses on delivering quality real estate services and assisting clients in finding their ideal home or investment in Dubai. The site features a user-friendly interface with detailed property listings.

Testimonials from clients are accurately displayed, providing insights into the experiences of customers. The website’s CTAs are strategically placed, encouraging users to contact the agency, request property valuations, and browse through the latest listings.

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  • Sandro Dazzan’s website integrates video content with the stunning landscapes of Malibu and the luxurious properties available.
  • The site highlights Sandro’s notable achievements and ranking.
  • It includes detailed neighborhood guides, providing valuable insights into the exclusive areas of Malibu.

Sandro Dazzan’s website is focused on luxury real estate in Malibu, California. Sandro is recognized as one of the nation’s top real estate agents. His website embodies just this with appealing visuals of the properties and interesting sights of his neighborhoods of specialty.

The website does not feature client testimonials, however, Sandro’s professional accomplishments and high-value transactions speak to his credibility. The website’s CTAs are effectively integrated, encouraging visitors to contact Sandro, browse property listings, and learn more about Malibu neighborhoods.

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  • Lakeside Realty website has an interactive map search feature with an intuitive exploration of properties based on location.
  • It includes a community forum for users to share experiences and ask questions.
  • The website has weather widgets, showing a glimpse of local conditions.

Lakeside Realty is a real estate company specializing in properties in the Tennessee region, particularly lakefront and nearby homes. The website is user-friendly and tailored to both buyers and sellers, offering detailed property listings, market analysis, and tips. The site is one of the greatest real estate website examples for its focus on lake living, presenting a unique niche in the real estate market.

Client testimonials on the site highlight the professionalism and efficiency of the Lakeside Realty team, reinforcing their credibility. The website effectively uses clear CTAs, such as “Contact Us” and “View Listings.”

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  • HomeLink Properties has personalized user dashboards for saving favorite properties and searches.
  • It includes augmented reality integration for a real-world sense of property dimensions.
  • The website has “Walk Score”, which provides insights into the neighborhood’s walkability.

HomeLink Properties, LLC specializes in residential property management in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. They emphasize providing high-quality homes along with superior customer service. The website stands out by offering functional tools for clients, such as online rent payment and maintenance request submissions.

The website does not feature testimonials. The site employs clear and effective CTAs, like “Pay Rent Online” and “Available Rentals,” which are strategically positioned to foster user engagement.

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  • Golden Gates Realty integrates a blog section providing valuable real estate tips and local market insights.
  • The site has advanced property comparison tools with comprehensive feature breakdowns.
  • It includes a user-generated content section featuring photos and stories from satisfied clients.

Golden Gates Realty’s website is distinguished by its focus on Jamaican properties. It features listings and a blog that provides valuable insights into the local real estate market. Additionally, the site includes dynamic heat maps, offering a unique view of popular neighborhoods and property trends. These elements collectively establish the website as an engaging resource for those interested in real estate website examples.

The inclusion of client testimonials serves as social proof, reassuring potential clients of the professionalism and quality of service provided by Golden Gates Realty. The CTAs on the site, while standard in nature, are effectively placed to encourage user interaction and inquiries.

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  • The BlueSky Real Estate website includes 360-degree panoramic views of mountain properties.
  • The website provides property altitude and climate data.
  • The “Mountain Living Tips” section offers advice for adapting to mountain environments.

Blue Sky Real Estate, focusing on the Alabama real estate market, offers a user-friendly website designed to assist buyers and sellers. Its clean and modern design, featuring high-quality images and an easy-to-navigate layout, enhances the user experience. The website stands out with its unique sections like “Coming Soon” listings and detailed community profiles.

Testimonials or personal client stories are not featured on the main pages, focusing more on the properties and services offered. The call-to-action elements are well-integrated, encouraging users to explore listings, learn about communities, or contact the team for more information.

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  • The Beach Houses website provides comprehensive information for both guests and potential clients, covering FAQs and services in detail.
  • The website includes a coastal lifestyle blog with travel recommendations and local events.
  • It has a social media integration for easy sharing of favorite properties.

Beach Houses, formerly known as Omaha Beach Holiday Rentals, is a family-run business led by Jeanette and Chris Atkinson. The website stands out for its personal touch and commitment to quality service. It caters to both guests looking for beach house accommodations and owners considering renting out their properties.

The website does not feature testimonials. The call-to-action elements are effectively integrated, making it easy for users to find accommodation or learn more about listing their property.

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  • The Urban Modern Realty website includes dynamic property heat maps displaying proximity to public transportation and amenities.
  • The integration of a blog enhances the website’s value as an informative resource.
  • The website features a dynamic “Market Trends” section, providing up-to-date information on the latest real estate market trends in Denver.

Urban Modern Realty, based in Denver, Colorado, is a real estate broker firm specializing in upscale residential and commercial properties in Denver and its surrounding areas. The website features interactive property searches, market trends, and team profiles. Additionally, using a 3D floor helps users easily understand property layouts, making the site more user-friendly.

While the website doesn’t display client testimonials or reviews, it effectively showcases its services and offers multiple ways for potential clients to get in touch or learn more. The call-to-action elements, like “Get A Quote” and service inquiries, are thoughtfully placed to guide users toward engaging with the agency.

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  • The Heritage Homes Group website emphasizes military relocation with specialized services for military families.
  • The site shows impressive sales statistics like a 99.3% list-price to sale-price ratio, indicating strong market performance.
  • It has an interactive restoration slider showcasing before-and-after images of renovated homes.

The Heritage Homes Group website specializes in real estate services for military families, particularly around Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The site emphasizes its experience in assisting over 300 military families, highlighting niche expertise in the real estate market.

The testimonials on The Heritage Homes Group website reflect positive client experiences, emphasizing the team’s professionalism and tailored support for military families. The Heritage Homes Group website effectively uses calls-to-action to engage visitors.

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  • The Doneff Companies website has an interactive slider for comparing city views from different property heights.
  • It has a “Local Events Calendar” section featuring upcoming city happenings.
  • The site includes an integrated booking system for scheduling property tours directly from the website.

The Doneff Companies website is based in the United States, specifically focusing on real estate listings in various locations. It provides detailed descriptions and high-quality images for each listing, making it easy for anyone interested in real estate website examples to find properties that suit their needs.

The website’s focus is primarily on presenting the properties, with detailed descriptions and images. For users interested in a particular listing, contact information is provided, but there isn’t a strong emphasis on CTAs or customer feedback in the form of testimonials.

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  • The Countryside Realty website has a range of helpful resources like home buying tips and a mortgage calculator.
  • It has a property land-use history detailing previous agricultural or development uses.
  • The website includes informative articles on rural living and property ownership.

Countryside Realty’s website focuses on real estate listings and services in Connecticut. It features a comprehensive search function allowing users to filter by property type, price, beds, and baths. The imagery consists mainly of property photos, contributing to a functional user experience.

Testimonials aren’t featured on the main page. The Countryside Realty website effectively uses calls-to-action to guide visitors. These include prompts to contact them for more details, buttons to view listings, and an invitation to use their search tool to find properties.

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  • The Metro Loft Properties site includes live video tours with real-time commentary from agents during property exploration.
  • It has a loft living lifestyle blog with design inspiration and decor tips.
  • The website covers a “Meet the Neighbors” section featuring resident testimonials .

Metro Loft NYC’s website shows their expertise in converting commercial properties into residential spaces in New York City. Founded by Nathan Berman, the company specializes in high-end residential development in Lower Manhattan. The website provides a clear overview of their projects, team, and company history.

Testimonials or customer feedback aren’t immediately visible, and the site relies heavily on strong visual elements and detailed project descriptions to appeal to potential clients. Metro Loft NYC’s website uses simple yet impactful CTAs. They have easy options to contact the team for more information.

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  • The Horizon Heights Realty website has aerial property videos capturing the wonderful views from high-rise units.
  • It has real-time availability indicators showing vacant and occupied units.
  • The site involves Sky Lounge virtual tours offering a taste of high-rise amenities.

Horizon Real Estate of Indiana focuses on real estate services across Central Indiana. It features an efficient search function for properties. The imagery on the site is clean and professional, enhancing the user experience.

Testimonials aren’t a remarkable feature on the site, however, The Horizon Real Estate website includes effective CTAs, encouraging users to search for properties, request market analysis, and contact their team.

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  • The Vineyard Valley Estates website has a specialized focus on retirement living in Napa Valley.
  • It includes amenities like walkways, putting greens, and bocce ball courts, highlighting the lifestyle.
  • The website covers a seasonal photo gallery showcasing the beauty of vineyard landscapes for an immersive touring experience.

The Vineyard Valley website introduces the senior living community in Napa Valley, emphasizing affordable retirement and second-home options. Its website’s immersive imagery transports visitors to the tranquil landscapes of vineyards, while the guided property search function simplifies the process of finding the perfect wine country property.

The Vineyard Valley website does not feature testimonials from residents or visitors. Instead, it uses CTAs focused on encouraging potential residents to learn more about the community. These include prompts to contact for more information and directions to visit the location.

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  • The Homes.com website features a comprehensive property search with neighborhood, school, and agent filters.
  • It has extensive neighborhood guides with video tours and articles.
  • The website involves detailed agent profiles for personalized real estate assistance.

Homes.com is one of the most favored real estate website examples offering a wide range of services, including property listings, neighborhood explorations, school information, and recent property sales data. The site emphasizes connecting buyers with knowledgeable agents and provides resources like blogs and guides.

The site does not feature testimonials, focusing more on providing resources and tools for property searches and real estate transactions. CTAs are remarkably used, encouraging users to search for properties, explore neighborhoods, and connect with real estate agents.

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  • Living Seaside Realty Group’s website involves a beachside lifestyle blog with coastal decor ideas and seaside relaxation tips.
  • It also has tide and weather widgets that provide real-time information for coastal areas.
  • The website includes user-generated “Sunset Views” photo contests with property discounts as prizes.

Living Seaside Realty Group’s website is centered around real estate services in coastal Southeastern North Carolina. It showcases their commitment to personalized service. The site features an advanced property search function, a section for waterfront properties, and resources for buyers, sellers, and anyone interested in WordPress real estate website examples.

The site features client testimonials, highlighting positive experiences and the quality of service provided by the team. Additionally, Living Seaside Realty Group’s website effectively uses CTAs to engage potential clients, with clear prompts for buyers and sellers.

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  • The Posh Properties website involves a “Luxury Lifestyle Magazine” section featuring articles on high-end living.
  • It has exclusive property sneak peeks for registered users, fostering a sense of exclusivity.
  • The website includes luxury property auctions for unique buying opportunities.

Posh Properties is a real estate website example that stands out for its focus on luxury Florida real estate, particularly in Delray Beach. The site features a comprehensive search function, detailed agent profiles, and resources for both buyers and sellers.

The site is user-friendly, with extensive testimonials that highlight the group’s exceptional service and clear CTAs for property searches and agent contacts. This approach helps establish credibility and offers insight into the customer experience with the team.

Creating a website involves a series of strategic steps. This section will help you in turning your vision into reality and creating your ideal website.

1. Gather inspiration : Begin by exploring the various examples of the websites listed in this article that are handpicked by the 10Web Editorial team. Take notes of all the things that you like and that you’d like to see on your website as well.

2. Select the right platform: There are different website builders and platforms, each with its unique advantages and disadvantages. For example, WordPress stands out with its customization and wide range of themes and plugins, while Wix stands out with its easy-to-use editor.

3. Optimize website performance : Your website’s speed and responsiveness are crucial for engaging visitors and improving search engine rankings. Opt for reliable hosting that ensures your site is fast and accessible to all users.

4. Use AI to simplify website creation: AI can help with everything from design decisions to content creation, making the process more efficient. Use AI to automate and innovate, reducing the time you spend on website building and focusing more on growing your business.

All these and even more can be automated with 10Web’s AI Builder: 

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In 2024, real estate websites are not just for showing properties but also for building trust and interest in their brands. As real estate changes with new technology, these websites show how important it is to keep up with online trends. They are helpful for real estate pros looking for new ideas or for people looking to buy or sell property. They blend tech, good design, and real estate know-how really well.

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Before Call Porter, Ryan used almost every service on the block and even hired international VA’s that were “cheaper”. But instead, he found that he was losing leads by the day . On top of that, he had wasted hours trying to re-coup the lost leads, wasting appointment blocks on tire-kickers (booked by incompetent phone reps), and dealing with confused and irate sellers. He decided to end all that headache and create his own answering service. He envisioned a call center with amazing answering agents, trained in REI, screening, and booking quality appointments ( and doing it better than investors themselves ). 

So, he teamed up with his brother Justin Dossey, a 15-year veteran of call center operations, and former director of customer service for the largest extended warranty company in the country. Because international agents created more confusion than anything else, they decided to go local to eliminate language barriers. Then, they created a solid hiring process that finds go-getters and natural talent. Then, they created a bonafide script and selling system that Ryan and his acquisition manager created to give the best results while getting as many quality appointments as possible. The results were stellar. 

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The Best Real Estate Website Builders (2024 Updated!)

business model for real estate websites

Editorial Note: We sometimes earn a small commission from partners listed. This never affects editor opinions or evaluations. More

Your client’s first stop when doing research is usually the internet, which means your real estate website has a chance to make a first impression on your clients before you get a chance to. 

Good news : you don’t have to be a tech wizard to build the best real estate website in your area. Using the right tools can make it easy. 

I personally spent hundreds of hours comparing and ranking the best real estate website builders based on a comprehensive look at features, integrations, IDX functionality, and price points. Here are the top real estate website builders to use to build your brand.

Best Real Estate Website Builders for 2024

  • Provider Rating Award Team Functionality Lead Nurturing Features Our Review

business model for real estate websites

Best Overall Website Builder: Real Geeks

Top features.

Why I chose it as the best for seller leads:  If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution to maximize your presence online, Real Geeks has you covered.

Real Geeks is an end-to-end lead generation solution that offers an IDX website, a CRM, and paid lead solutions. They have you completely covered, which is why they earn our second best overall website builder for real estate. 

One of their greatest features we found during testing is their high-converting IDX websites with forced registration .

The sites are fully customizable and offer a blogging tool and calls to action (CTAs). They’re always rolling out new features and have tons of templates to choose from, which is great for solo agents. And, visitors can easily search for listings and locate them with their dynamic map functions. 

Some other features their website builder includes are A/B testing for landing pages, automatic MLS updates every 15 minutes, and SEO tools. Real Geeks websites have tremendous SEO ranking possibilities.   

They also has a solid CRM that works in tandem with your custom site.

Real Geeks tracks all activity on the website, like when a user searches or likes a listing, and uploads that information in contact profiles on their CRM. The dashboard is simple and offers email drip funnels, mass marketing tools, and built-in SMS texting, so if your working on your own they can help you stay efficient.  

Another great advantage of Real Geeks is their lead capture tools, especially their home valuation landing page to capture selling leads .

Like Zillow or Realtor.com, the tool is built into your website, and visitors can enter their contact information to receive an estimate. They also offer market reports tailored to specific areas, which are great lead magnets.  

What differentiates Real Geeks from other website builders: Real Geeks ensures that your website should be highly trafficked with a full suite of tools and unique features to help you along the way. There’s a reason Real Geeks is so highly regarded by agents; it works.

Other Features: Custom lead capture forms, quick market report features, home valuation tools included

Best for: S olo agents looking to build their brand without tanking their budgets.

  • End-to-end solution
  • Reasonable price
  • Quick turnaround
  • Very little customization
  • Limited content marketing resources

Best Website Builder for Teams: CINC

Why I chose it as the best website builder for teams:   CINC offers performance, simplicity and convenience in your IDX website.

Designed by high-performing agents, it’s an all-in-one solution that delivers a slick, customer-facing experience….sure, but it’s also a powerful marketing platform that can generate free and pay-per-click leads plus nurture them through behavior-driven follow-ups .

Their IDX listings presentation, lead generation, and nurture all work seamlessly without agents having to stitch all the pieces together. They keep Teams working together like a well oiled machine.

They mostly source their leads from Google and Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Lead generation is hyper-local and takes full advantage of technology to provide you with quality leads and data.

I love that CINC offers a host of automated tools for you and your team, including automated email and text campaigns. Plus, you’ll get smart suggestions after every communication you have with potential clients as well as former clients on the best ways to convert.

There’s also ListCast, an AI tool that advertises targeted, personalized recommendations to potential leads.

Another cool thing that our testing showed, is that their Seller Suite gathers insights into seller opportunities to help you improve contact and close ratio with seller leads . Plus, once they’re captured, you’ll have automated follow-up, which includes a welcome email, home value report, and more.

CINC  makes it easier to facilitate collaboration and increase productivity as a team.

They have automated lead routing to pair new leads with the right agent. And, they have the added benefit of a feature-rich backend that includes agent accountability and intelligent team management tools . Activity tracking is simple across channels and team members.

CINC also offers the PROLINC Referral Network, which includes every CINC user in North America. So you can receive referrals from other agents in different locations. PROLINC provides you with referral leads who are ready to convert.

It’s a worthwhile investment for teams looking for an all-in-one platform to convert paid leads. While subscriptions can get expensive, their multiple lead sources and team management tools can help busy teams streamline their approach.

There’s no better option for small teams looking to increase their lead generation, conversion, and sales. It’s also perfect for teams looking to scale their business with a great ROI.

My ultimate fav, they have a Guaranteed Sales Program which provides teams and agents a r isk-free return on their investment by guaranteeing closed transactions .

To determine this, CINC has built a proprietary Conversion Playbook and Success Program that clearly explains what teams and agents have to do to succeed. If, while following the program, the you or your team doesn’t close a minimum number of transactions in the first year, CINC will continue providing the platform for free until those transactions happen and the investment is recouped .

What differentiates CINC from other website builders: In addition to being an easy tool to learn, CINC also offers AgentAdvice customers $3,000 in free leads to first year users . That is 300-500 free leads for teams & agents in their first year using CINC.

Other Features: Easy management tools, configurable layouts, easy to set up

Best for: Teams & brokers with a large budget

  • Perfectly suited for Teams/Brokers
  • Don't need to be a techie to get all the value
  • Powerful & flexible lead gen
  • Guaranteed Sales Program
  • Learning curve for feature use
  • Higher base pricing due to the "full-service"
  • Lack of customizations options

Best for Website Branding: Agent Image

Why we chose it: Agent Image is mostly for agents and brokerages looking for a true one-stop-shop for their website and marketing functions.

They offer custom websites, including IDX websites, as well as a full suite of marketing services, including SEO, content, social media, paid advertising and other custom marketing solutions. 

And in these domains, they’re really, really good at what they do. 

Agent Image also won awards in the most important categories at the 2022 RealTrends Website Rankings, and they’ve created websites for some of the top names in real estate, including people like Aaron Kirman, Allure Realty, The Oppenheim Group, Tracy Tutor, Kofi Nartey, Sharona Alperin, and many others. 

What they’re really good at is (1) understanding your unique brand and story and (2) creating truly unique websites (check out their portfolio for examples). In other words, Agent Image is where you want to go if you make sure your website is not boring . 

They offer fully custom websites, semi-custom websites (their most popular) and an entry-level package called Agent Image X, which is designed to help newer agents deploy a polished, top-tier website. There’s no custom work in these packages, but they have a strong library of themes they’ve already built. 

On the marketing side, it’s essentially full-service. 

They’re not going to be the cheapest. They are, however, going to be one of the most truly robust website + marketing solutions out there. 

What differentiates Agent Image from other website builders: In addition to the usual marketing you might do (SEO, PPC, social media, etc.), Agent Image has tons of capabilities that might be tough to find at a run-of-the-mill real estate  marketing firm. 

Other features: After sales training, and top tier customer support

Best for: Brokers and teams looking to bundle services

  • Full ownership of your website (WordPress, not SaaS)
  • Lots of high profile clients
  • 24/7 customer support + after sales training
  • Lots of bundles to choose from (no matter your budget)
  • Custom website prices are high
  • No ala carte digital marketing services
  • No built-in CRM system

Best Website Builder for Generating Buyer and Seller Leads: BoomTown

Why I chose it as the Best Website Builder for Generating Buyer and Seller Leads : If you’re JUST looking for a website builder, BoomTown is frankly too expensive. BUT, it’s really a full-service real estate package meant for teams and brokerages.

Included in their service is an IDX-enabled website builder, a comprehensive CRM, and complete digital marketing services with a focus on PPC ads. Because it’s meant for teams , they also offer plenty in terms of team management and lead pipeline distribution.

BoomTown’s website builder uses a consistent design proven to convert visitors . Their home search websites require registration, immediately giving you a lot of opportunities for leads from those looking to view listings.

Plus, the pages load quickly and the website is very simple to navigate. They also have a feature called “My Listings,” which matches existing buyers in your database to your own listings. 

BoomTown offers full-service digital marketing campaigns in the form of PPC ads. They’ll launch the ads for you, leading prospects to your door (rather, your own personalized real estate website).

Fun Fact: Their portal allows users to create their own ads and landing pages with a block editor, and their team will ensure that your efforts are aligned with your goals. They also offer remarketing campaigns to keep your business top of mind . 

With BoomTown, you’ll get a predictive CRM with an easy interface to evaluate the status of any online lead and nurture them through automated email and text.

Lead distribution is automated, too! It’s through models like agent-on-duty or round-robin.

BoomTown’s “Now Wall” feature predicts which leads require follow-up, so you can take the guesswork out of figuring out the perfect timing . Their concierge service, Success Assurance, also nurtures leads for you. 

What differentiates BoomTown from other website builders: Top real estate teams trust BoomTown because of the effectiveness of their lead generation tools and PPC ads. You’ll have a clean website built to perform and everything you’ll need to convert the leads you’ll get. So, if you’re a team or brokerage, lead management and distribution are made simple through automation. 

Other Features: Included e-alerts so that you can easily convert clients, leads are tested for quality

Best for: Large teams and brokerages with a big budget

  • Perfect for brokerages
  • Great PPC lead generation
  • Easy to use
  • No content marketing
  • No ownership over lead generation
  • Brokerage-level prices

Best for Solo Agents: kvCORE

Why we chose it as the Best Website Builder for Solo Agents: kvORE’s  website has many features to help you streamline the work of lead capture, relationship management, advertising, outreach, transaction management, and much more.

kvCORE is designed to help you capture and manage prospects, supporting every process involved to get from lead to closing. With their tools, you can capture leads from your team or individual websites and social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

When it comes to real estate, you want to be able to create a recognizable brand that provides a consistent experience. kvCORE lets you develop your own digital assets, so your website will be all you. You can configure your team and individual pages, property pages, lead captures, and other content with your branding, image, and color schemes.

To give you an even more seamless experience, kvCORE  integrates with MLS to allow your customers and clients to search for properties and get the newest listings as soon as they are listed. With this integration, you keep customers on your website to search for real estate instead of sending them to another website.

kvCORE offers unlimited custom pages. As you generate new landing and squeeze pages to guide your customers and clients, you broaden your reach and increase the chance of making a sale. Beyond landing pages, you can also develop blog content to drive even more traffic to your website via kvCORE’s custom blog pages.

Working with lenders is easy with kvCORE’s lender integrations. These integrations make it simple to cost-share with your lenders. Each lender will be billed separately and receive their own login credentials.

  • Robust platform with lots of tools
  • Great reporting ability
  • Can be pricey
  • Overwhelming platform for new agents

Honorable Mentions

I had a high bar in picking the best of the best website builders. These website builders didn’t make the cut (frankly, they’re not as great as my top picks – but they were also considered).

business model for real estate websites

If you’re looking to build a local brand image, AgentFire is a great solution for you.

They offer a WordPress-based real estate website builder that has tons of features geared toward targeting a hyperlocal community. Best part is, it’s very affordable . You’ll get quite a bit of bang for your buck. 

With AgentFire , you have three real estate website builder options : custom, semi-custom, and “Express Setup.”

With custom , you can build and customize your website using their easy site editor.

Semi-custom offers three starting points for you and dedicated designers to customize for your brand.

And the Express Setup plan will get you a website that’s ready to go in 48 hours, all designed based on your answers to a few questions. 

Their websites fully integrate with your preferred CRM, too.

The biggest advantage of AgentFire is its hyperlocal focus . Home Junction provides site visitors with data about local communities, such as average sale price, local schools, and even restaurant reviews provided by Yelp.

Then you have the ClickMaps add-on which allows you to design a map that takes users to specific community pages . Plus, their property listings are powered by Showcase IDX. You can get a 3-month free trail of the Home Valuation tool too.

AgentFire has other features we didn’t know about prior to our testing too, like integrated landing pages and lead magnets. They even have a CTA system that has a chat tool and opt-in pop-ups.

What differentiates AgentFire from other website builders: If you have some extra room in the budget, there are plenty of other paid add-ons, called Power Ups. These include a home valuation tool, a logo generator, ADA Compliance tools, and copywriting services for web pages and blog content.   To sum it up, AgentFire offers a hyperlocal website with plenty of features for a reasonable price point.  

Other Features: Advanced SEO settings for better keyword rankings, easily create unique content for the areas you serve

Best for: Solo agents on a budget

  • Dedicated designer
  • IDX Integrations
  • Hyperlocal area pages and market reports
  • Integrates with most CRMs, PPC and SEO solutions
  • Not geared for large teams
  • Some features require paid upgrades

business model for real estate websites

Placester offers a great real estate website builder with tons of intuitive features and support along the way. They have a website, lead captures, and an intuitive CRM.

Bonus points – they even offer a discount to NAR members, making their already fair price even more affordable!

Placester makes designing your website simple. You choose the template you want, fill out a quick form with your information, and they’ll populate your site.

Once that is taken care of, you can customize your site with an easy, code-free editor . From there, you are free to add whatever content you choose. 

I like that there are a ton of modules to choose from , whether it’s basics like property search, calls to action, and contact information popups or extras like testimonials, a mortgage calculator, and featured listings.

These added features make it possible to have a professional-looking, mobile-friendly real estate website up in a few hours (trust me, I timed it during our testing).

Placester offers a ton of premade tools for real estate agents like advanced IDX integrations and agent profile pages. You’ll have access to several website and landing page templates so you don’t need to start from scratch!

One of their biggest benefits is unlimited page creation. Translation –  you can add as many pages to your site as you like . Websites also come with built-in SEO tools (get those free leads).

One of my favorite things about Placester’s service is its lead capture tools. Their custom landing pages and capture forms integrate well with the Placester CRM, and they offer site-wide pop-up options and a contact form in the footer of every page.

What differentiates Placester from other website builders: They are dedicated to maximizing your online presence, so Placester takes care of the design process when you hit a road block with features like the Placester Marketplace. This makes it easy to outsource technical tasks.

This is especially helpful if you want to boost your SEO. Having professionals take care of your website architecture can be a significant advantage for individual agents who don’t have the bandwidth to do so themselves. 

Other Features: Hundreds of designs to choose from, add CTA’s on every page

Best for: Solo agents who want an easy template to follow

  • Pre-made templates
  • Extensive support options
  • Customized data migration
  • Templates aren’t very customizable
  • Domain not included
  • Limited back-end features

Sierra Interactive

business model for real estate websites

Sierra Interactive makes it easy for you to rank for top-level keywords, individual listings and neighborhoods with their beautifully designed real estate websites that are built with organic SEO in mind.

Bonus , they have seller lead landing pages that are great for creating listing leads, and why they get our best website builder for seller leads award.

Sierra Interactive’s  IDX websites and lead integration are also chalk full of features for you to benefit from. What really stands out is how they create your IDX website with a proprietary infrastructure that helps you hone in on your target market and rank your website .

Sierra’s SEO optimized sites give you an incredible advantage, helping you attract high quality leads organically (i.e., leads you don’t pay for).

Our testing revealed you can also easily highlight neighborhoods and communities in your market. Create unlimited pages for listings, stats, testimonials, videos and more.

I love it because you have complete control over the URL, meta tags and source code which makes everything super customizable . I find that to be a big help as you try to scale your business and build your brand (sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right!)

With Sierra Interactive’s granular IDX capabilities, you can insert search criteria on content pages and blog posts so leads can find what they need—fast. If your MLS has the field, chances are you can filter for it .

If you’re an agent looking for seller leads and a website builder that comes with an all-in-one solution and a lot of features to help your team streamline the workflow, Sierra Interactive is a good option for you.

What differentiates Sierra Interactive from other website builders: They have a multitude of ways to get you leads, as well as re-engage your current leads and track and manage them with their CRM. The amount of customization and automation they offer helps your team work together more efficiently.

Other Features: Granular IDX capabilities, ability to create multiple niche sites from one branded flagship site

Best for: Small teams & indy brokers

  • 90+ popular integrations
  • High conversion rates
  • All-in-one solution with IDX websites, full-featured CRM and PPC ad management services
  • Not always cost-effective or simple enough for solo agents
  • Limited user site customization - requires 3rd party
  • Limited library of action plans/drips
  • No transaction management

How to Choose the Best Real Estate Website Builder

There are a few core things that are absolute must-haves you need to be thinking about for your real estate website. There are thousands of features out there, and it can get overwhelming when comparing – but relax – you don’t need ALL the features.

These are the ones that are table stakes to growing your real estate business . In other words – it’s impossible to have the best real estate website WITHOUT crushing these next few factors.

1. Access to IDX Listings & MLS

Internet Data Exchange (IDX) is a term used to describe how property listings are displayed on websites. With IDX, you can integrate listings from the MLS database on your website. Basically, IDX creates a connection between your own branded real estate website and the MLS. 

Why is that important? IDX allows property listings to be updated every few hours, meaning visitors always get up-to-date information about what listings are available at any given time.

Sites like Zillow don’t use IDX, instead opting for things like brokerage syndication, which means their listings aren’t as accurate. Because the data is constantly flowing in, IDX keeps your site current all the time – so you can spend less time website building, and more time selling real estate.

This is the reason real estate agents need specific real estate website builders vs. general tools meant for other industries. If you don’t have IDX capabilities, you won’t have the competitive edge that accurate data can bring. Most website builders have this in real estate, but not all – make sure you’re choosing one that does so you can take advantage of all IDX offers.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

You want to make sure that prospects who are unfamiliar with your business can easily discover you through a Google search for “real estate agent [your local area].” Recognizing that more than 1/3 of online visits start with a search engine, your goal is to secure a prominent position on Google’s results pages. Achieving this requires a website builder equipped with robust SEO capabilities and/or applications designed to increase your online visibility.

3. Lead Capture & Nurture

The biggest advantage of having your own branded real estate website is your ability to convert visitors into potential leads by capturing contact information in a lead form.

Lead capture tools like landing pages and capture forms encourage prospects to leave behind their names, phone numbers, and emails . It looks a lot like pop-ups that you may have seen on retail websites that prompt you for similar information. The website builder you choose should allow you to customize these lead captures so you can gather the information you’re most likely to use. 

Strategies for capturing these leads will vary from agent to agent. You may prefer persistent lead captures that regularly prompt visitors to share contact info, or you may err on the side of a more relaxed approach. 

Whatever strategy you opt for, you should be able to adjust accordingly. Even if you have a mix of leads coming in, and pay for the best lead gen for realtors on the market, it means nothing if you aren’t finding ways to create follow-up opportunities. 

4. Help & Support

Having an excellent website builder is useless if you don’t know how to jump over technical glitches. There’s no doubt you will at some point encounter an obstacle, and you’ll want to have accessible assistance to help you out.

A dedicated support team distinguishes website builders from CMS platforms such as WordPress. This is frequently overlooked or underestimated until you need to confront a significant roadblock.

If you’re looking for extra support, opt for a real estate website builder that offers a range of real estate templates for you to choose from. This can be a lot easier to use than uploading a template from a third-party site. The right tool should make customizing these templates painless so that you can add custom branding .

Most website builders offer additional support in the form of video tutorials or extensive customer support. If this is your first time creating and maintaining a website, opting for services with these features may be a smart move. 

5. Images & Videos

As a real estate professional, you understand the critical role images play – recognizing that they can be the deciding factor between your phone ringing off the hook, and a property remaining unoccupied for an extended period of time.

Our goal is to spotlight website builders that truly empower your images to stand out, along with any video tours you may provide.

6. CRM integrations

Having the best real estate website in your area isn’t enough.  As a real estate professional, you probably know all the advantages using one of the best real estate CRMs can bring to the table. It’s a central hub to store prospect data, track customer interactions, and share that information with business partners. 

When you integrate your real estate CRM with a Content Management System (CMS), functionality becomes seamless. A CRM integration can help you improve the buyer and seller experience and target follow-ups to leads . Combining your customer data from a CRM with your real estate website’s analytics tools is a gold mine for creating selling opportunities.

Plus, by keeping all of your data in one place, you reduce the time you would otherwise need to maintain both services.

You probably already have a CRM that you like. To make full use of it, make sure that your website builder integrates with the CRM that you use to store customer data, otherwise, you may have to use two different services. 

Make your website stand out

Be sure that you keep some of these tips in mind as you start creating:

Don’t forget to show off! 

Provide client testimonials and reviews. This is also a great time to establish yourself as an expert in the community. Share details about events and local news on your site to draw clients to your community and establish your credibility.

Let the numbers talk.

Sharing statistics can help you demonstrate your success in an easily consumable way. Some agents share information about dollars they’ve saved clients or average listing times. This is a great way to market yourself and provide proof of your services.  

Look for a service that makes it easy to integrate things like graphs, charts, and images on your website. 

Keep your website accessible. 

The National Association of Realtors has recently reported that almost 70% of new home shoppers use their phones in their search for a home, so it would be more than wise to keep your content mobile-friendly . 

With a generation that is on the go, ensuring that your real estate website offers landing page creation is absolutely critical . Seriously. Before picking a website builder, make sure the sites they build look good on phones, tablets, and computers. 

Your website is an additional opportunity to ensure that you serve all clients fairly and adequately. Accessibility tools like speech-to-text, alternate text captions, or translation services can make a huge difference for some clients.

Choose the real estate website builder that’s right for you

Take full advantage of demos and trials to try before you buy. Remember that website design comes with maintenance, so your decision should be carefully considered. 

As with almost everything else in your real estate career: ask other real estate professionals to weigh in, too! They may be interested in features you haven’t considered or require a platform with thorough support options.

Ultimately, it’s your real estate business, though – so be sure to prioritize all the features you want.

Not all real estate websites are the same, and of course, neither are the tools you use to build them.  Choosing the right real estate website builder is the first step in creating a polished site that will move your clients to close . We hope that our guide has made the decision-making process easier.

Make sure whichever website builder you choose, is documented correctly in your real estate accounting software . You’ll want to stay on top of your bookkeeping while working to grow your business.

Understanding Free & Cheap Real Estate Website Builders

Understanding the landscape of free and cheap real estate website builders is essential for agents and brokers looking to establish an online presence without breaking the bank. These website builders offer varying features and pricing structures, and here’s what you need to know:

  • Free Website Builders: Some platforms offer free website builders that allow you to create a basic real estate website at no cost. These builders typically have limitations on customization, storage space, and advanced features. While they can be a good starting point for agents on a tight budget, they may lack the flexibility and professional polish needed for a comprehensive online presence.
  • Freemium Models: Many real estate website builders follow a freemium model, where basic website building features are available for free, but additional functionalities and advanced customization options come with a paid subscription. These plans often provide more design templates, better customization options, and increased storage capacity. Freemium models can be a cost-effective option if you require more flexibility and want to scale your website gradually.
  • Affordable Paid Plans: Several real estate website builders offer affordable paid plans designed specifically for agents and brokers. These plans often include more advanced features, such as lead capture forms, CRM integration, IDX/MLS integration, and responsive design templates. They may also provide options for custom domains, advanced analytics, and SEO optimization. These paid plans strike a balance between affordability and functionality, making them suitable for agents who require more professional and robust website solutions.
  • Considerations and Limitations: While free and cheap real estate website builders can be appealing, it’s important to carefully evaluate their limitations. They may have branding or advertising placed on your website, restricted customer support, limited bandwidth, or reduced storage capacity. These factors can affect the overall user experience and may not align with your professional image.

When choosing a website builder, it’s crucial to assess your specific needs, budget, and long-term goals.

Consider factors such as design flexibility, lead generation capabilities, SEO optimization, mobile responsiveness, and integration options with third-party tools. Additionally, read user reviews, compare features and pricing, and take advantage of any free trials to ensure the platform aligns with your requirements.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a real estate website builder that strikes the right balance between cost-effectiveness, functionality, and the ability to showcase your listings, engage visitors, and drive business growth in the competitive real estate market.

My Advice to You

jim gray headshot

A reliable real estate website builder offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored specifically for the unique needs of the industry. It should provide intuitive and customizable templates that allow you to showcase your listings in an appealing and user-friendly manner. With a range of design options, you can personalize your website to reflect your brand identity, creating a memorable experience for potential clients.

Furthermore, a powerful website builder should include robust search and filtering capabilities, enabling visitors to easily search for properties based on specific criteria such as location, price range, or property type. Integration with mapping and geolocation tools can enhance the user experience, enabling clients to visualize property locations and nearby amenities conveniently.

Mobile responsiveness is a vital aspect of any real estate website builder. With the majority of users accessing websites through mobile devices, it is crucial that your website displays flawlessly and provides seamless navigation on smartphones and tablets. This ensures that you can reach and engage potential clients wherever they are.

Another important consideration is lead generation and management. The ideal website builder should offer built-in lead capture forms and contact management features that allow you to capture and organize leads efficiently. Integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems can streamline your lead nurturing process, ensuring that no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities are also crucial to help your website rank higher in search engine results, increasing its visibility to potential clients. The website builder should provide features and tools to optimize your website’s meta tags, keywords, and overall structure to enhance its search engine friendliness.

Lastly, excellent customer support and ongoing updates are essential. A reliable website builder should offer responsive customer support to assist you in case of any issues or questions. Regular updates and enhancements ensure that your website remains modern, secure, and in line with the latest industry trends.

In summary, finding the right real estate website builder is not just about creating a website—it’s about building a digital platform that amplifies your brand, attracts clients, and drives your real estate business forward. By investing in a reputable website builder that encompasses the features mentioned, you can establish a strong online presence, differentiate yourself from competitors, and position your real estate business for success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.” – Jim Gray

What is the Builder with the Best Real Estate Website Design?

Several website builders are known for their excellent real estate website design capabilities. While individual preferences may vary, one of the popular choices among real estate professionals is Real Geeks.

Real Geeks offers a wide range of modern and visually appealing templates that are well-suited for real estate websites. Their templates are designed with aesthetics in mind and provide a professional and polished look to showcase property listings effectively. The designs are responsive, ensuring a seamless user experience across different devices.

In addition to Real Geeks, CINC and Ylopo also have reputable website builders with strong design capabilities for real estate websites . These platforms offer a vast selection of customizable templates, allowing you to create a visually stunning website that reflects your brand and captures the attention of potential clients.

It’s important to consider factors beyond design as well, such as lead generation features, IDX/MLS integration, ease of use, SEO optimization, and overall functionality. Different website builders excel in different areas, so it’s advisable to thoroughly research and compare the options to find the best fit for your specific needs.

Ultimately, the “best” real estate website design builder will depend on your preferences, business requirements, and the specific features and functionalities you value most.

It’s recommended to explore the options, take advantage of free trials or demos, and consider seeking recommendations or reading user reviews to make an informed decision.

Is There a Real Estate Website Builder with both IDX & CRM?

Yes , there are real estate website builders that offer both IDX (Internet Data Exchange) integration and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) capabilities. These platforms provide a comprehensive solution, allowing you to showcase property listings through IDX integration while managing leads and client relationships through built-in CRM features.

Here are a few popular website builders that offer both IDX and CRM functionality:

  • Placester: Placester is a real estate-specific website builder that offers IDX integration with MLS data and a built-in CRM system. It provides customizable templates, lead capture forms, and lead management tools to help agents track and nurture leads effectively.
  • Real Geeks: Real Geeks is a popular platform that combines IDX integration and CRM capabilities. It offers lead generation tools, customizable websites, IDX search functionality, and a robust CRM system for lead management, follow-ups, and client communication.
  • AgentFire: AgentFire is a website builder known for its visually appealing designs and IDX integration. It also includes a CRM system with features like lead capture, lead nurturing, and automated follow-ups to enhance lead management and client communication.

These platforms not only allow you to display MLS listings on your website but also offer tools to capture, organize, and engage leads effectively. They provide a seamless experience for both website visitors searching for properties and agents managing their leads and clients in one centralized system.

When selecting a real estate website builder with IDX and CRM capabilities, consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, lead management features, CRM functionality, and pricing.

It’s also helpful to explore demos or free trials to get a hands-on experience and determine which platform best aligns with your specific needs and business goals.

Best IDX Website for Realtors?

When choosing the best IDX website provider, consider factors such as ease of use, design flexibility, search functionality, lead capture and management features, mobile responsiveness, MLS coverage, and integration options with your existing website or CRM system.

It’s also advisable to explore demos, read user reviews, and compare the offerings of different providers to find the one that aligns best with your specific needs and preferences.

You can also check out our guide about the best IDX WordPress plug-ins to learn more and read our reviews of the best options.

Are Wix Real Estate Websites Worth It?

Wix can be a viable option for real estate websites, especially if you prioritize ease of use, design flexibility, and customization.

It’s essential to assess whether Wix’s features and functionality align with your specific requirements, including IDX integration, lead capture capabilities, and CRM integration. Additionally, comparing Wix with other real estate website builders and considering your long-term business goals will help determine if it’s the right choice for your real estate website.

However, generally I encourage agents to consider a website builder that was crated by people who know the ins and outs of the real estate industry. It will help to push your website design over the edge, and you’ll get more leads in response.

Methodology:

I spent hundreds of hours researching, scoring, and ranking the top real estate website builders on the market. I personally looked at everything from pricing and ease of use to the specific real estate industry features that are available. I’ve ranked and rated each website builder on 5 different factors to come up with the very best real estate website builders to boost your business. The short version of factors considered are: 

  • Cost:  Not all real estate website builders are created equal, so it’s important to look at what’s included with your purchase. Some companies charge upwards of $300/month for outdated templates, which is why I also take into account the price of the service and compare it to the features and extra resources provided to help each agent succeed.
  • Features & user friendliness:  Different real estate website builders come with different feature sets, some more important for teams than solo agents. Additionally ,  agents don’t have a lot of extra time to learn a complicated website builder, so the more it just works with their natural workflow, the better. That’s why I’ve rated the tools that are easier for agents to navigate without a tech team higher than the ones that are more complicated to use.
  • Lead quality:  Leads are the lifeblood of any business as they help provide a steady flow of predictable revenue. However, some website builders are more effective than others. The type of leads you need may vary depending on the type of business you are operating. Real estate agents want to be able to bring in an even mix of buyer and seller leads that will convert quickly – which is why this is a big factor I’ve considered.
  • Customer support: Many real estate agents don’t have the time to fix technical glitches and/or don’t have access to a tech team, so customer support is very important. Whether you might need help setting up integrations or just to get the software up and running, customer support plays a big role in finding your ideal software—especially when it comes to a real estate website builder that you’ll be using on a daily basis.
  • Overall performance:  At the end of the day, all real estate website builders need to have a good ROI. That’s why I looked for how the features meet the specific needs of real estate agents and teams. Real estate agents need to build their brand in order to capture a market, and really scale their business.

business model for real estate websites

Why I chose it as the best overall real estate website builder : Ylopo is a real estate marketing platform, that provides branded websites, nurturing tools, dynamic ads, and campaign management to help Teams excel at every turn. 

Ylopo helps agents create branded search websites with customizable landing pages featuring your brand and listings.   It makes customization easy, and every website is totally mobile-friendly .

In addition they offer home search IDX and are AI-enhanced, including an sms chatbot, making them excellent at lead capture .

Their AI-driven lead nurturing systems learn from user behavior and send personalized communications to each lead, helping better engage them. Plus, Ylopo’ s IDX integrates with any MLS , helping it stand out amongst its competitors. 

Another aspect that we liked about Ylopo’s website offerings during our testing is their integrated lead system. It’s is a mass lead import able to import leads from practically any source . 

While they may not be a one-stop shop offering the all-in-one CRM-Marketing, don’t let that deter you. Ylopo has used this to it’s advantage by using that manpower to help improve existing products and launch 2-3 products in half the time of their one-stop competitors .

For example, they have fine-tuned their dynamic ads which bring you more buyers , especially highly motivated ones, hence why they get the buyer leads award with us.

What differentiates Ylopo from other website builders: The full-service plan includes a branded IDX website, Facebook ads, and a transparent, control-based experience with Mission Control. It’s definitely worth the investment if you have a strong follow-up strategy for the leads you will generate.

Other features: Easy navigation, fast load times, mobile responsive

Best for: Teams & brokers, agents with a large budget

  • The most advanced SMS-text real estate chatbot in the industry
  • Integrates with almost all best in class CRMs
  • Our branded search websites are AI-enhanced lead capture machines
  • Most sophisticated IDX website in the industry
  • No native CRM
  • Not the greatest for SEO

Sources & Editorial Resources

  • https://www.nar.realtor/realtor-benefits-program/marketing-resources
  • https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/policies/internet-data-exchange-idx
  • https://www.academia.edu/41301997/Real_estate_marketing_guide
  • https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.northwestern.edu/dist/5/1132/files/2016/06/The-Relative-Performance-of-Real-Estate-Mark-Plat-MLS-vs-FSBO-Maddotcom-1i2zifg.pdf
  • https://www.justice.gov/atr/competition-real-estate-brokerage-industry
  • https://dos.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/03/real-estate-advertising-checklist.pdf

Other resources: I have guides on the ins and outs of the topics you need to know to be a successful estate agent (like circle prospecting , probate leads , real estate website builders ,  real estate lead generation companies , or a well designed  real estate CRM) . If you’re looking for more advanced topics like how to generate mortgage leads , real estate ads ,  building your own real estate lead generation website , which  real estate marketing tools you’ll need,  the best credit cards for realtors , how to build a successful social media strategy , or even just  real estate marketing ideas  in general, you can try looking for a  real estate mentor or an  answering service  that can help show you the way. Or check out real estate investing ideas or side hustles that can help give you a financial boost.

Reviewed by  Chris Heller  | Fact checked by  Kayla Conboy

business model for real estate websites

About the Author

Jim Gray got licensed in 2013 and sold 57 houses in his first year. Over the next 6 1/2 years he went on to sell 437 homes with a small team. He went on to manage the lead generation department of the 13th largest expansion team at Keller Williams and designed lead generation and conversion systems for 60 agents in 7 locations in 4 states that drove 600 home sales in a 2 year period. Jim currently does real estate team development and coaching for some of the largest real estate teams in the country.

Last Updated: 6/18/2024

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Zillow Business Model

Zillow business model canvas - zillow business model

Zillow Group Inc. owns the world’s number one online real-estate marketplace where homeowners, agents, and people seeking to rent or buy houses can meet and transact business. Zillow business model is based on the use of technology to advance sales of advertising spaces and leads and coordinate the buying, selling, and renting of houses to earn commissions/interests. A multimillion-dollar real estate company, Zillow offers most of its services free to its website and app users. 

Today, Zillow is the proud owner of a database with information on approximately 110 million homes scattered all over the United States. And with revenue of $8.1 billion at the close of 2021, and a projected revenue of $5 billion, Zillow is by far the most viable online real estate company.

A Brief History of Zillow:

Though Zillow was registered as a corporate organization in December 2004, it was not until February 2006 before its tech-enabled website was launched. Within the first three days of its existence, the website received over 1 million unique visitors, achieving far beyond the founders’ expectations. Despite this uphill achievement, Zillow never relented. Later that same year, the website became a marketplace for posting homes for sale and went into collaboration with Microsoft. The deal gave Zillow the right to use Microsoft Virtual Earth’s aerial photographs, which offered potential buyers unobstructed views of listed properties. 

Later on, in December 2013, Zillow started listing rental homes. And with that addition, Zillow built an online tool that serves as a database for prospective renters. This tool accepts applications from renters and gives landlords access to information about every prospective tenant. The main objective of this tool is to help landlords make intelligent decisions. In addition, renters can submit details in their application that expedite actions on credit and background checks.

Between 2013 and 2022, Zillow had a string of real estate outlets’ takeovers, from the AOL Real Estate acquisition in 2013 to the purchase of Trulia in 2015 and ShowingTime in 2021.  

In recent times, Zillow has faced some hard times, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. This has most probably culminated in the shuttering of one of its key platforms, Zillow Offers, in November 2021. But Zillow had weathered the fallout perfectly well. Just after the closure, its stock jumped by about 17%, marking its biggest intraday gain.

Who Owns Zillow?

Zillow Group, the parent company of Zillow, is owned by Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, both former staff at Microsoft.

Zillow Mission Statement:

The mission statement of Zillow is to ‘give people the power to unlock life’s next chapter.’

How Zillow Makes Money

Zillow makes money through three primary sources. They are the Homes, Mortgages and IMT . 

Zillow rakes in the bulk of its income through sales of homes. Through Zillow Offers, the company bought properties and sold them within a short time. It was a win-win for the sellers and Zillow. Considering the stress that usually surrounds selling a house, Zillow’s almost instant cash offer was a massive temptation to sellers. 

And when Zillow buys a property from a seller, it charges a 6% fee as transaction costs. It also sets a fee of between 3.5% and 4.5% to cover taxes and other miscellaneous expenses.

In 2020, this sector brought a whopping $1.7 billion in income. 

2. Mortgages

Zillow, in 2018, became an authorized lender with its purchase of Mortgage Lenders of America. Zillow reengineered the money lending instruments in its now characteristic manner and came up with Zillow Home Loans. The facility allows borrowers to secure a new loan or refinance their loans. 

Zillow charges interests of different degrees, depending on the loan terms. To still broaden its sources of income, Zillow collaborates with more than 50 other lenders via its mortgage platform. When a lender is connected to a prospective borrower through Zillow’s platform, a certain amount is paid to Zillow. Besides, Zillow charges lenders to use its Connect Service tool to enhance their chances of being located by lenders. 

At the close of 2021, Zillow’s mortgage services have generated $246 million in revenue, a massive leap from the $174 million in 2020. 

3. Internet Media and Technology (IMT) 

Internet and technology are at the core of Zillow’s business model . Thus, they, understandably, are part of the forces the company uses to bring in money. In fact, Zillow started in 2006 with ready-to-use software and marketing services made available to real estate professionals and homeowners. 

Zillow’s Premier Agents and Premier Brokers programs earn Zillow money through lead generation for real estate professionals. Zillow also sells advertising services to landlords, builders, photographers, etc.

$1.9 was declared as income from IMT in 2021, as against $1.45 billion announced in 2020.

Zillow Business Model Canvas

Let’s take a look at the Zillow Business Model Canvas below:

Zillow business model canvas - Zillow Business Model

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business model for real estate websites

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Zillow Customer Segments

Driven by the mission to make available to the people quality services in real estate, Zillow has two complementary customer segments :

Service/Content Consumers: A significant part of Zillow’s customer segment is their platforms’ over 3 million users: The renters, the homebuyers, and the sellers. 

Service Providers: These are, on one side, homeowners that list their properties on Zillow’s platforms for sale or rent; and, on the other side, professionals such as real estate agents, property managers, real estate agents, home improvement professionals, inspectors, photographers who place adverts and subscribe to, etc.  

Zillow Value Propositions

Zillow’s value propositions align with the main goals of the organization. They are offered from three distinct yet interwoven perspectives: Ease of Access, Personalized Experience, and Endorsement. 

Ease of Access: Before Zillow, information about real estate was strewn across archives and databases; therefore, it was difficult for people to access needed information. Zillow has changed all of this. It championed a real estate information revolution. Zillow’s Zestimate, for example, renders an estimated market value of properties using publicly available data. Homeowners can use this information to know what their properties are worth on the market. 

In the same vein, buyers can explore Zillow’s over 110 million listed houses strewn across the US and Canada and save favorites that they can keep close tabs on. 

Personalized Experience: Zillow’s website and apps incorporate a high level of flexibility that allows users to enjoy a personalized experience. 

Homeowners, buyers, and renters can explore Zillow’s web tools and apps to meet their personal goals. They can pick a location and set their budget using Zillow’s affordability calculator. 

Buyers have three options: they can purchase directly from owners, via foreclosure, or with the assistance of a Zillow Premier Agent. They can access house loans for financing their home. 

Renters can submit a comprehensive proposition through Zillow to fast-track the background and credit checks. This process can tremendously improve renters’ chances of moving to the place they love. 

Endorsement: Zillow offers Real estate professionals its brand to promote their overall success. Zillow’s brand is already synonymous with wins in the real estate industry. Thus, its endorsement almost automatically raises the status of agents registered under its Premier Agent program.

Zillow Channels

  • Mobile apps (android/Ios)
  • TV and Print media ads
  • Social media

Zillow Customer Relationships

Zillow builds relationships with its teeming customers primarily through its website. However, the brand also uses social media platforms such as Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook.

Zillow Revenue Streams

Now that Zillow has closed down its home-flipping operation, Zillow Offer, which used to account for about 60% of its annual income , its revenue streams are now. 

  • Revenue from Ads
  • Interest from mortgage
  • Commissions earned from Agent partners
  • Revenue from Zillow Closing Services
  • Income from Zillow 360 Bundled Services
  • Revenue from rentals
  • Income from other services such as New Construction, StreetEasy, etc.

Zillow Key Resources

  • Most of Zillow’s resources are web-based, and apps mainly there are:
  • Hosing Super App (Soon to be launched)

Zillow Key Activities

  • Arrangement of Physical Touring
  • Home Acquisition Finance
  • Bridge Real Estate Information Gaps 
  • Generation of Leads

Zillow key partners

  • Real Estate Agents and other Real Estate Professionals  

Zillow Cost Structure

  • Acquisitions
  • Technological Innovations and Maintenance costs

Zillow Competitors

  • ForRent.com
  • Apartmemnts.com
  • Coldwell Bankers

Zillow’s SWOT Analysis

This SWOT analysis x-rays the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats abound in Zillow’s business model.

Zillow swot analysis - Zillow Business Model

Zillow’s Strengths

  • World-Class Management Team
  • Skilled Workforce/workplace
  • Brand recognition
  • Reliability
  • Strong Financial Foundation 
  • Diverse product portfolio
  • Topnotch Customer satisfaction

Zillow’s Weaknesses

  • Vast and complicated inventory
  • Comparatively steep transaction cost
  • Lopsided lead generations

Zillow’s Opportunities

  • Innovative techs
  • Growth prospects for real estate
  • First-class financial Performance

Zillow’s Threats

  • Neck breaking competition
  • Unpredictability associated with real estate
  • Possible online security breach

Zillow Group Inc. is arguably the number online real estate marketplace in the US. Zillow’s business model is built on a tripod of homeowners/landlords, homebuyers/renters, and agents’ business relationships, where Zillow serves as the umpire.

Though the competition in the industry is growing stiffer by the second, Zillow still has the advantage of financial strength and public trust to remain on top of the situation.

Daniel Pereira

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Before you design your real estate website

How to plan a high performing real estate website in 5 steps

If you are in the real estate industry and you are thinking about a new website, we’ll show you how we plan a high performing real estate website and the five stages involved. Most people’s natural inclination is to jump into the design stage but if you want a website optimised to get visitors from search engines and convert them into leads, you are going to need to do some planning.

We have designed a lot of real estate websites for all sorts of companies around the world with a variety of business models. There are many types of businesses involved in real estate from agents, brokers and franchises to developers and property portals. There are niche market models, commercial real estate managers and the list goes on.

When we talk about "high performing", we mean that the website achieves what it sets out to do and in almost every business model in real estate, the primary purpose of the website is to generate leads. That means that the site must perform well in search engine results to generate quality visitors and convert those visitors into leads.

Regardless of the business model there are three stages involved in building a real estate website, in fact these apply to any website that wants to perform optimally. The first stage is planning, the second stage is design and the third stage is build.

In this article we are going to cover the planning stage of your new website and we are going to divide this into five areas of planning that we will cover in chronological order.

The first stage is to define the structure of your website and the hierarchy of the pages. We will then look at conversions, SEO and content. Finally we will get to the final part which is wireframing the website.

After we’ve done all of that we will hand it over to a designer who will have a clear plan of where everything goes and it will be their job to make it look beautiful!

1. Real estate website structure

A good real estate website plan begins with a structure that our visitors are going to be able to find the information they want really easily which will ultimately lead to more conversions. On top of that, we are going to have even more visitors because a good structure is also going to make Google love our website from an SEO perspective as well.

If we don’t get the structure right then the site is going to feel confusing and disorganised and website visitors will be less likely to convert or even find our website because Google will penalise us and we will be nowhere in search results.

In this simple but fundamental stage we are going to place all of the pages that our website needs into a logical hierarchy and order.  

How to plan an effective website structure 

Planning an effective website structure for real estate can be done using bullet points, which might seem over simplified but it’s the perfect tool for the job because they give a very clear view of the hierarchy.

The home page naturally starts at the top of the structure and beneath that are all of the main pages.

Some pages are common to all sites such as the Contact page, Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Sitemap and 404 page. 

Other pages will depend on the type of real estate business, how it is structured, the selling points, goals and flow of conversions.

Example of a real estate agency website structure

Website structures will vary across the real estate industry. Developers, commercial agents, property managers… and many more types of company will each structure their websites according to their business model.

For the sake of an example, we’ll take a look at the website structure of a real estate agency selling and renting out residential property.

As you can see, bullet points make the hierarchy very clear and we can see a logical flow of information with increasing detail as you go down a level.

It’s important to note that we are not putting in the content, such as blog articles, at this point but we are adding categories. Each of these category pages may show dynamic content such as properties, locations, blog posts, videos, testimonials, team members, services as well as data generated from the directory or sent from the CRM.

  • Buy category blog posts
  • Individual property for sale page
  • Rent category blog posts
  • Individual property rental page
  • Sell category blog posts
  • Landlord category blog posts
  • Service page
  • Service category blog posts
  • Team member page
  • Testimonial
  • Contact page
  • Account page
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Page

2. Conversion planning for high performing real estate websites

In almost every case, the purpose of a real estate website is lead generation and that means converting website visitors into contacts. If we are going to plan a high performing real estate website then getting our conversions right is crucial.

Types of leads

Different types of business within the real estate sector might be looking for different types of lead that we will aim to convert. A typical residential sales and letting agent would want to convert  :

  • Buyer leads
  • Property vendors 
  • Clients for other services
  • Potential employees and collaborators

Conversion journey in a real estate site

In each case, there is a journey that concludes in a win, be that a sale or a property listed.  In classic marketing speak we would put labels like awareness, consideration and research on the stages of the journey. 

At various points along this journey there will be conversion opportunities. For example, a property buyer in the early stages will be more likely to be interested in a newsletter than enquiring about an individual property. A vendor in their early stages may be more interested in remotely finding out the value of their property than arranging a formal visit. 

Website calls to action

Calls to action are the elements on our site that we want visitors to click in order to convert them into enquiries.

There are different ways in which a website lead might convert into a contact, for example a page showing a property listing on the website might have several calls to action.

Looking at the example form, you see a number of different calls to action.

  • Save this property
  • Get more info form 
  • Book a viewing form 
  • Whatsapp connection

Of course not everyone likes to fill in a form or chat on Whatsapp . On every page of the site, either in the header or footer, we will show alternative ways of converting, for example:

  • Phone number, clicking opens up the number in the user’s phone dialling pad
  • Email which opens an email with address and subject prefilled
  • Links to our social media pages

Our content and calls to action must work harmoniously to capture these leads. So in planning our conversions we are going to take into account the type of lead, where they are in their journey and which pages we present each call to action to our website visitors. 

As we have already seen, we have a number of different lead types and each may require one or more different calls to action and forms. A very simple real estate agent involved in sales may have as few as five or six forms and a larger site may have over 20.

For buyers and tenants we might split our buyer journey into three stages and target conversions at each one. In the early stage we will offer newsletters. As they progress to the next stage, we will offer saved searches and property matching emails. Finally when they are interested in specific properties, in the third stage, we will offer enquiry and viewing calls to action.

We might split vendors and landlords into just two stages, offering a newsletter and valuation request forms to them. If we are a completely online agency, the valuation form might instead be a more comprehensive form to add a property listing.

If we want to promote other services on the website, then each of these would require a call to action and an enquiry form. 

Recruitment is often important to expanding companies, whether we are trying to attract collaborators, sales agents or other contacts, we are going to need forms.

Every real estate website will of course need a general contact form which will be on their contact page and many also place a similar form in the footer.

We might also consider other types of calls to action such as when the user’s mouse moves to close their browser window we could present a popup with a call to action. We can show different pop ups depending on the page. Buyers, renters, owners and landlords might each have their own call to action.

Mapping conversions on a real estate website plan

We have our website structure, we know what CTA’s we need to convert our leads and now we want to put this together. Using a spreadsheet we can plan which CTA’s are to appear on each page in our structure.

The table below shows the placement of CTA’s for property buyers and we would need to do the same for tenants, landlords, vendors etc and map them out to our entire site structure. 

Buy category page Newsletter
Buy category blog postsNewsletter
Search results pageSave this search: property alertsFavourite property
Property pageMulti-enquiry / share formFavourite property
Locations PageSave this location: property alertsFavourite property
Municipality pageSave this location: property alertsFavourite property
Town pageSave this location: property alertsFavourite property
Shortlists pageSave this shortlist: property alertsFavourite property
Account PageRegister form

3. SEO planning for a real estate website

The next stage of our real estate website planning process is SEO. Building your real estate website with SEO in mind from the start saves you time later.  Obviously SEO is an ongoing process and it will evolve over time but planning it right from the start and getting your foundations right will save you a lot of effort later.

Researching a real estate keyword list

Our SEO planning will start with researching a keyword list using a number of techniques but the first step is to understand your commercial priorities and your business model. We want to know about the services you offer, the types of leads that you are looking for, your unique selling points and your commercial priorities.

Next we’re going to work with you to profile your clients and understand who they are. We’ll also be analysing your competition to see what keywords they are trying to rank for, how well they are doing and evaluating their content.

After that we are going to do a whole lot of direct research on Google and we will have selected additional relevant keywords from our bank of real estate keywords that we have been building over the years.

Prioritising keywords

Now we have a list of all of the terms that we know people are searching for, together we can assign a priority to each keyword based on competition in Google’s search engine results and how well it matches our commercial priorities. This allows us to identify the primary and secondary  keywords that we want to be targeting for this website.

Our keyword research will also identify  if there are other pages on the site that need to be added.  So even though we’ve already finished  the structure of the site piece of the planning process,  when we do our keyword research,  if we identify that there’s a lot of search volume  for a particular topic,  that isn’t being catered to on the site already,  we can then go back and add a specific page on the site,  that targets that topic.  This means that we’ve got a range of pages on the site,  targeting all of the different keywords  that we want the site to ultimately rank for.  

Real estate keyword plan

Of course there are other SEO considerations  as you’re building a website,  but at this stage of the planning process, we’re looking to identify the core keywords  that we want to target so that we can map each of these to a different page on the site when we get to the next stage of planning a high performing real estate website.

4. Content planning for a real estate website

Content planning falls into place when we know our structure, where we are converting which lead type and our priority keywords.

Each page can now be structured with their primary and secondary keywords. Keywords are now mapped across all page types including home, locations, shortlists, services and jobs. More general content is distributed into blog posts categories. 

This allows us to write the page titles and subtitles which form the content structure of each page.

The content plan will guide us through the content of each page so we know what we are writing about. If content is supported by video, podcast etc then this is defined at the time.

Planning a page with keywords

We plan the content of each page using a spreadsheet in a shared Google Drive in which later on we will be adding more folders and content as the project develops. 

We know what pages need content and our keywords, enabling us to organise our H1 page titles and H2 page subtitles from our priority and secondary keywords.  From this we can also create the meta description for each page.

When it comes to content production, this gives a very clear structure to whoever is providing the content of what is needed on each page and how it should be structured.

For example a primary keyword that people search for in our area might be "Home with a pool". This is a primary keyword so we would want a shortlist page with an H1 heading "Homes with a pool". The secondary  keyword H2 titles might be "Houses with a pool", "Villas with a pool" and show property listing in each section of the right type. Our keyword research would have also produced some other related terms that people search for, such as "Are homes with a pool a good investment?" and these other terms would be added into the content plan for this shortlist page.

ShortlistHomes with a pool for saleVillas with a pool
Houses with a pool
Are homes with a pool a good investment?
Are homes with a pool more expensive?
See the latest homes with a pool for sale including Villas and houses with a pool, find out more about investment property and compare prices of homes near the seaSave this shortlist: property alerts
Favourite property
Text copy 1500 words
Video 

Keywords in dynamic content

Some page types, such as locations, may have dynamic content such as blog posts, directory content and property listings shown in sections. These section titles can be used to target specific types of keyword that might be repeated in search queries across pages of this type.

For example if you sold property in town A, town B and town C each of these locations would have a page. But if we know that people search for "house with a pool" then we would want to have a section with a subtitle in each of the three pages, "House with a pool in A", "House with a pool in B" and the same in C. 

We can also make use of a directory of dynamic content and tag the towns where we want that content to show up. For example, if we had added a directory of schools and tagged them with each town, we could show local schools on the location page. 

Custom Content

After deciding which keywords will be used as subtitles in dynamic content we make an estimate of the text content length we are going to need in order to compete in search engine rankings.

We may also decide that the page will benefit from additional content types such as a video, a podcast or elements such as infographics. If we need to use a schema for specific content like properties, jobs, FAQs etc then we will also add that into the sheet.

Upgrading from an existing site

If you already have a website then upgrading to a new site is a bit like moving house. We have our old furniture and now it needs to fit into the new house and the same needs to happen with migrating content from one website to another.

Most importantly, you will not want to lose any of the success in Google page ranking that you have earned with your existing website. If you have pages ranking for search engines then we will want to maintain or improve those rankings.

We start off with researching your current website performance to see which pages already rank well and for which search query. We’ll examine each page, title, meta description and add them to our sheet.

We will then be able to match these to any keywords on our list and decide what the new page type is going to be. Existing content will be distributed across different page types; locations, shortlists, services, jobs and blogs.

When this is done we refer back to the content plan to find the "missing" keywords.

We know what remaining pages need content, and the H1 and H2 page titles from the planned target keywords are assigned to the relevant pages.  

Data migration from your old website

At this point we will also look at how technically the existing content can be moved from one site to another and this depends on the CMS (content management system) used in your old site. For example, if your old site used WordPress as the CMS, it is relatively straightforward to export data. 

5. Wireframing a real estate website

Once we have done all the planning of our structure, pages and their content we are ready to move on to wireframing our website. Wireframing is the bridge between planning and design and combines elements of both. 

We’re going to start by thinking about the user journey on our website, the information they are going to need as they scroll down each page and how we are going to convert them. In other words we are going to think about the structure and layout of each page, positioning our website elements .

We keep wireframes really simple and looking very much like a sketch of a page. The reason we want to just reduce it to basic elements is to focus our attention. If we start adding colours and images then it distracts both you and us.We need to focus on the user journey and put everything in the right place. We use Adobe XD for wireframe creation.

Sections,blocks and cards

Wireframes are built from blocks and templates, so let’s be clear about what these are. As you scroll down a web page, it is divided up into sections within which there are blocks.

For example, you might have a hero section at the top of your page which contains a text block, a button block and an image block.

Further down the page you might have a section called, "Latest property listings" which shows a carousel block of property cards. Each property card is a summary of the property with an image, price and some basic information and this card will link to the property listing page that will have the full details.

A card is built for each content type such as property, blog, testimonial, location and shortlist. These cards can be displayed in carousels and grids across the site and the cards that display are defined by a query, which is like a search. So in the case of property listings our query might display properties with a pool in a specific area. In the case of blogs, we can add tags like "buyer", "seller" and display their cards in the relevant pages.

Template wireframes

When we wireframe, we want to plan out each of our pages in the website structure that we planned above. Many of these page types are templates such as individual property pages, locations, shortlists, blog pages, category pages etc. A few will be custom pages such as the home page.

Many sections that appear in a page are reusable, such as testimonials. We might tag testimonials for buyers, sellers and each lead type so that they appear in a section on the relevant page, but the section will have the same design on each page with only the content changing.

In the wireframe these reusable sections are used like building blocks to give us a final architectural layout of all of our website’s pages.

Custom page wireframes

The most obvious page that will need a wireframe is the home page. But even this is built with reusable blocks positioned in sections.

Example real estate wireframe

In these example wireframes you can see how simple the layout is.

business model for real estate websites

When we start moving into the design phase of the process,  we may play with this layout.  Once we actually see laid out  in pictures we may adjust it based on client feedback but the goal is to make sure that  we’re thinking through the user journey very clearly at this stage.  

Now you have your real estate website plan…

To recap through the five steps of the website planning process.  We started with looking at the structure,  and the pages of your website,  and we ordered them in bullet points  with indentations, to show the parent-child,  grandchild relationship of these pages.  

We then looked at the conversion planning,  to work out each of our CTAs and where in our structure we are going to show them.  

We then did the SEO planning,  to understand which keywords we will be targeting with the site,  and how we map them to individual pages.  

After that, we worked on the content plan.  How much content we need for each page on the site,  and then what are the subheadings  that we will be using on each page, based on our keyword research and adding any other pages  that need to be added to the structure,  based on that keyword research as well.  

And then finally we moved into wireframing,  which is where we start thinking through the user journey,  and how they navigate through the site and convert each visitor into a lead.

Only after we’ve done all of that can the designer finally making everything look beautiful.  But as you can see,  there’s a lot of work that has to go into planning a real estate website before the design phase.  All of this is really important,  so that we get a high performing real estate website that generates leads and doesn’t just look pretty.

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Real Estate Website Guide: Everything You Need To Know

business model for real estate websites

Real estate is undergoing a significant change right now, and technologies are the primary driver of this process. For the past several years, the US real estate market has been entirely in realtor's hands.

Today, 93% of home buyers use real estate websites when searching for a home in the United States. Only 7% said that they didn't use any online websites during their house hunt. So almost the entire industry moved online.

It's a great shift and the question "how to build a real estate website?" naturally arises. In this article, we'll explore the key to making a successful real estate platform and which features a successful app should include. There's a lot to cover, so let's start!

real estate web app help

How Does a Real Estate Work?

Real estate website is a digital space where realtors, home sellers, and homebuyers can get in touch to make a purchase or rent contract for a real estate item.

how to create real estate platform

Why Build a Real Estate Website?

Building a real estate website should have a purpose. The purpose of all real estate platforms is to efficiently solve a user’s problem – search for a new home in a quick and troublesome way. To do that, an app should:

  • Provide enough options of properties for potential buyers and renters;
  • Enable users to find the best matching property;
  • Provide the possibility to reach a real estate agent;
  • Allow for effective research of a real estate item. 

Among the most popular real estate platforms, one can name Compass , Zillow , Trulia , Zoopla . These are real estate websites that have revolutionized the real estate domain, opening up the market to real users. 

real estate platform

Types of Real Estate Websites to Build

No matter whether you're the one who sells, buys, or rents a house, you know how stressful it can be. Each case has its difficulties, and each role has its obstacles. So it brings us to a very logical decision – create real estate websites for different user roles with various functionality.

Here're 4 of the most popular types of real estate website you can choose from:

  • Real Estate Marketplaces

The real estate marketplace works as a mediator between homeowners and buyers/renters. Property owners can list their estate on the site, set the approximate price, and find the customers. Customers, on the other hand, can search for a place, check property photos, building plans, and overall descriptions. 

Examples: Zillow, Redfin, Airbnb.

Property Listing Websites

A property listing site is a real estate platform where people can find houses for sale or rent. Unlike a real estate marketplace, homeowners usually can't list their property without an agent. 

Examples: Zoopla, RightMove, Realtor.

  • Property Management Websites

Property management websites are all about homeowners. They're in the driving seat and can fully manage their property and potential customers. Usually, websites for property management are focused on residential and commercial properties.

Examples: Appfolio, TennantCloud, Yardi.

  • Real Estate Aggregators

A property aggregator speaks for itself. It's a real estate website that collects property ads from different websites and displays them on one. Real Estate Aggregators are one of the most convenient ways to find a property to buy or rent because it allow you to compare the price, location, size, and condition, all in one place.

Examples: Nestoria, LoopNet, Apartments.com.

real estate website development

Real Estate Website Development: How To Make Money on Real Estate Websites?

Before plunging into real estate website development, let’s make one thing clear: how do real estate websites make money?

There are 3 basic ways to monetize your real estate website. You can choose either one or have a mix.

Listing fees

Listing fees are suitable for real estate marketplaces. It basically works this way: before sellers list a property, they have to pay a 1% fee to the platform.  

Subscriptions

This model means you set a fixed monthly or yearly fee for homeowners. So they can publish a limited or unlimited number of listings. This one is best for real estate marketplaces and property management websites. 

Paid advertisement is one of the most well-known business models . It works well for real estate platforms because the whole process is very well set up. You not only earn money by promoting ads, but you target the offers to the right audience.

Step up with our roadmap for real estate business.

Tech Trends in Real Estate Website Development

Tech transformation is making waves through various industries, including real estate. Some real estate platforms have already adopted the latest technologies, while others are only about to do so. These are the trending technologies that you should pay attention to while creating a real estate website.

Big data refers to the collection of the information left by users in the digital realm. This data is now reused to empower other platforms. Real estate apps like Zillow and Trulia already use big data to generate real estate options based on the databases. Thus, the apps can provide information about the neighborhood, the crime rate in the region, schools, and even the number of children in the area (so that your child won’t be alone if you move there). 

AI and Machine Learning

This one is still paving the way for the industry. Now the property search engines provide results based on such data as location and size. AI and machine learning integration will help engines sort out search results based on the user’s values, preferences, tastes, and even personality traits. 

Besides that, AI may also help to predict price movements on the market. The technology analyzes historical price movements to forecast changes to the property price in the future. It does so by considering factors such as local crime rate, schools, transportation, and marketplace activities.

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)

Website building for real estate demands VR/AR because it makes a user experience more engaging. Imagine that realtors and home sellers can conduct virtual home tours, and people don’t need to spend their time getting to the place to see it. Needless to say, virtual home tours are becoming increasingly relevant during the COVID-19 massive lockdowns.

Internet of Things (IoT)

This technology relates to a network of smart devices connected to the e-cloud, continually sending, receiving, and updating information. In the future, IoT can help homebuyers download full details of the property’s upkeep and maintenance history. Thus, there is no longer a need for costly bills for inspections.

How to Build a Real Estate Website: 6 Development Steps

Discover the industry.

Discovery stage is an essential part in website building in real estate.

It is the stage of the product development lifecycle when we learn about the market. In simple words, we dive into the real estate industry, study the competitors, search for their strong and weak sides, and search for the prospective niches we can cover with the product.

Study your audience

The next step in building a real estate website is to explore users’ needs. That's why we conduct user interviews, and surveys and arrange focus groups. It helps us build a product that directly responds to the user's needs, not imaginary ones.

At the end of these 2 stages of real estate website development, we end up with the roadmap that includes:

  • Hypotheses: Delivering a Solution;
  • Problem Statement;
  • Assumptions of solutions; 
  • Lean Canvas – business idea execution; 
  • User interviews;
  • Proto Persona;
  • Prototyping and testing
  • Customer Journey Map (CJM) 

Choose a real estate website type to develop

Once you find the real users’ needs to cover, choosing the website type is much easier. Here’re 6 of the most popular:

  • Property Listing Website
  • Selling and Buying Websites
  • Renting Websites

They differ by the types of properties, functionality for homebuyers, realtors, home sellers, etc. 

Create design for a real estate website

While creating a real estate website design, it's important to pay equal attention to UX&UI parts. Since user experience at real estate websites is personalized for three user roles:

  • Homebuyers;
  • Home sellers;

The profiles for different user roles should include other functions and allow you to switch roles on the website. With well-thought UX design, websites became easier to use and navigate. So make sure to hire a good UX designer for your project.

In addition, for better business results, your site design must be mobile-oriented.

Develop the MVP

To build a real estate website that solves a problem, we at Uptech really recommend starting with MVP. It lets you validate the idea cheap and fast, get feedback from real users, and have valid proof that your idea works for stakeholders and investors. 

A good example of starting small and growing into a #1 real estate app is – Yaza . It’s an app that allows real estate professionals to record, map, and share video home and neighborhood tours with buyers. Check it out.

build real estate website mvp

Launch & Test & Improve 

We're coming close to the finish line in real estate website development, and the next step is to introduce your product to the market. That's truly my favorite part because you check how users interact with your product. 

Usually, it's a cycle of interactions: you capture feedback, find possible improvements, communicate the product requirements to the team, implement changes, and test. 

real estate website development feedbackcollection

Though it looks huge, you should go through this cycle during the entire product development process. Note feedback collection may go in parallel with development. You shouldn't wait until the implementation.

Real Estate Website Development: 4 Must-Have Features

The app market is swarmed with different real estate websites, of different complexity and features. Yet, there is a list of features that must be included in a real estate platform to satisfy the users. Let us dive into each of them. 

real estate platform

Listing Databases

The list of available listings is the cornerstone of any real estate website. The broader it is, the more popular the platform becomes. The good news is you can develop such a database by yourself using brokers’ databases.  

Which databases you will integrate with your platforms depends on the region your platform will cover. Let’s take the US real estate market as an example. The primary sources for this market are the US National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). 

If you target any other regions, you can search for regional analogs, like The Canadian Real Estate Association or The British Property Federation . 

Authentication and personalisation

User experience at real estate websites is usually personalized for three user roles: agents, homebuyers, and home sellers. The profiles for different user roles should include other functions and allow you to switch roles on the website. 

Real estate platforms like Zillow and Trulia also feature a registration via Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail. Social network integration helps accelerate the signup process while integrating some additional personal data, like photos, gender, age, location, etc. 

As the platform uses personal data for a more customized experience, you need to ensure data protection. So make sure your website complies with the OWASP standards and GDCP regulations. 

Search Filters

A user friendly search engine capable of performing complex searches is an essential component of a real estate platform. The simplest iteration of search would only include such conventional filters as location, price, size, etc. However, modern real estate platforms leverage the power of big data and integrations to provide much more detailed information about properties: 

  • Opinion of the local citizens about the neighborhood, its infrastructure, schools, maintenance, etc;  
  • Information about the crime rate in the region; 
  • LGBT protection rate that reflects how the locals and the local legislation treats LGBT people; 
  • Likelihood of natural disasters; 
  • Average age rate, family status, education of the local citizens. 

Map features

A real estate platform is hardly conceivable without maps, as a property’s location is one of the basic considerations for a potential homebuyer. The majority of real estate websites use Google Maps, mostly because users are accustomed to it. Yet, you can also use a map service called Open Street Maps as an alternative option. 

Besides only showing the location based on user IP and GPS, real estate platforms integrate with many web services to deliver useful statistics on the map: nearby restaurants, schools, and even streetlights. This is how Trulia displays this information in the Neighbourhood section: 

Top 3 Features that Make Your Real Estate Website Stand Out

Implementing the right functionality in your app is half the battle in website development for real estate. Here is a small list of additional features already implemented in other real estate platforms:

how to build real state platform

Favourites Section

This one is a custom feature, allowing a user to add some options in the search results to the favorites' list, like you put products in a cart on a typical e-commerce website. 

The 'favorites' section allows users to weigh their options without rushing into buying/renting a house. Data gathered from the favorites list can also be used for analyses and generating new property suggestions.

In-app Messaging Solution

Once users make a decision, they will probably want to contact a realtor or a home seller to discuss the details. In-app chat is the best way users can communicate efficiently.

The truth is building a new messaging app can cost you much effort and funds. Instead, you can integrate the already existing real-time messaging solutions, such as Twilio , Layer , and PubNub .  

Calendar for an Appointment Booking

Once users have selected an apartment/house, they will want to take a tour around there. To do that, they would need to contact a realtor and schedule a visit. However, a far more comfy option would be to browse the calendar on the app for available slots.

Uptech has implemented this one in a real estate project called Nomad. At the user tests and following the product’s launch, we could see that a calendar for appointments can largely simplify searching and minimize unnecessary arrangements. 

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Real Estate Website?

Everything depends on the complexity of the website and the number of professionals engaged.

If it's MVP, that would definitely cost less, and the development would be faster. If you want to develop a full-fledged product with more complex features, the price goes higher. 

So, from our experience, the price of a custom real estate website may start at $60K and reach $120K. We recently posted the article on the web app cost and really dove deep into details there, so you can check it out. 

real estate website development

Real Estate Website Development: Uptech Cases and Services We Offer

Uptech has broad experience in building real estate websites. With profound experience, our team has provided a product management consultancy for the client. 

real estate platform

‍ Nomad  is a digital platform that uses technology to simplify buying and renting homes in Dubai. Nomad was founded in 2019 to turn a traditionally cumbersome offline experience into one that is online and seamless. Like traditional real estate services, Nomad provides a listing database and search engine to find a property. The website features 3D virtual tours and in-person visits. The platform relieves users from the fuss of financing, registration, and ownership transfer, which usually involves tedious paperwork.'

We have in-depth knowledge of the real estate domain, including the industry’s top trends and most popular features. We have experience developing different real estate solutions, like:

  • Property management apps;
  • Location-based services;
  • Real estate listings;
  • Apps for real estate agents (Yaza);
  • Real estate marketplaces;
  • Virtual tour apps.

Also, we have experience integrating third-party components, like maps, admin panels, and multi-listing services into the platforms.

If you need extra hands to help you with creating a real estate website – drop us a line, and we will contact you.  

real estate website development

Conclusion 

The real estate industry has shifted online over the past years. Most homebuyers search for homes through real estate websites. As a result, real estate businesses are left with no other choice than to build a real estate website.

I have highlighted 6 steps on how to build a real estate website that meets users' needs. Apart from that, you should follow the recent trends and include key features to make your website stand out among the myriad of other real estate platforms.

If you want to know more about our experience or like to share an idea for an app, do not hesitate to contact us .

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28 best real estate website designs that make you feel at home

Lindsay Kramer

  • Web & digital design

Real estate websites have to be designed to build trust, given that a home or property is one of the most important purchases somebody ever makes. The buyer has to trust that the real estate agency cares as much about their investment as they do. Once a website does that, it has to convert.

Minimalist website showing a modern home

A website’s goals depend on the kind of company it’s for, and there are a few different strategies real estate websites use to drive conversions:

  • Bringing viewers inside the listed properties and showing them around so that they’re pumped to visit it in person
  • Putting a face to a firm’s name, making the viewer feel like they already know the agent or team before they first meet
  • Giving viewers a crash tour of the area the real estate’s in and everything that’s awesome about it
  • Using maps to show viewers exactly where listed properties are located, down to the block

Take a look at the ways successful real estate websites put these design strategies into action.

Real estate websites that bring you inside —

Real estate agencies’ primary goal is to sell (and lease) properties. It’s a whole lot easier to get attractive properties sold and leased, and a website that highlights on beautiful spaces can make sales a cinch.

While this approach requires hiring a professional photographer, the investment is well worth it. When viewers look at spaces online, they’re imagining themselves living and working in those spaces. They’re picturing their families gathered around the dining room table for a meal lit by the crystal chandelier or their teams working together in a fun, comfortable work space that gives their brand a home.

Thus, these viewers need to see authentic, high quality photos of the place. Once you have these images, make sure other site elements like typography and color schemes are toned down so that the photos can really shine.

Black-rimmed website showing luxury interiors

Website designs that give viewers a walk-through are perfect for real estate agencies that specialize in luxury homes and rentals. The design for Rothstone Development Co. above accomplishes this by putting the viewer inside of a home from the moment the site loads–placing the viewer right in the living room where she can take in the window view of the garden outside. The design for Jayalakshmi Group similarly takes viewers on a virtual tour with a big slider image from the point of view of having just strolled into the office.

Yellow and gray website showing home interiors

Websites that personalize real estate shopping —

Real estate transactions can be intimidating, partially because they often feel so impersonal. You’re reduced to a bunch of numbers like your income and your credit score, and then they push a mountain of paperwork across the desk for you to sign.

Mobile website design for a broker showing the team

Real estate websites can cut out the intimidation factor by designing with approachability in mind. This means choosing inviting colors like the soft blue used in CMS Brokers’s website or an open-feeling, scannable layout and warm colors like those featured on Ed Ryland’s website.

Red, blue and gray website with a man standing in the middle of the homepage

One thing all these website designs have in mind is that they give their services human faces. When you’re greeted by a warm smile, like the realtor in the ReMax web design above, instead of a bunch of buildings or stats, it’s easier to build a relationship with a brand from the moment you log on. This design keeps the friendly feeling throughout the website with icons that make the interaction feel casual, like a thumbs up reminiscent of Facebook’s Like button.

Although any kind of real estate website can benefit from humanizing design, brands that work with clients going through emotionally charged transactions, like downsizing empty nesters and young families buying the homes where their children will grow up, get the most mileage out of this type of website.

Gray and yellow website with a man standing

Real estate websites that showcase the locale —

When you buy a home, you don’t just move into the house—you move into its neighborhood. Real estate companies that work in highly desirable places can capitalize on this by showcasing the locales on their websites. This kind of design tends to feature big, crisp header photos that persuade the potential buyer to move into (or even spend a weekend in) the area.

Beach themed real estate website design

The design for Tampa Bay Lifestyle Properties keeps the beachy theme consistent with a color palette of dark blue and sandy tan without losing the upscale identity it communicates through serif fonts in its headers. It even has a widget showing the current temperature in Tampa—just a little nudge to anybody way up north, all bundled up for the winter, to imagine themselves in their new Tampa home.

In the website for White Elephant Real Estate, a vast white background communicates that the sky’s the limit for rehabbing the properties they deal with. The brown serif font suggests trustworthiness, and the clear navigation up in the header makes it super easy to get started on selling a distressed property in the Mid-Atlantic—a market the viewer probably didn’t realize could be home to serene, tropical-looking getaways like those in the website’s pictures.

White and blue website design showing a photo of a beach

This type of design is ideal for a brand that’s selling experiences, like a vacation rental website or a roommate directory aimed at young professionals moving to a major city. When the lifestyle an area offers is just as important as the actual real estate there, an effective website shows it off.

Website displaying a sepia-tinted photo of a city street

Real estate websites that put their properties on the map —

For a lot of real estate clients, location is key—not just the specific city but right down to the block. With this in mind, many real estate websites make maps their focal points, showing visitors precisely where each property is located and what it’s located near.

This kind of website is especially helpful for commercial buyers who don’t just think about rent prices and maintenance costs but about access to thoroughfares and available parking. By seeing exactly where a building (or an empty lot) is on a map, a business owner with specific location needs can decide in an instant whether the property fits their criteria. Helping buyers filter out properties based on logistics isn’t the only way these kinds of websites work—they also make it easy to compare a lot of prices and a lot of property specs quickly.

White and purple website with a prominent map

The website design for Daal breaks cities down block by block, then parcel by parcel. After zeroing in on a particular building, the viewer can get all of its vital stats like the number of floors it has, the number of apartments in the building and even the hours its main door is unlocked. The design for Housing makes the house hunt super customizable, giving viewers tools to filter their property search results by lease types, apartment amenities, whether they’re furnished, semi-furnished or totally empty and whether they’re listed by their landlords or by real estate brokers.

All kinds of buyers can get a ton of valuable information from this kind of website. For commercial listings, a great website design makes it easy to see information like loading dock accessibility and the amount of employee parking available.  Beyond filtering results and making it easy to compare, websites like these can show residential buyers what’s near the houses they’re considering, like schools or nightlife.

Website design showing a map of Houston

House your business in a great real estate website —

Each of these types of real estate websites work because they spur interest in the target audience. When you’re planning your website design, determine exactly who your target audience is and how your brand appeals to them. This will help you understand which kind of design, or combination of design types, is most effective for your website.

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business model for real estate websites

5 Real Estate Website Examples

By Amanda Shih-Goel

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Whether you’re an individual realtor, a real estate firm, or managing a vacation home or rental building, having a website is key to getting new clients or tenants and marketing your services . A real estate website gives you a central place to showcase your property or listings, share your accomplishments and style of service as a broker, and get discovered by new people.

Here are five top real estate website examples that mix form and function so you can show off the dream homes you represent while directing visitors to learn more and book with or contact you.

business model for real estate websites

The Cailles template is set up with a real estate company in mind. Highlight featured listings on your homepage with buttons encouraging visitors to schedule a showing, sign up for updates, or get in touch as a seller or a buyer. You can easily customize the web design for your work as an individual real estate professional by removing the team-focused page.

Build a real estate website with Cailles

2. Sellwood

business model for real estate websites

This is an ideal template for a busy broker who wants a simple web design that gets straight to the point. This one-page website template gives you a place to collect email addresses so you can share new listings and might work well if you tend to find many of your clients elsewhere, like social media or referrals . This is also a great way to get a site live quickly—you can always add pages for a bio or active listings after launching.

Build a real estate website with Sellwood

business model for real estate websites

If your main goal is to showcase a single property—like a short- or long-term rental, a hotel, or a vacation home—the Suffolk template is a good starting point. The template has ample space to show off photos of the property and share previews of rooms or amenities. A clear, easy-to-find CTA button makes for a positive user experience, so visitors can easily book or reach out from any page.

Build a real estate website with Suffolk

business model for real estate websites

Palermo is another useful template if you want to feature just one property, like a luxury home or rental. This template puts your listing or building images front and center. Mix photos of full spaces with detail shots on thoughtful details to make an impact. CTA buttons on the page will encourage your website visitors to learn more about your listing, apply, or book.

Build a real estate website with Palermo

business model for real estate websites

This web design lets you direct your website visitors to the most important parts of your real estate business. For larger buildings, like an apartment complex or hotel, visitors can easily find property amenities, local attractions, and contact or booking options. For a real estate agent or brokerage, you could customize the links to point to your latest listings, a team page, and a blog of tips on navigating the real estate market.

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Every template on Squarespace is completely customizable, so no matter which one you decide to start with, you can add, remove, or change design elements to create the real estate website design you want. Choosing a template more closely aligned with your website content and goals can just save you some time in putting together your final design.

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Posted on 28 Nov 2023

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business model for real estate websites

13 eye-catching real estate website templates

Have your domain name ready — here are 13 eye-catching real estate website templates, each unique and designed for the modern real estate market.

business model for real estate websites

Whether you’re a solo real estate agent, property owner, or agency — you need a great real estate website to promote your business.

Unless you want to rely on potential buyers just stumbling upon your properties, you need a solid website that makes your properties discoverable via search engines. 

But not just any real estate website will do. You need web design that stands out and appeals to your market. In other words, you want your site to be just as memorable as your real estate listings themselves. 

Luckily, you don’t have to build from scratch. Get your domain name ready so you can snag one of these beautiful templates and start building your website. 

1. Estate  

An image of the Estate Webflow HTML template.

Estate is a beautiful real estate agency website template with a minimal, sleek design that gives the website a clean look. We especially like it’s tasteful animations and  warm welcome message that fades into a CTA. 

Estate is a beautiful template that comes with all the necessary pages and functionality of a modern real estate website — like a Google Maps integration and built-in SEO features. The listings page presents various property listings in a fresh, clean layout that makes it easy for curious buyers to peruse the properties. 

2. The Village

An image of The Village website template.

If you want something slightly bold and untraditional, The Village is a great option. This stunning template includes everything you need for a real estate property website — ranging from property listing sections to contact forms and everything in between. 

The lovely color scheme, bold typography , and diagonal photo layouts combine well to create a perfect foundation for a playful real estate website. 

An image of the Mercer template.

Mercer is a template that exudes prestige — making it perfect for a real estate agency that represents high-end properties. 

This template uses the juxtaposition of white space and dark images to create a luxurious and exclusive aesthetic. Formal typography and minimalist iconography support its graceful, intuitive design. We especially like that this template includes sections dedicated to the neighborhood so potential buyers can get a feel for the entire area when viewing a listing, not just the property itself.

4. 88settle

An image of the 88settle website template.

Next, is the real estate website template 88settle . This tangerine treat is a perfect template for a medium-to-large property management or real estate company. It’s professional design, captivating visual elements, and intuitive functionality are all ideal for a real estate website. 

This template’s listings page and individual property pages hone in on all of the pertinent property information such as price and location. With this template, you can also set different property types so you can create clear categories for your listings. 

5. Urban Co

An image of the Urban Co website template.

If you want to make browsing your property listings an immersive experience, Urban Co is the template for you. 

With its parallax animations, scrolling effects, and mesmerizing web design, Urban Co feels like an online tour for a post-modern architecture firm. Its next level design makes this template perfect for high-end property development firms or real estate businesses.  Just be careful with the amount of motion you use —  for more insight check out our tutorial for building for those who prefer motion and those who don’t . 

An image of the Dimora website template.

Dimora is a modern real estate website template that offers great functionality. It’s enchanting parallax animations and spell-binding visual effects give a sense of life and motion to the website's design. 

We like that the CTA to “sell your property” opens into a contact form. This, paired with a collection of sold listings, encourages potential sellers to trust the company to handle their sale as well. Overall, this visually appealing design will appeal to both buyers and sellers, making it an ideal choice for a growing real estate agency. 

Build completely custom, production-ready websites — or ultra-high-fidelity prototypes — without writing a line of code. Only with Webflow.

7. MyRental

An image of the MyRental real estate template.

As the name implies, the MyRental template is designed for rental properties. It follows a familiar layout that creates an enjoyable browsing experience for visitors. 

MyRental comes complete with a social media integration, contact forms for booking and sending inquiries, blog pages and more — all wrapped up in a beautifully designed package. If you’re looking to launch your rental property business, grab this template and start building. 

An image of the Canela real estate website template.

Canela feels like a magazine with a great balance of oversized typography and image grid. This template is perfect for realtors or real estate agencies that specialize in niche housing such as charming vintage homes, vacation properties, or sprawling villas. 

This template works well as a base because it’s easy to use and customize. Switch up the colors and fonts to make it your own. Then, all you’ll need to do is plug in your own high-quality images and property descriptions. 

9. Real Estatos

An image of the Real Estatos real estate website template.

Real Estatos is a clean and professional real estate website template. As you scroll through the homepage, lines of text and visual elements feel as if they awaken — bouncing on scroll and zooming in on hover. This immersive design coupled with the fresh UI creates a welcoming and enticing experience for site visitors. 

This template comes complete with a Google Maps and social media integration, a section for neighborhood areas to explore, a blog, newsletter, and more. Real Estatos is a great template for corporate and residential properties. 

10. 92 Rhys

An image of the 92 Rhys real estate website template.

92 Rhys is a real estate website template that one could easily mistake as a site for interior design considering its highly stylistic approach. The template design is alluring, with 3D animated effects that unveil content as you scroll, dark colors, and shifting images.

If you’re looking to create a real estate website that’s packed with movement, imagery, and a sense of drama — 92 Rhys is for you. 

An image of the Sirius real estate website template.

Next is Sirius , a multipurpose real estate website template that can be used for real estate agencies, development construction companies, or architecture agencies. 

The Sirius template includes four homepage layouts that you can mix and match as well as pages for individual listings and a CMS for your blog. Additionally, because this template was created with global swatches, you can change the entire color scheme in just a couple of clicks. 

An image of the Razor real estate website template.

The Razor template is as sleek as it is stacked. You can choose from four layouts — main, parallax, animated, and video header. This template uses Webflow CMS so you can quickly and easily create pages for property listings, team member profiles, open houses, testimonials, and much more. And with the addition of the “dream home finder” feature, Razor leaves no stone left unturned. 

This template is well suited to high-end real estate agencies and firms that specialize in corporate or vacation properties. 

An image of the Husly real estate website template.

To conclude our list, we're checking out the modern and stylish Husly . This template presents a professional and clean design, complete with the functionality ideal for real estate agents and agencies specializing in residential or rental properties.  

The template allows you to feature multiple types of listings — residential, commercial, apartment, and office space — and differentiates between properties that are for sale or for rent. We love this straightforward design that makes finding the right property for each person simple.   

Inspired? Let's start designing

So there's our list, 13 eye-catching real estate website templates, each unique and perfectly designed for the modern real estate market! If you're feeling extra inspired, get started designing your own memorable real estate website.  

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Placester

Embracing a Modern Real Estate Business Model: An Interview with Broker Chad Gaughan

Embracing a Modern Real Estate Business Model: An Interview with Broker Chad Gaughan

Real estate businesses of all shapes and sizes exist today — and Local Property Shop President Chad Gaughan is leading the charge in choosing his own adventure.

The Boston real estate broker has seen business models of varying types in the industry thrive and fail. Some of the more interesting and fruitful of these firms, he notes, are of the “collaborative” kind — like his own.

Gaughan could have gone the traditional route for his own real estate business. However, that’s not where he sees the brokerage model headed in the future.

In fact, as Gaughan noted during our interview with him, there’s already a movement toward increased versatility among modern firms today.

Read our Q&A with the broker to discover his thoughts on where the industry is now, where it’s going, and how he plans to continually adjust to the changing winds in real estate.

An immersive web experience is vital to Local Property Shop’s real estate business model.

As with most industries today, a strong web presence isn’t a plus, it’s a must.

Gaughan recognizes this fact of life — as well as the need to engage his online audience with interactive content:

  • “Most Fridays we go on Facebook Live. We try to talk about a project we’re working on — something that’s popular or some value-add to the city. We try to bring attention to some of the things that are current.”

In addition to hosting live streams, he says that blogging consistently earns his real estate business traffic: “It’s super easy to just jump in [and start blogging]. If you’re at Starbucks or in between showings, hop in, write a quick blog, then you can share that socially and drive that traffic.”

Writing roughly one blog post a week on topics of importance to his audience helps Gaughan and his crew steadily build up Local Property Shop’s site traffic.

Working with tech and marketing experts regularly helps Gaughan and Co. succeed online.

With sparse amounts of time to spend on his online marketing, Gaughan entrusts marketing professionals to help.

“I’m pretty savvy with websites,” he explains. “But we have to spend a lot of our time buying and selling real estate to keep the lights on.”

Optimizing his firm’s website has helped put Local Property Shop on the digital map.

To ensure it gets found organically and by the right audience , though, he works with Placester to get the most out of his web presence.

“I can usually get [our website] to the best of our ability,” Gaughan adds, “But [Placester] support comes in and revamps our website. It’s nice to have that partnership.”

Thus far, Gaughan is satisfied with how his Placester site has grown over the past 12 months.

“We’re still just a year in,” he says. “We’re still in the building stage of our company. But what we wanted to have in our website was a robust knowledge base. People can actually come and use it as a resource, and we haven’t felt limited in that regard with the platform.”

Growing the Local Property Shop real estate business model means providing superb value and services.

In the booming Boston housing market, it can be hard to stand out amongst competing firms.

Gaughan is unfazed by the challenge, given the personalized content he shares on his website.

“We’re competing with a lot of people that are using websites, like Redfin and Zillow, and there’s a lot of data there, which is great,” he shares.

“But when we communicate with our clients, we want to be able to send them our brand: ’Hey, look guys, here’s a listing that you may be interested in,’ or ‘Here’s some more information on something you reached out on.’”

Investing time and energy into making his site stand out from other local Boston real estate businesses is something Gaughan takes great joy in.

The reason? He understands buyers, sellers, renters, and even investors want that personalized touch when researching homes, developments, and agents.

“We take a lot of pride in the content we create,” says Gaughan. “So, selfishly, we want to pull these people toward our website so they can learn something and we can provide some value.

  • “In a highly competitive market, the only way you can stand out is your level of service and area of expertise.”

Local Property Shop

Gaughan recognizes the value of regularly published, fresh content to his agents’ sites.

It’s not just Gaughan who gets the incredible value of original and innovative real estate content. His team is on board with the marketing approach as well.

He explains, “What I try to encourage the agents to understand is, ‘You guys are the frontline. Your opinion is what’s most important.’ [Maybe] you’re dealing with clients who are frustrated: ‘What can I do to change that?’”

His advice to his small team of agents is simple: Just start, and iterate and optimize from there.

“The minute you get your website, put up your first blog,” Gaughan told his team. “Blog about, ‘Hey, this is a new venture. I’ve never had a website before.’ People connect with that stuff along the way.”

The common dilemma for agents’ content creation efforts is time. Few agents have enough hours in the day (or even week) to blog enough to make it count.

Finding that time, though, is essential to the long-term health of your real estate business.

“Nobody blogs enough,” says Gaughan, “but one of the things I try to tell the agents is when we are part of this collaborative model, everyone brings something special to the table. They’re all experts at their own thing. It gives them an outlet at any point. Whenever they get the motivation to write a blog , they can log in, and it’s cool to watch them customize [their websites]. It’s cool they’re getting their own [content] up and running.”

Staying ahead of the marketing curve helps distinguish Gaughan’s brokerage from other firms.

Examining how other real estate brokerages conduct their content strategies – and identifying gaps – has helped inform some of LPS’ approach.

Few real estate pros have been able to master the art of crafting shareable, easily consumable content.

That’s why shareability is the one must-have trait of every piece of content Gaughan and his team produces.

It’s where he sees an untapped opportunity to resonate with his buyer personas.

“It’s easily shareable; that’s one of the nice things about my website,” Gaughan states. “You can pick up weekly habits with marketing, like, ‘I want to pick out a Wicked Cool Listing Wednesday,’ or something like that. You can set that up on a schedule. Take one hour a month to set up [and automate] your Facebook shares for a month.”

Devveloping this kind of bite-sized, yet robust content for his audience is what helps win him and his team new business regularly.

“One of the things we offer when we try to win listings with sellers is: ‘Not only are we going to go through and get your property up on all of your favorite websites that other people are searching on, but we’re also pretty nuts about our marketing. We create a custom website with the listing feature, which will link to virtual tours; a nice description. Then, we can use that link as a landing page with boosted social media posts and find core demographics you want to market to and track the results.’”

All of Local Property Shop’s digital marketing efforts would be for naught if Gaughan didn’t measure his content performance each week:

  • “That’s the biggest thing at the end of the day: Seeing your marketing results. You can say to a seller, ‘Hey, 3,500 people [took] a virtual tour of your house this weekend.’”

At the end of the day, having a well-branded, content-heavy website featuring the latest listings is what puts Gaughan’s mind at ease.

“Sometimes, you do have to be all over the place,” the broker says. “When you have technology that’s ‘set-it-and-forget-it,’ yeah, there’s an initial upfront time investment to make it feel and look like your own thing.”

That investment, however, is more than worth it, Gaughan notes.

“Right now, I’m not worrying about my website,” he elaborates. “I’m worrying about my social media marketing campaigns. Then, at the end of the week, I’ll take a look to see how we’re doing [traffic-wise].”

Google Analytics and other data tools keep LPS moving in the right direction with its real estate marketing plan .

Other than making sure his site is a well-oiled machine, though, Gaughan makes sure he and his associates proactively engage with prospects and clients.

The more they do this, Gaughan says, the more likely they are to become memorable to leads and customers.

“We live in a world where it’s very easy to connect with people,” says Gaughan. “An online review or online referral, or somebody else likes this company, or they’re interacting with this company. It does end up feeling as though online activity will give other people a sense of comfort with that company. So we try to engage with everybody as much as we can.”

Watch our webinar with Local Property Shop’s Chad Gaughan to learn about his real estate business model and marketing strategy :

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10 Best Websites for Real Estate Agents For 2024 + Tips for Building One

Nowadays, 47% of aspiring homeowners are happy to find properties for sale online. Therefore, owning a website has become increasingly important for real estate professionals.

With the proper SEO strategies, your site can rank high on such search engines as Google, resulting in more exposure for your featured properties.

That said, creating a custom real estate website is no simple task, especially if you have no prior experience in web design. Luckily, Hostinger Website Builder makes the process a lot easier. Simply choose a pre-made template and customize the layout using a drag-and-drop editor.

If you need some inspiration, this article will show the top websites for real estate agents created using Hostinger Website Builder. You’ll also find tips and tricks for building your own website, whether you’re a new agent, a seasoned broker, or an experienced property investor. 

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Top 10 Websites for Real Estate Agents and Investors

When compiling the best real estate websites for realtors and investors, we considered several factors. Depending on the business model, each site should at least have one of the following elements:

  • User-friendly interface . We looked for websites with simple navigation and responsive design. This is because an easy-to-use interface helps users find relevant content more efficiently.
  • Comprehensive property listings . Real estate agent websites should provide in-depth information about each property, including its price, size, amenities, and neighborhood details. High-quality images, virtual tours, and precise location maps can also help buyers make an informed decision.
  • Additional tools . Beyond the basics, we also searched for additional real estate website features, such as mortgage calculators, market trend analyses, and educational content about the home buying and selling process. These resources are valuable, particularly for users new to real estate transactions.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the complete list.

1. Key Home Real Estate

The homepage of Key Home Real Estate

Key Home Real Estate sets the benchmark for how a good real estate agent website should be, offering plenty of tools that make buying and selling properties a breeze. Homeowners can access the real estate valuation page to know how much their property is worth.

Likewise, buyers can easily find their dream house through the property search functionality. They simply need to enter the desired location, customize the search filters, and browse through the available options.

After choosing a listing, the site will then show the property’s images, price, interior and exterior features, points of interest, and exact map location. Each listing page also has a mortgage calculator, making it easy for users to estimate the monthly payment based on their budget.

Another handy feature is the virtual tour, allowing prospective buyers to explore properties in more detail from the comfort of their home.

2. Green Ray

The homepage of Green Ray

If you’re into real estate investing, Green Ray’s website is an excellent point of reference. It uses white space to maintain a clean design, focusing on its core message as a property investment firm.

The home page combines a captivating background image and a clear headline that sums up its business, which is buying houses for cash. As a result, visitors will instantly know what to expect from this site.

Below the main title, Green Ray encourages potential clients to sell their houses using a clear and inviting call to action. The use of a green color palette creates a contrasting look from the rest of the content, helping visitors locate the CTA button quickly.

On the Contact page, Green Ray also facilitates seamless communication for potential clients. They can easily reach out to the real estate company via a contact form, email, or phone call.

3. Tristan Buys Houses

The homepage of Tristan Buys Houses

Bringing together a group of real estate investors, Tristan Buys Houses helps people sell their properties quickly. Buyers can also find their dream homes using flexible financing options.

Take note of how this real estate business highlights those unique selling points throughout the website. From using a self-explanatory domain name to publishing relevant blog posts, Tristan Buys Houses takes every opportunity to boost brand awareness and conversions.

Design-wise, this broker website includes a top menu bar with links to essential pages like Home , About , Contacts , Blog , Privacy Policy , and Terms and Conditions . This simple navigation structure allows users to access crucial information effortlessly.

The About page features a concise description of the company’s services. The content is presented in an easy-to-read format, making it suitable for a quick overview.

In order to foster a sense of connection and trust, this page also features each team member behind Tristan Buys Houses, including their photograph, name, and job title.

4. Parrot Real Estate

The homepage of Parrot Real Estate

Parrot Real Estate lays the foundation to build a thriving real estate agency, emphasizing both the importance of consistent client satisfaction and the ongoing development of its agents.

This well-defined mission is prominently displayed on the home page, assuring buyers that their property searches are managed by capable and reliable hands.

Upon scrolling, users will find a step-by-step process for buying a property, such as how to view a house, negotiate terms, and close the deal. This approach makes complex real estate transactions more simple, encouraging prospects to take the first step.

Take a look at how Parrot Real Estate cleverly places its contact form at the bottom of its home page so that clients can easily reach out for further inquiries.

The site also has advanced search functionality to help prospects look for the right property. Visitors can simply choose a property type, set the price range, and enter their desired area to find their dream house.

5. Room Real Estate

The homepage of Room Real Estate

Creating a single-page website is an effective way to generate leads and turn them into paying customers. Since all content is accessible on a single page, visitors can easily scroll through information without loading additional pages, leading to more focused and targeted messaging.

In this case, Room Real Estate starts by introducing its core mission to help landlords find tenants and earn guaranteed rental income, all without having to deal with day-to-day property maintenance.

Afterward, the site further explains the benefits of working with Room Real Estate, including low maintenance costs, steady rental earnings, and one point of contact, meaning landlords don’t have to handle multiple tenants, something that can be a time-consuming task.

Having a one-page site like Room Real Estate also benefits your real estate website SEO efforts. With less content to load, your website will perform faster compared to multi-page sites, improving user satisfaction and boosting your search engine rankings.

With beginner-friendly tools such as Hostinger’s landing page creator , you can launch a similar website in no time.

6. Top Rated Real Estate

The homepage of Top Rated Real Estate

Top Rated Real Estate makes an excellent example for people seeking inspiration in real estate website design ideas. This site offers a straightforward and user-friendly navigation menu, making it simple for users to find the information they need.

The combination of an attractive hero image and strong copy immediately draws visitors’ attention and effectively communicates the site’s core offerings. The typography is carefully selected for readability and elegance, contributing to the site’s overall professional appearance.

When scrolling down the home page, you’ll find comprehensive information on its services arranged in a symmetrical layout, with text on the left and images on the right. The website also incorporates client testimonials, showcasing the company’s expertise and successful track record in the real estate industry.

Moreover, the footer features a newsletter subscription option, which is excellent for lead capture and generation.

7. Anasuya Engel

The homepage of Anasuya Engel

Instead of carrying printed business cards everywhere you go, it’s a lot more convenient to create a website as your digital presence. You can simply send the site link via email or social media, expanding your network far beyond the limitations of a physical card.

If you’re not sure where to begin, this real estate broker does a brilliant job of creating a simple website that acts as their business card. The content is straightforward and focused, clearly stating the service offered without overwhelming visitors with excessive information.

Below the heading, users will find the agent’s contact information, including their email address and phone number. Furthermore, the About page includes a photo and brief background of the Anasuya, fostering a deeper connection with potential clients.

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8. Gold Peach Realty

The homepage of Gold Peach Realty

Gold Peach Realty specializes in selling luxury homes and high-end listings, and the company does a great job of tailoring its real estate website branding accordingly.

Implementing gold coloring for its brand name and logo, Gold Peach Realty aims to evoke a sense of exclusivity and premium quality. The use of white space, sophisticated typography, and high-resolution imagery of upscale properties further boost its luxury-like presence.

Thanks to detailed specifications and captivating photos of each listing, prospects can easily evaluate how the property stands against its competition in terms of price, size, features, and overall appeal.

If they’re interested, it’s easy to schedule a house tour directly on the listing page. For buyers who are unable to visit the property in person, a virtual tour option is also present, offering a realistic glimpse into what living in the space might be like.

9. Baylor Bubble Real Estate Alerts

The homepage of Baylor Bubble Real Estate Alerts

Baylor Real Estate Alerts operates mainly within the Baylor University area, also known as the Baylor Bubble.

Upon entering the home page, visitors are instantly welcomed by a hero section that communicates this key message clearly. This targeted approach is highly effective in filtering out traffic, only retaining high-quality leads who are more likely to convert.

The real estate agency then proceeds to explain its unique selling proposition, which is called the “First to Know Program” . When subscribed to this newsletter, users will get email notifications about new listings in the Baylor Bubble area.

In order to gain customer trust, the site also features the individual behind Baylor Real Estate Alerts, highlighting his proven track record of over $50 billion in career sales.

10. DRS Real Estate

The homepage of DRS Real Estate

When people think of Dubai, luxurious lifestyles and high-end listings may come to mind. As a property consultant operating in this dynamic city, DRS Real Estate needs to encapsulate that luxury image on its website.

From using black and gold colors to incorporating bold typography, every design element of this site represents power, elegance, and prestige. It also maintains a clean layout, so that visitors can focus on the main content instead of distracting elements.

The browsing experience is designed with user-friendly navigation in mind. The top bar features clear sections such as About Us , Properties , Services , and Contact , making it easy for visitors to find essential information.

Tips for Creating a Real Estate Agent Website

Now that you’ve learned some of the best real estate websites for brokers and investors, it’s time to make your own website.

Whether you want to promote your featured listings or create a digital business card, these real estate website development best practices will help you get started in no time.

Choose the Right Website Builder

Selecting the best website builder is crucial, as it directly impacts how you display property listings, showcase your team’s expertise, interact with clients, and effectively convert leads into sales.

However, with so many website builders on the market, choosing the right one can take time and effort. Your ideal solution should offer a blend of simplicity, functionality, and customization, and that’s precisely what Hostinger Website Builder brings to the table.

For just $2.99/month , you will get everything you need to create a real estate website , including fast hosting, a professional domain name, and powerful features such as:

  • AI Site Builder . Enter your brand name, choose a website type, and describe your business. Our AI will then create a full-fledged website in minutes.
  • AI Heatmap . Predict user behavior and place call-to-action (CTA) buttons and contact forms more strategically.
  • AI Writer . Boost conversions with captivating headlines and website copy, all with minimum effort on your part.
  • SEO tools . Generate SEO-friendly content for blog posts, image alt texts, product descriptions, and more. Our AI will also create an automated sitemap and keyword-focused metadata based on your niche.
  • Marketing integrations . Track your site performance and optimize it for even better results. Tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar make real estate website analytics easy. 

business model for real estate websites

After securing our Hostinger Website Builder & Web Hosting plan, you can immediately generate a website within minutes using AI. Or choose from a wide range of real estate agent website templates.

Either way, after the initial design is ready, you can easily customize every element of the site, including page layouts, content, colors, fonts, and images.

Use a Clean and User-Friendly Design

An organized layout helps visitors navigate your site effortlessly, ensuring they find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. This provides a better user experience, which plays a significant role in your efforts to get more clients .

When designing your website , consider the following:

  • Simple color scheme . Opt for a color combination that reflects your brand but isn’t overwhelming. Neutral colors can provide a professional look, while strategic use of stronger colors can highlight important features.
  • Readable typography . Choose fonts that are easy to read and look professional. Avoid overly decorative fonts that can distract site visitors from the important content.
  • Intuitive navigation . Clear menus and well-organized page layouts make it easier for visitors to explore property listings and learn about your services.

Hostinger Website Builder offers over 150 pre-made templates , five of which are suitable for real estate websites of any kind. Simply choose an ideal design and customize the content and visual elements using a drag-and-drop editor.

To boost sales, you can also create landing pages for your featured listings or specific marketing campaigns.

Highlight Property Listings With High-Quality Images and Detailed Descriptions

For new agents without a proven track record, selling properties for the first time might be easier said than done. That’s why you need to upload high-resolution images of each property you sell or lease.

This allows you to showcase the best features of your properties, giving potential buyers a clear and enticing view. Having a clear product description is also vital to boost your chances of conversions even further. Make sure to highlight these key selling points:

  • Location and neighborhood insights
  • Property size and layout
  • Unique features and amenities
  • Pricing information

With Hostinger Website Builder, you will easily upload images and place them anywhere on the site. The tool also comes with the AI Writer to help you generate captivating copy for product descriptions in a matter of seconds.

Add Contact Forms for Easy Communication

In the property business, prompt and efficient communication can be the key to closing deals.

Real estate website contact forms offer a straightforward way for potential leads to reach out to you. Furthermore, they can be an effective tool for gathering client information, something that’s beneficial for future marketing campaigns.

In order to maximize their effectiveness, contact forms should be easily accessible and prominently placed on your website. Consider adding them to:

  • The home page for general inquiries
  • Individual property listings for specific questions
  • The Contact Us page for detailed consultations

If you’re still not sure what to do, our website builder also offers AI Heatmap . This tool allows you to predict which areas of your site will best resonate with your visitors.

Integrate Social Media Links for Online Presence

Nowadays, it’s easy to assume that most of your potential clients are on social media. As such, establishing an online presence on these platforms can improve your brand recognition.

Start by creating profiles on social sites like Facebook and Instagram . Share insights about the real estate market, and display your properties with eye-catching visuals. Make sure to post content regularly to engage users and grow a considerable following.

Display social media links on your real estate website so prospects can connect with you on platforms they frequently use.

Place social media icons in a prominent location, such as your website’s header, footer, or sidebar. Remember, you can easily perform real estate website social media integration using our builder’s drag-and-drop editor.

Optimize the Website for Mobile Devices

Having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional but a must.

A mobile-optimized website ensures that your content is accessible and engaging to site visitors no matter the device, broadening your reach beyond desktop users.

Luckily, Hostinger Website Builder offers mobile-responsive templates from the go. This ensures that your real estate listings and content look great and function flawlessly, no matter which devices your potential clients use.

We’ve also recently released the mobile builder functionality , allowing you to edit and adjust your website’s design on your smartphone or tablet.

This feature should give you a better perspective on how mobile users view your website, making it easier to adjust each element accordingly.

Showcase Real Estate Website Testimonials

Trust is a crucial component for attracting and retaining clients. It especially applies to the real estate industry, where the money involved is a whole lot higher than in any other field.

By showing genuine testimonials and feedback, potential customers can gain insights into the experiences of home buyers and owners who have worked with you.

Consider placing client reviews on your home page, service pages, or a dedicated testimonials section. As visitors explore your site, they will be constantly reminded of why working with you is a great choice.

For real estate professionals, a well-crafted website is a powerful tool for displaying property listing and attracting new customers. If you don’t know where to start, these real estate website examples will help you gather some valuable ideas:

  • Key Home Real Estate is one of the best real estate websites for agents, offering tools that streamline property transactions.
  • Green Ray is an excellent reference if you’re into real estate investing.
  • Rool Real Estate opts for a simple, single-page website, something that’s perfect for brokers who value easy navigation and smooth user experience.
  • Anasuya Engel offers an excellent example for those looking to create a digital business card.
  • Gold Peach Realty sets the benchmark for promoting luxury homes in an engaging way.

When creating your site, make sure to use a reliable platform that offers responsive designs, drag-and-drop functionality, and robust AI-based tools.

Thanks to Hostinger Website Builder, you will be able to add new pages and customize your content effortlessly, giving you more room to focus on real estate website marketing strategies instead.

We hope this article has provided the necessary guidance to help you create a successful real estate website. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

Author

Brian Fajar Mauladhika

Brian is a Content Writer who knows the ins and outs of digital marketing and eCommerce. Driven by passion and a dose of caffeine, he constantly looks for better ways to tell complex stories in a simple manner. Follow him on LinkedIn .

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Exploring Revenue Streams: How Real Estate Websites Make Money

Exploring Revenue Streams: How Real Estate Websites Make Money

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  • Key Takeaways

Gartner forecasts a 30% increase in real estate website revenue by 2024, driven by innovations in digital advertising and lead generation strategies.

According to Statista, online real estate platforms are projected to generate over $6.8 billion in revenue globally by 2024, indicating a steady growth trajectory in the industry.

Moz research highlights that by 2024, SEO-driven organic traffic is expected to remain a primary revenue driver for real estate websites, contributing to over 60% of total website traffic.

Real estate websites are poised for substantial revenue growth, leveraging digital advertising, lead generation, and other innovative monetization strategies.

Diversification of revenue streams beyond traditional listings and commissions is crucial for sustainable growth in the competitive real estate market.

Real estate websites have revolutionised how people engage with the property market. Serving as virtual marketplaces, these platforms provide users with services ranging from property listings and virtual tours to mortgage calculators and investment advice—often free for users but needing revenue generation in order to remain operational.

But ‘how do real estate websites make money?’ This is a common query of real estate bloggers and those offering real estate services. If you too are looking for answers to this, continue reading this blog that sheds light on how real estate websites make money.

  • 1. Advertising and Sponsored Listings

Advertising and Sponsored Listings

 Real estate websites rely heavily on advertising as one of their main sources of income, offering agents, mortgage lenders, and related service providers various advertising opportunities on these platforms.

Banner ads, sponsored property listings, and featured agent profiles are common ways advertisers can showcase their services to property enthusiasts in targeted audiences.

  • 2. Subscription Models 

Many real estate websites now provide premium subscription models to users looking for more specialised services, including access to exclusive property listings, market insights and personalised advice from real estate experts. By offering such features at premium pricing levels, websites can generate steady recurring subscription-based revenue streams that keep coming back year after year.

Real estate websites can be an invaluable source of leads for real estate agents and brokers, collecting user data such as search preferences and contact info to provide professional leads that they sell or share, thus creating mutually beneficial relationships while creating income streams for the website.

  • 3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Real estate websites utilise affiliate marketing as another method of making money online. By partnering with mortgage lenders, moving companies, and other service providers to offer products or services through these platforms, these platforms can earn a commission for every click-through user who completes a purchase or signs up for their services.

  • 4. Premium Content and Resources

Real estate websites offering in-depth knowledge can offer premium content and resources to meet users’ demands for more comprehensive knowledge, such as property market reports, investment guides, legal resources and other forms of knowledge that users require for greater understanding.

By charging users access to such valuable information they can diversify their revenue streams while still offering quality service to users.

  • 5. Virtual Tours and Property Showcases

Real estate websites often provide virtual tours and property showcases for users to explore properties from the comfort of their own homes. In some instances, these virtual tours can even be charged back to real estate agents to create and host for added revenue to their business model.

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  • 6. Transaction Charges 

One of the primary avenues for real estate websites to generate income is through transaction charges. When a property sale or rental is successfully facilitated through their platform, these websites can impose transaction fees. 

These fees can be structured in two ways:

  • Percentage of Sale Price: Websites may take a percentage of the final sale price as their transaction fee. This approach allows the website to earn more when high-value properties change hands, directly contributing to revenue growth.
  • Fixed Sum Fees: Alternatively, real estate websites might opt for fixed sum fees for each successful transaction. This approach ensures consistent income per transaction and adds up as the platform’s user base expands.
  • 7. Data Monetisation

Real estate websites gather a wealth of data from user interactions, searches, and preferences. This aggregated and anonymized data presents a valuable asset that can be monetized in various ways, opening up a new avenue for revenue generation.

  • Market Research Partnerships: Collaborating with market research firms allows real estate websites to provide valuable data insights to researchers seeking a deep understanding of property trends, buyer behaviour, and market shifts. This not only generates income but also positions the website as a trusted source for high-quality, data-backed insights.
  • Urban Planning and Development: Urban planners and city officials can benefit from access to real estate data to make informed decisions about development projects, infrastructure enhancements, and zoning regulations. By providing anonymized data on property preferences and trends, real estate websites can contribute to smarter city planning while earning revenue.
  • Investor Insights: Investors, both individual and institutional, rely on accurate data to guide their real estate decisions. Real estate websites can offer subscription-based services that provide exclusive access to detailed reports and data visualizations, empowering investors to make strategic choices.
  • 8. Market Research and Insights

Real estate websites serve as treasure troves of user data, capturing valuable insights into user behaviour, preferences, and market trends. Leveraging this data, these platforms can offer comprehensive market research reports and insights to both real estate professionals and investors. This dual purpose not only generates income but also imparts essential knowledge that can shape strategic decisions.

  • Tailored Reports: By analysing the data accumulated from property searches, user interactions, and market activity, real estate websites can create customised reports. These reports may include trends in property demand, pricing fluctuations, and emerging investment hotspots. Real estate professionals and investors are often willing to pay for access to such data-driven insights to refine their strategies.
  • Market Predictions: Utilising advanced analytics, real estate websites can predict future market trends with a degree of accuracy. Investors seeking to make informed decisions can subscribe to receive these predictions, giving them a competitive edge in their investments.
  • 9. Location-Based Advertisements

Real estate is intrinsically location-based, so websites can leverage this by offering targeted localised advertisements to businesses located within specific regions. Such campaigns have proven particularly successful at driving revenue for the website while simultaneously offering value to local businesses.

  • 10. Collaborations With Real Estate Professionals 

Collaborations With Real Estate Professionals 

Real estate websites thrive on collaborations with industry experts, including real estate agents, property managers, and contractors. These partnerships go beyond mere associations and can take various forms that mutually boost revenue generation for both parties.

  • Featured Listings: Real estate professionals can partner with websites to showcase their properties as featured listings. These listings gain prominent visibility on the website, attracting more potential buyers or renters. The revenue generated through these collaborations benefits both the website and the professionals, fostering a symbiotic relationship.
  • Sponsored Content: Collaborations can extend to creating sponsored content that educates and engages the website’s audience. Realtors can contribute insights into market trends, property management, or home-buying tips. This content not only provides valuable information to users but also generates revenue through sponsored content arrangements.
  • Joint Marketing Initiatives: Real estate websites and professionals can pool resources to create impactful marketing campaigns. These campaigns might include virtual property tours, webinars, or community events. By reaching a broader audience collectively, both parties can witness increased leads and conversions, directly impacting their respective incomes.
  • 11. Data Monetisation: Unlocking Insights at Affordable Prices

Real estate websites amass an immense amount of user data through user interactions, search patterns, property listings and property listing searches. This data contains invaluable insights that are invaluable for urban planners, market researchers and investors. 

By identifying trends and patterns on platforms like these platforms can create comprehensive reports for interested parties at an affordable price and sell them back – not only generating revenue but also aiding informed decision-making in the real estate industry.

  • 12. Mobile Apps and In-App Purchases

Real estate websites have expanded their reach with smartphones by creating dedicated mobile apps for browsing listings, accessing tools and receiving notifications on the go. Some websites even provide additional revenue opportunities by offering in-app purchases such as enhanced search features, removal of ads or premium content access for enhanced app experiences.

  • 13. Market Research and Insights

Empowering Professionals Real estate websites are more than listing platforms; they’re information hubs too. Market research reports trend analyses and insights into property values can prove immensely useful to real estate professionals, investors, and enthusiasts. By offering such reports for a fee, websites can meet demand while adding revenue streams by catering to those looking for greater insight into their market.

  • 14. Localised Advertising

Fostering Partnerships Real estate websites attract audiences interested in properties within specific regions. This presents local businesses an invaluable opportunity to reach a targeted audience with their services – be they contractors, interior designers, moving companies or others. By offering localised ads options on websites they can strengthen partnerships with local businesses while increasing revenue for themselves.

  • 15. Collaborations With Real Estate Professionals

Real estate websites often work closely with industry professionals. For instance, agents might pay to have their listings featured prominently on a website; such relationships provide both parties with increased exposure while the website generates additional revenue. Such partnerships may even extend into joint marketing efforts and content production to further boost their platform’s value proposition.

Digital real estate has brought with it innovative methods of monetising websites while offering valuable services to users. From advertising and subscription models, lead generation, affiliate marketing and more – revenue streams in digital real estate vary as widely as the properties showcased. As technology advances further, real estate websites will no doubt adapt their strategies in order to ensure financial sustainability while creating memorable user experiences.

Get in touch with us at EMB to learn more.

  • 1. Are all real estate website services free for users? 

Many services do provide their services for free, however, certain platforms provide premium features through subscription models or one-time payments.

  • 2. How can real estate websites benefit real estate professionals?

Real estate websites serve as an important platform for professionals to showcase their listings, connect with prospective clients and obtain valuable leads.

  • 3. Should I trust the data provided on real estate websites? 

Although most real estate websites aim to offer accurate and up-to-date information, it’s always advisable to cross-reference all available sources of data before making decisions based solely on what one source says.

  • 4. What can we expect in the future of real estate websites?

Real estate websites of tomorrow will involve advanced technology integration, tailored user experiences and increased focus on data-driven insights.

  • 5. How can I maximise my experience using a real estate website?

Take advantage of all available tools and resources provided, remain informed about market trends, and consult real estate professionals when making decisions.

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freshDesignweb

33 Best Real Estate Website Templates Free & Premium

Welcome to our blog, where we have curated the ultimate collection of free and premium Real Estate Website Templates for you. If you're a real estate agent, agency, developer, or even an individual looking to showcase your properties online, our handpicked templates will help you build a stunning and functional website.

Whether you prefer a clean and minimalistic design or a bold and modern approach, our collection includes a variety of styles to suit every taste. Each template is meticulously crafted with attention to detail, ensuring a seamless user experience for both buyers and sellers.

With our free templates, you can save on design costs while still creating a professional and eye-catching website. These templates come equipped with essential features such as property listings, image galleries, contact forms, and even map integration, making it easier than ever to attract potential buyers.

EstateAgency

EstateAgency, a game-changing free real estate HTML template that is set to revolutionize the way you showcase properties online. This cutting-edge template is the perfect solution for agents, agencies, and property developers looking to make a lasting impression in the highly competitive real estate market.

With its sleek and modern design, EstateAgency grabs attention from the moment visitors land on your website. The template's intuitive layout and user-friendly navigation make it incredibly easy for potential buyers to explore the properties you have to offer. From stunning image galleries to property details and floor plans, EstateAgency ensures that every aspect of a property is beautifully showcased, leaving a favorable and lasting impression on your website visitors.

estateagency bootstrap real estate website template

Makaan, a game-changing free real estate HTML template that will redefine how you present your properties online. Whether you're a seasoned agent or just starting in the real estate industry, Makaan offers a seamless and visually stunning solution to showcase your listings in the most captivating way.

With its modern and sleek design, Makaan takes web aesthetics to a whole new level. The template exudes elegance and professionalism, instantly capturing the attention of potential buyers and leaving a lasting impression. Its clean and intuitive layout ensures that visitors can easily navigate through your listings, enabling them to explore properties with ease.

makaan real estate html template

EstateBit, a revolutionary free real estate HTML template designed to transform the way you present and market properties online. Whether you're a real estate agency, agent, or property developer, EstateBit offers a modern and captivating solution to showcase your listings with style and professionalism.

EstateBit boasts a sleek and contemporary design that instantly captivates visitors' attention. Its clean and intuitive layout ensures that your properties take center stage, allowing potential buyers to focus on the unique features and characteristics that make each listing stand out. With its visually stunning design, EstateBit creates an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on website visitors.

estatebit free real estate website template

Redat, a sleek and modern real estate HTML website template designed to elevate the online presence of real estate professionals and agencies. With its clean design and user-friendly layout, Redat offers a seamless browsing experience for potential buyers and sellers alike.

Whether you are a real estate agent looking to showcase your listings or a property management company seeking to attract new clients, Redat is the perfect solution to elevate your online presence and stand out in the competitive real estate market. Explore the possibilities with Redat and take your real estate business to the next level.

redat free real estate website template

The Property real estate HTML template is a groundbreaking website design that effortlessly merges style and functionality to create a seamless online platform catering specifically to the real estate industry. Its unique and original design exudes professionalism and elegance, making it the perfect choice for realtors, agents, property management companies or anyone in the real estate business.

The template features a clean and modern layout, with a user-friendly interface that ensures a smooth browsing experience for visitors. Its responsive design makes it adaptable to all devices, guaranteeing that potential clients can access and view properties from anywhere, using any device.

property free bootstrap website template

Dwelling, the innovative and customizable real estate HTML template that revolutionizes the way properties are showcased online. With its unique and original design, Dwelling sets a new standard for real estate websites, helping realtors and property owners effectively market their listings and attract interested buyers.

Dwelling boasts a sleek and modern interface that captivates visitors from the moment they land on the site. The template offers a seamless and intuitive browsing experience, ensuring that potential buyers can easily navigate through property listings, exploring details and visuals with ease. Its responsiveness guarantees a flawless viewing experience across all devices, allowing users to search for properties anytime, anywhere.

dwelling property real estate business template

HomeSpace, the ultimate real estate HTML website template designed to bring your property listings to life. With its unique and original design, HomeSpace combines elegance and functionality to create an unforgettable user experience for both buyers and sellers in the real estate market.

The HomeSpace template showcases a modern and visually appealing layout, guaranteeing a captivating first impression that draws visitors in. Its clean and intuitive interface ensures seamless navigation, allowing users to effortlessly browse through property listings, explore details, and indulge in high-quality visuals from any device. Whether it's a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, HomeSpace guarantees a responsive and engaging experience for all potential clients.

homespace free real estate html template

Waye is a modern and aesthetically pleasing HTML website template specifically designed for real estate agencies and property listings. With its clean and intuitive design, Waye effortlessly showcases stunning properties and helps clients find their dream homes with ease.

The template features a fully responsive layout, ensuring a seamless browsing experience across various devices and screen sizes. Its professionally designed pages are thoughtfully crafted to showcase property listings, agents' profiles, and other essential information.

waye html real estate website template

InHouse is a dynamic and visually stunning HTML template designed specifically for the real estate industry. With its sleek and modern design, InHouse provides real estate professionals with the perfect platform to showcase their properties and engage potential clients.

This template offers a range of features and functionalities that are essential for any successful real estate website. The homepage is carefully crafted to capture the attention of visitors with a captivating slideshow of property images, creating an instant wow factor. The clean and well-structured layout makes it easy for users to navigate through property listings, agent profiles, and other valuable content.

inhouse free html real estate website template

Teaser is an innovative and visually stunning HTML template designed for real estate professionals. With its modern and elegant design, Teaser provides a captivating platform to showcase properties and engage with potential clients.

One of the key features of Teaser is its advanced search functionality. The template allows users to filter property listings based on a variety of criteria, including location, property type, price range, and more. This enables potential buyers and renters to quickly and easily find the properties that best match their needs.

teaser free download house html template

Estee is a captivating and modern HTML template designed specifically for real estate agencies, property agents, and independent realtors looking to create an impressive online presence. With its sleek and elegant design, Estee offers a seamless user experience for both property seekers and agents.

Featuring a clean and professional layout, Estee allows you to showcase your property listings in a visually appealing manner. The template includes various sections to present property details, such as galleries, floor plans, pricing, and amenities. You can easily customize these sections to highlight each property's unique selling points and attract potential buyers.

estee dream house html template

Aven is a sophisticated and versatile HTML template specifically designed for real estate professionals and agencies. With its clean and modern layout, Aven delivers an impressive user experience, enhancing your online presence and increasing your property listings' visibility.

Featuring fully responsive design, Aven is optimized for all devices, ensuring your website looks exceptional on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. The template's sleek and elegant design captivates your website visitors, drawing them in and encouraging them to explore your property listings.

aven free real estate landing template

NestLand is a captivating and innovative HTML5 template designed specifically for real estate agencies, property listing websites, and real estate professionals who strive to make a lasting impression. With its unique features and modern design, NestLand sets the stage for a remarkable online presence.

From the moment visitors land on your website, NestLand captivates them with its visually stunning and visually pleasing layout. The template's elegant and clean design creates a professional and trustworthy image, establishing credibility and encouraging users to explore your property listings further.

NestLand Real Estate HTML Template

Jivux is a cutting-edge HTML5 template designed to revolutionize the way real estate websites are experienced. Tailored for real estate agencies, property listings platforms, and individual agents, Jivux combines modern design elements with powerful features to create a truly immersive online environment.

At first glance, Jivux captivates visitors with its sleek and contemporary layout, exuding professionalism and sophistication. The template's intuitive user interface ensures seamless navigation, allowing users to explore property listings effortlessly and find their dream home with ease.

Jivux Real Estate Property Listing HTML Template

Homy, a groundbreaking React HTML5 template that revolutionizes the real estate industry. Specifically crafted for real estate agencies, property brokers, and independent agents, Homy combines the power of React with modern design aesthetics to create a captivating and immersive online experience.

Homy takes your real estate website to new heights with its stunning and contemporary layout that instantly grabs the attention of visitors. The template's seamless user interface ensures effortless navigation, allowing users to explore property listings and discover their dream homes with ease.

Homy Real Estate React Next js Template

CityScape is a powerful and visually stunning HTML5 template designed to meet the needs of real estate agencies, property brokers, and individual agents. With its modern design and robust features, CityScape sets a new standard for creating impactful and engaging real estate websites.

From the moment visitors land on your CityScape-powered website, they are greeted with a captivating and professionally-crafted layout that exudes sophistication and elegance. The sleek and intuitive user interface ensures seamless navigation, allowing potential buyers to effortlessly explore property listings and find their perfect homes.

CityScape Real Estate HTML Template

Andora is a cutting-edge Bootstrap 5 template that takes real estate websites to a whole new level. Tailor-made for real estate agencies, property brokers, and independent agents, Andora combines sleek design elements with powerful functionalities, creating a sophisticated and immersive online experience.

Step into a world of elegance and refinement with Andora's sleek and modern layout. From the moment visitors land on your Andora-powered website, they are greeted with a visually stunning interface that captivates and engages. The user-friendly navigation ensures seamless browsing, allowing potential buyers to explore property listings effortlessly and find their dream homes with ease.

Andora Real Estate Bootstrap Template

FindHouse React

FindHouse React is a cutting-edge React template designed to take your real estate business to new heights. Created specifically for real estate agencies, property brokers, and individual agents, FindHouse React combines modern design elements with dynamic functionalities, creating an immersive and user-friendly online experience.

Discover the power of FindHouse React's sleek and contemporary layout. From the moment visitors land on your FindHouse React-powered website, they are greeted with a visually stunning user interface that captivates and engages. The intuitive navigation ensures seamless browsing, allowing potential buyers to explore property listings effortlessly and find their dream homes with ease.

FindHouse Real Estate React JS Template

Sheltos Angular

Sheltos Angular is an innovative Angular template designed to revolutionize your real estate business. Specifically crafted for real estate agencies, property brokers, and independent agents, Sheltos Angular combines sleek design elements with robust features, offering a dynamic and user-friendly online experience.

Step into the future of real estate web development with Sheltos Angular's polished and modern layout. From the moment visitors arrive on your Sheltos Angular-powered website, they will be captivated by its visually stunning interface. The intuitive navigation ensures seamless browsing, allowing potential buyers to explore property listings effortlessly and find their perfect homes with ease.

Sheltos Real Estate Angular Template

DreamHome is a versatile HTML5 template designed to help you build your dream real estate website. Whether you are a real estate agent, broker, or agency, DreamHome offers a comprehensive set of features and design elements to help you create a user-friendly and visually stunning online presence.

With its modern and elegant design, DreamHome delivers a user experience that captivates and engages visitors from the moment they land on your website. The responsive layout ensures that your website looks impeccable and performs flawlessly, no matter what device your visitors are using to access your site.

DreamHome Real Estate HTML Template

Homez NextJS

Homez NextJS is a game-changing NextJS template specifically designed to enhance your real estate business. Tailored for real estate agencies, brokers, and independent agents, Homez NextJS combines cutting-edge features with a sleek and modern design, providing a seamless and immersive experience for both website visitors and property buyers.

Experience the future of real estate web development with Homez NextJS's impressive and stylish layout. From the moment visitors land on your Homez NextJS-powered website, they will be captivated by its visually stunning interface and intuitive navigation. Effortlessly guide potential buyers through property listings and allow them to explore available options with ease.

Homez Real Estate NextJS Template

FindHusly, a cutting-edge and visually stunning HTML template specifically crafted for real estate agents, agencies, and property listings. With FindHusly, you can create a professional and captivating online platform to showcase your properties and attract potential buyers like never before.

FindHusly's modern design and user-friendly interface offer a seamless browsing experience for visitors. From the moment they land on your website, they'll be captivated by its elegant layout and intuitive navigation, making it effortless to explore your property listings and find their dream home.

findhusly real estate listing template

DreamsEstate

DreamsEstate, where your dream property awaits. This stylish and modern HTML template is designed to showcase the beauty and potential of every property, from cozy apartments to luxurious villas.

With its clean and elegant design, DreamsEstate offers a seamless browsing experience for potential buyers and renters. The user-friendly interface allows visitors to easily navigate through property listings, view high-quality images, and gather essential information about each listing.

dreamsestate property buying template

Homez, the perfect solution for showcasing your real estate listings in a sleek and professional way. This HTML template is designed to bring your properties to life, highlighting their unique features and stunning visuals to attract potential buyers or renters.

With its modern and intuitive design, Homez provides a seamless user experience, allowing visitors to effortlessly browse through your property listings. The template offers a range of customizable features, allowing you to personalize the look and feel to match your brand and style.

homez real estate html rtl template

Veshm, the ultimate solution for creating a visually stunning and highly functional real estate website. This HTML template is meticulously crafted to help you showcase your property listings with style and elegance, attracting potential buyers and renters from around the globe.

With its sleek and modern design, Veshm offers a seamless and intuitive browsing experience. The template is thoughtfully designed to present your properties in the best possible light, allowing users to easily navigate through listings, view captivating images, and gather essential information.

veshm real estate html template

Revest, the perfect choice for real estate professionals looking to create a captivating and visually striking online presence. This HTML template is carefully crafted to showcase your property listings in a modern and sophisticated manner, enticing potential buyers and renters to explore your offerings.

With its sleek and contemporary design, Revest effortlessly captures attention and delivers an exceptional user experience. The intuitive interface ensures effortless navigation, allowing visitors to seamlessly explore your listings, view high-resolution images, and access essential property details.

revest real estate investment react nextjs template

Reland, where exceptional design meets unparalleled functionality for real estate professionals. This HTML template is meticulously crafted to showcase your property listings with style and sophistication, captivating potential buyers and renters with its modern and elegant layout.

Reland's sleek and intuitive design ensures a seamless browsing experience, allowing visitors to effortlessly explore your listings and immerse themselves in each property's unique features. The template's user-friendly interface makes it easy to access essential details, view stunning images, and make informed decisions.

reland real estate group html template

Hously is a mesmerizing and sophisticated HTML template designed specifically for the real estate industry. Its unique and original design elements make it stand out from the crowd, providing a visually stunning and immersive user experience.

With Hously, showcasing and promoting your real estate listings becomes a breeze. The template offers a perfect blend of modern aesthetics and functionality, ensuring that your property listings look professional and eye-catching. Its sleek and clean layout emphasizes the most important features of each property, making it easy for potential buyers or renters to find what they are looking for.

hously real estate html template

Sheltos is a cutting-edge and exceptionally crafted HTML template tailor-made for the real estate industry. With its unique and original design elements, it sets a new standard for modern and visually captivating property websites.

Designed with attention to detail, Sheltos offers a seamless user experience that effortlessly guides visitors through the process of browsing and discovering their dream property. The template's sleek and stylish layout beautifully showcases property listings, emphasizing their unique features and qualities.

sheltos real estate react template

FindHouse is an innovative and dynamic HTML template specifically designed to cater to the real estate industry. With its unique and original features, it revolutionizes the way users search and discover their dream properties.

The FindHouse template boasts a clean, modern, and visually appealing design that captivates visitors from the moment they land on your website. Its intuitive layout ensures that property listings are presented in a user-friendly and engaging manner, making it effortless for potential buyers or renters to navigate through the available options.

findhouse real estate react nextjs template

Homeradar is a visually stunning and user-friendly HTML template designed specifically for real estate agencies, property listing websites, and real estate professionals. With its sleek and modern design, Homeradar enables you to create an immersive online experience for your users.

The template offers a wide range of features, making it easy for you to showcase and promote your property listings effectively. The intuitive search functionality allows users to filter property listings based on various criteria such as location, price range, and property type, ensuring they find exactly what they are looking for.

homeradar directory listing real estate template

Quarter is a highly versatile and modern HTML template specifically designed for real estate agencies, property listing websites, and independent agents. This cutting-edge template offers a wide range of features and customization options, allowing you to create a unique and immersive online experience for your users.

One of the standout features of Quarter is its sleek and elegant design that effortlessly showcases your property listings. With its clean layout and intuitive user interface, Quarter ensures that potential buyers can easily navigate through your website, browse listings, and find their dream property.

quarter real estate react template

Resido is a dynamic and contemporary HTML website template that has been expertly crafted for real estate agencies, property brokers, and independent agents. With its sleek design and robust features, Resido offers a seamless and immersive experience for both property buyers and sellers.

The template boasts a clean and modern layout that creates an instant impression of professionalism and credibility. With its user-friendly interface, Resido ensures that visitors can easily navigate through your website, effortlessly browse property listings, and effectively narrow down their search based on location, price range, property type, and more.

resido real estate html template

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19 Best Real Estate Website Design Examples 2024

  • February 15, 2024

Aigars Silkalns

  • Website Design

When you build a strong web presence for your real estate business, get more listings and buyers. Having such a wonderful goal, you will find this helpful inspiration. So, discover an ideal real estate website design for your business.

Accordingly, 93% of people search websites for homes or property. So, you see how important it is to build your real estate website for career development or business growth? Well, building a strong web presence isn’t a waste of time and resources at all. Fortunately, building a website in this modern era isn’t as hard as before. With a modern, high-quality website, you can provide more exposure to your properties, get recognition, and stand out in a highly competitive market.

business model for real estate websites

Building a real estate website?

Website is a crucial part of any business, especially in real estate. Luckily, these days it is easy to build one yourself using real estate WordPress themes .

This list will find different creative ways to build an online presence effectively. Hence, the time you spare for this inspiration will never be wasted. So, spend time browsing these websites and get inspired! Get ready to jot down the best features you will find for your upcoming project.

Best Real Estate Website Designs

1. presson (drag & drop website builder).

presson real estate website design

If you’re looking for a real estate website design for inspiration make sure you don’t miss Presson. But do you know what’s best? You can use this template to build your website fast, without knowing how to code.

Plus, you can fully customize it, add new sections, or whatever, thanks to the powerful and user-friendly Zyro builder.

You’re in complete control of your online presence with Presson, which is a must to grow it and expand your business.

anir real estate website design

Anir is cool because it offers you everything you need to build, manage and maintain a real estate website like a pro. Yes, you also get a free domain for one year, including hosting.

Anir’s design is modern and very appealing to the eye. It guarantees a pleasant experience browsing through your portfolio (it also supports videos) and any other content you’d like to share.

Anir is secretly my favorite design, which I highly recommend.

3. The Coloradan

Built with Squarespace

The Coloradan

One of the effective ways to persuade clients is to impress them with a wonderfully built website. In like manner, the real estate industry has embraced this scheme for more apparent exposure and wider reach. Here’s The Coloradan a practical real estate website design that will serve as a guide. The homepage has a simple design but contains essential elements, including clear CTAs, logo, social icons, and more. Specifically, it uses huge square photos with short details on its side. Hence, the building, residences, and neighborhood menu are easily accessible on the homepage.

Are you looking to build a similar real estate website but don’t know where to start? Here are the best Squarespace real estate website templates with clean design and drag-and-drop building functionality.

4. City Sales

Built with Concrete CMS

City Sales real estate website

Typically, most people use the internet to find brands to rely upon. Hence, every brand must build a website to develop an online reputation. Consequently, almost all industries have embraced this digital marketing scheme. You might want to check this inspiration if you plan to adopt it for your brand. City Sales has a stunning real estate website design that you should look into. It is a leading apartment specialist in Auckland. Aiming to leverage its marketing scheme, the homepage is crafted with perfection. These web components are well designed, from the advanced search, good and clear typography to CTAs. This website implements the sticky menu with a drop-down feature to display submenus to provide easy navigation.

5. Tbilisi Gardens

Custom built website

Tbilisi Gardens

Find the best and most inspiring real estate website design on this collection. Then, learn what these websites can do to your upcoming projects. Tbilisi Gardens is the first New York skyscraper in Tbilisi. Its website aesthetically and creatively showcases the detailed description of the entire project. With this project’s remarkable goal – to create a convenient, relaxed place in the heart of the crowded city – its website is truly impressive. It allows the user to examine the technical details, safety, energy efficiency, and build quality. It also has user-friendly navigation as it integrates the off-canvas menu and the sidebar menu. Moreover, other pages also look creative with a clean and minimal layout, aside from the homepage.

6. Property Club

Property Club real estate

Indeed, a good website can leverage the brand’s credibility and unlock more opportunities. Hence, this marketing strategy is a demand. Property Club has an awe-inspiring real estate website design that promises a better home search. Specifically, this firm offers total transparency and direct access to landlords, listing brokers, and property managers. This website makes finding the best apartment, house for rent, or sale quick and easy. The hero header bears the advanced search with bright and vivid colors as the background image. Typically, magazines and brands that feature your product or services will help escalate your business. Hence, this website ensures that such a feature will look aesthetically pleasing. So, don’t miss checking the features on this website.

7. Level Barvikha

Made with SiteSupra website builder

Level Barvikha real estate design

Property websites are a cost-effective way to get your property details online. Moreover, it also drives traffic while generating quality leads. If you are working with similar projects, skipping this real estate website design collection might be unlucky. So, better not miss them. Here’s Level Barvikha, a modern residential estate that offers the comfort of luxury city apartments and countryside ambiance in the Moscow region. Specifically, the hero scene introduces the business via a resourceful video background. It also utilizes a nice and smooth transition effect as user scrolls the page. This site displays a split-screen layout with the left and right portions of the screen showing up from opposite directions.

8. RJ Investments

Made with WordPress. Hosted with Flywheel managed hosting

RJ Investments website design

When you build your website for your real estate business, you can easily reveal your personality and creativity. So, glimpse these stunning websites and expand your business soon. RJ Investments is a cool real estate website design to explore. It brings luxury living to the rental market through bespoke renovations and affordable property management. It has a professional and modern design that accents the site with an asymmetrical layout. Particularly, the homepage design shines with overlapping of web elements. Furthermore, the black tone background enhances the elegance of the site.

Made with WordPress and hosted with DigitalOcean

S&P

Streamline your real estate business as you adapt to the latest and most powerful marketing schemes. Undoubtedly, the internet has influenced people a lot in picking brands. In the same way, most people look for websites in finding real estate. No wonder why the real estate industry adopt this scheme. Here’s S&P, an international real estate boutique specializing in the design, marketing and sale of super-prime real estate and properties of distinction. To represent the firm at its finest, a well-built website is crafted. Particularly, it uses black and white color scheme with uncluttered web components. The header bears the logo on the center and the menu spreading evenly on both sides.

10. Rich Land Dubai

Made with WordPress

Rich Land Dubai real estate

Make this real estate website design a good inspiration to delve into. Rich Land Dubai is one of the impressive creative, and modern real estate websites. The homepage design utilizes the full-screen layout with the necessary web elements on it and the integration of GSAP animation. It presents the real estate aesthetically through a smooth slider, CTAs, and background image. Additionally, the user can easily filter the properties via type, neighborhood, and developer. On each property page, the sophistication is apparent too. It implements a clean, minimalist design, emphasizing white space, cool animation upon hover, and another awesome slider. Moreover, the user can also check the brochure, map, and floor plans.

11. Icon Villas

Custom made website hosted with Cloudflare

Icon Villas

Easily connect with your prospective clients as you build a reputable brand using a website. This way, your real estate business awaits more awesome opportunities. Icon Villas has a grandeur real estate website design. It is a luxury private rental in Cape Town, South Africa, and Africa. The best part of having a real estate website is adding as much quality content as you wish, including photos and videos. With this website, the hero scene highlights captivating full-width-images via a nice slider. It then provides a clean and simple advanced search so clients can easily access rental properties . Furthermore, the content looks warm with its grid layout, awesome blog section, and newsletter.

12. Mirabilis

Mirabilis real estat web

Beautiful and quality properties need a good website to showcase them pleasingly. So, make sure the real estate website design will value your clients. Whether hiring a designer for your website or opt for a premium one, you surely have to see this awesome list. Mirabilis is a property management company that strives to be remarkable in everything. They mean to pick incredible local properties, spacious serviced apartments, and dedicated people in the business. Specifically, it embraces a video background with a useful menu and calendar for booking an apartment. The property page displays apartments using a grid layout to look clean and modest. Other necessary details are also visible on the page, such as bakery, flower shop , and other establishments in the area.

13. Di Jones

Made with Sitecore CMS

Di Jones

A real estate website is never wasteful advertising. With excellent design and good functionality, you will not just build a good reputation but will have more opportunities to taste. Di Jones has an experienced and trusted team of real estate agents and property managers who offer sellers and investors outstanding results and service. It has the potential to grow its business on top of other brands. It welcomes the users to discover the best properties via the search function on the hero scene. While the layout is pretty clean and minimalist, the animation upon scrolling also enhances the look and feel of the website. Furthermore, the success indicators empower the brand too. It also has a nice sleek contact form with Google Maps integration.

14. JSK Real Estate

Made with PropertyBase – CMS for Real Estate websites

JSK Real Estate

Real estate is truly a highly competitive business. So, remember that your website will represent your business excellently. To achieve your goal, you can check out these websites for inspiration. JSK Real Estate has a great website design that allows you to buy, rent or sell properties efficiently online. It has a remarkable design on the homepage with an advanced search on the hero header. Particularly, this website displays the recommended properties using a card design layout.

One of the best ways to improve credibility is to embed testimonials. This way, people will have a good impression of your brand and consider trusting it in their next transaction. Additionally, the footer bears the find the property and lost your property buttons.

15. Ripco Real Estate

Ripco Real Estate

Set your brand apart from the highly competitive market. As real estate is a lucrative industry, many real estate agencies are building great websites to represent their brands across the web. Here’s Ripco, a commercial real estate brokerage firm in NYC, NY, NJ, and CT that provides retailers and developers world-class service and consultation. Its website is tailored to creativity, elegance, and advancement. It welcomes the user with an advanced search on the hero scene and introduces the brand next to that section. Meanwhile, the featured listing is enticing, with the slider highlighting them individually. This website also provides quick searches to easily access the different listings filtered by places.

16. Akershus Eiendom

Akershus Eiendom

Extend your local reach as you opt for a good website. To develop a strong online identity, ensure you have the finest tools and inspiration to examine before finalizing your design. Why don’t you check Akershus Eiendom for outstanding real estate website design? Norway’s leading commercial real estate broker assisted clients with advice and assisted in analysis, valuation, transaction, tenant consulting, and rental. The website ensures compelling content with a full-width layout and clear and captivating typography. In addition, the presentation of vacant premises is remarkable with the charming and smooth slider. Check out other amazing features you can apply to your project.

17. Sanderson Weatherall

Sanderson Weatherall

Sanderson Weatherall is the UK’s largest independent commercial property surveyor. It is owned and run by a group of commercial property experts. It provides property consultancy services for owners, occupiers, investors, developers, and financial advisors. Knitted to its awesome goals, it has crafted a professional website with profitable features. The smooth and subtle motions of the web elements enhance its look and feel. In the hero header, the video is integrated to introduce the firm distinctly. It also uses an asymmetrical layout to make the content more interesting and lively. Furthermore, this website understands the importance of success indicators to empower the brand across the web.

18. Akoya Boca West

Made with Divi WordPress theme

Akoya Boca West

Real estate websites have transformed into modern, unique and innovative marketing. You must not miss this collection if you seek effective and creative inspiration. Akoya is a luxury condominium located on the #1 Private Residential Country Club in the Nation, Boca West Country Club. Like most modern websites, it uses a full-width layout all over the page. Specifically, it utilizes clear images, big and bold headlines, HD videos, and smooth animation with GSAP. Hence, the overall look and feel are pretty impressive. In addition, the header and footer bear the necessary elements and look superb as they use the sticky header for quick navigation.

19. Jonathan Radford

Made with Spark Platform

Jonathan Radford

Boost your real estate business as you craft a professional website. So, never miss exploring these real estate websites we’ve gathered on this post. Jonathan Radford is the #1 sales associate kit of over 4000 sales professionals at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England. Understanding the power of web presence, Jonathan Radford ensures that his website will represent his personality as a real estate agent with vast expertise and experience. The website has much to say about its credibility. The random display of videos in the hero header welcomes every visitor with excitement. It also offers an option to watch the full movie resume, search for all properties or connect with him via contact number. Other features are all charming and harmonious one to another.

business model for real estate websites

Frontend web developer and web designer specializing in WordPress theme development. After graduating with BA he self-taught front-end web development. Currently has over 10 years of experience in mainly CSS, HTML (TailwindCSS, Bootstrap), JavaScript(React, Vue, Angular), and PHP. Obsessed with application performance, user experience, and simplicity.

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Real estate web design best practices for 2024

Real estate web design best practices for 2024

As prospective buyers and tenants increasingly turn to online platforms to search for properties, the importance of effective web design can’t be overstated. For real estate professionals, staying ahead of the curve amidst shifting consumer behaviors in 2024 requires having a well-designed website. That’s why it’s not surprising that nearly 70% of brokers/broker associates have their own website, with almost 90% including their own listings on their site. 

Our guide below serves as a resource for real estate agents, brokers , and web developers looking to create engaging, user-friendly, and high-converting websites in 2024. Whether you're revamping an existing website or starting from scratch, the insights provided here will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate the digital landscape of real estate with confidence.

Importance of effective real estate website design 

A significant portion of property searches and transactions is now conducted online. And that’s why the role of effective web design in the real estate sector has never been more crucial.

As a real estate professional or someone running a real estate agency, your website often serves as the first point of contact between potential clients and your real estate business. A well-designed website can make a powerful first impression, instantly conveying professionalism, credibility, and trustworthiness. On the other hand, a poorly designed or outdated website may deter visitors and lead them to seek services from another real estate agent. 

Effective web design allows real estate agencies to adapt to changing consumer behaviors and meet the expectations of today's digital-savvy audience. Whether it's through mobile optimization, interactive features, or personalized content recommendations, a great real estate website can help you stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.

Understanding user needs and behavior

For real estate website designs to be successful, it has to go beyond aesthetics and functionality. You have to understand the needs, preferences, and behaviors of your target audience. 

Understanding your target audience allows you to personalize the browsing experience, presenting relevant listings, content, and resources that align with their needs. By leveraging data analytics, user feedback, and market research, you can segment your audience and tailor your website to cater to different demographics, such as first-time homebuyers, luxury property investors, or renters seeking urban apartments.

Real estate transactions can also be complex and stressful. By empathizing with users and identifying common pain points, you can design a stunning real estate website that alleviates friction and provides solutions. 

Top 9 real estate web design strategies to follow

Let's explore the top nine real estate web design strategies that will empower you to attract and engage in 2024.

Responsive design and mobile optimization

More and more users are browsing properties on their morning commute, conducting research during lunch breaks, or comparing listings on the couch in the evening. Users expect a seamless and intuitive experience across all devices. By prioritizing mobile optimization, real estate professionals can cater to the needs of this mobile-savvy audience and ensure that their website is accessible anytime, anywhere.

Meanwhile, a responsive design ensures that your real estate website looks and functions flawlessly across a wide range of devices and screen sizes. By eliminating the need for zooming, scrolling, or pinching to view content, real estate companies create a frictionless experience that keeps users engaged and encourages them to explore further.

Visual design and branding

Your website visitors often form their first impression of your brand upon seeing your website's visual design. It sets the tone for their entire browsing experience and can influence their perception of your professionalism. A visually appealing website with a cohesive design aesthetic conveys a sense of quality and reliability, instilling confidence in potential clients from the moment they land on your homepage.

Your real estate website should also serve as a digital extension of your brand identity. Consistent use of colors, typography, imagery, and other visual elements helps reinforce your brand's personality and values, making it more memorable and recognizable to visitors. Whether you're aiming for a modern and sleek aesthetic or a warm and inviting vibe, your visual design should align with your brand's positioning and resonate with your target audience.

User-friendly navigation and search

The navigation menu serves as the roadmap for users as they navigate your website. A clear and intuitive navigation structure makes it easy for visitors to explore different sections of your site, discover property listings, and access essential and valuable information. By organizing your menu logically and categorizing content effectively, you can streamline the user journey and minimize friction points, leading to a more satisfying browsing experience.

You have 7 seconds to deliver a positive first impression

Robust search functionality is also a must. Implementing a robust search feature with advanced filtering options allows visitors to enter keywords or criteria and instantly retrieve relevant results. Features like autocomplete suggestions, saved searches, and search history enhance usability and help users find what they're looking for more quickly.

Comprehensive property listings and details

Potential buyers and renters rely on property listings to gather essential information about available properties. So your web designer should lay out comprehensive details such as property type, price, location, size, and features in an easily accessible format. This way, you empower users to make informed decisions about whether a property meets their criteria. Including key information upfront minimizes user frustration and increases the likelihood of engagement with your listings.

Lead generation and contact forms

Contact forms serve as the primary gateway for users to initiate contact with your business. Placing contact forms strategically throughout your website, particularly on property listings and landing pages, increases their visibility and accessibility. Consequently, this makes it easy for users to reach out when they're interested in a property or have questions

Offering incentives for users to provide their contact information can be an effective lead generation tactic. This could be access to exclusive listings, personalized property alerts, or informative resources such as market reports or home buying guides. Delivering relevant and timely content that addresses users' needs and interests helps you establish trust and credibility with potential clients and keep them engaged throughout their property search journey.

Integration with real estate tools and technologies

Incorporate MLS (Multiple Listing Service) integrations, mortgage calculators, property valuation tools, and other innovative resources into your website. This lets you enhance the user experience and streamline the property search process. 

Social proof and testimonials 

Social proof serves as a powerful form of validation, reassuring potential clients that they are making the right decision by choosing your services. So showcase testimonials, reviews, and endorsements from satisfied clients. This helps you establish credibility and trustworthiness, alleviating concerns and objections that users may have. 

Meanwhile, testimonials and success stories provide tangible evidence of your expertise, experience, and professionalism in the real estate industry. By highlighting specific achievements, successful transactions, and client testimonials, you demonstrate your track record of success and showcase the value you bring to clients. Whether it's helping clients find their dream home, negotiate a favorable deal, or sell their property quickly, client testimonials illustrate the tangible benefits of working with you.

Accessibility and ADA compliance

ADA compliance is a legal requirement for websites that serve the public, including real estate websites. Failure to comply with ADA regulations can result in legal liabilities, fines, and reputational damage to your business. Ensuring that your website meets ADA standards for accessibility helps you mitigate the risk of potential lawsuits and demonstrates your commitment to equal access for all users.

Performance optimization and SEO

Slow-loading websites frustrate users and increase bounce rates, resulting in lost opportunities for engagement and conversion. That’s why it’s a must to optimize website performance through techniques such as image optimization, code minification, and caching. Implementing these techniques helps you ensure that your website loads quickly and efficiently across all devices. 

You should also optimize your website's content, structure, and metadata for relevant keywords and search queries. This increases its visibility and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). Strategic keyword research, on-page optimization, and link-building efforts help improve your website's authority and relevance in the eyes of search engines, driving more qualified traffic to your website and increasing the likelihood of attracting leads.

Essential pages and content for a real estate firm website

A comprehensive real estate website should include a range of pages and content to provide valuable information to visitors, and establish credibility. Here’s what you can expect to have on your site:

Your homepage should feature an engaging design, a brief overview of your services, and easy access to key areas of the site such as property listings, search functionality, and contact information.

The About Us page provides an opportunity to introduce your team, highlight your expertise, and share your company's mission and values. Include bios and photos of key team members, information about your company's history and achievements, and any awards or certifications.

Property listings

Listings should include high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, property features, pricing information, and contact details for inquiries. Users should be able to search and filter listings based on criteria such as location, price, size, and property type.

The Services page outlines the range of services your real estate firm offers, such as buying, selling, leasing, property management, relocation assistance, investment services, and more. Provide detailed information about each service and highlight any unique offerings or value propositions.

Neighborhood guides

Neighborhood guides help potential buyers and renters explore areas they may be interested in and make informed decisions about where to live. Include details about local amenities, schools, transportation options, parks, restaurants, and attractions. 

The Resources page can feature helpful resources such as articles, blog posts, guides, eBooks, infographics, market reports, mortgage calculators, and FAQs. Providing valuable resources positions your firm as a trusted authority in the real estate industry and helps educate and support clients throughout their journey.

Testimonials

Testimonials and client reviews provide social proof of your firm's expertise and service quality. Include testimonials from satisfied clients highlighting their experiences working with your team. 

The Contact Us page should include a contact form, phone number, email address, office location(s) with maps, and links to your social media profiles. Consider including a call-to-action encouraging visitors to schedule a consultation or request more information.

A blog allows you to regularly publish fresh content that educates, informs, and engages your audience. Write about industry trends, local market updates, buying and selling tips, home improvement ideas, and community events. 

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business model for real estate websites

A Real Estate Agency Data Model

business model for real estate websites

Database designer and developer, financial analyst.

  • database design
  • database model
  • example data model
  • example ER diagram
  • example ERD diagram

Other than location, what’s it take to run a successful real estate business? We examine a data model to help real estate agencies stay organized.

Buying, selling, and renting apartments or houses is really big business today. Most people are happy to pay a fee and let a professional real estate agency do the work for them. On the other hand, the company could act in its own behalf, buying properties to resell or rent. A real estate company may also lease a property then rent or sublease it and make a profit on the difference.

Obviously, keeping track of properties is an important part of running a real estate business. At the same time, dates are equally important. (e.g. When is a rental apartment going to become available? When is a piece of property going to go on the market?) In this article, we’ll take a look at a data model that can help real estate companies stay organized.

Real Estate FAQs

Before we start describing the model and its expected data, we’ll first answer some questions specific to a real estate business. Real estate has many terms and a full explanation of its jargon and principles go well beyond the scope of this article, so we’ll answer only the most common and basic questions here.

What can be considered an estate or a property?

When we think of real estate, the first image we get is often of a house or some other dwelling. Real estate is much more than that. Buildings, offices, land, mineral resources and corps also fall in this category. For the purpose of this article, I’ll treat everything that is “unmovable” as real estate. Having said that, we’ll focus mainly on apartment buildings and houses.

Where is the estate or property located?

For houses, buildings, and apartments this is very simple. We’ll know the exact address where the property is located. Land doesn’t have an address, but its position is defined by a land registry.

What data do we need to store?

In our model, we need to store all the estates (i.e. real properties) and clients we work with. We need this information to create reports and also to improve our business.

We can expect that we’ll communicate frequently with clients, so we must store all their contact details. We will also want to know which employee contacted the client and what interest the client expressed during the conversation.

For properties, we need their details and current status at our fingertips so we can answer potential customers’ inquiries quickly.

We’ll also store our contact history and any contracts related to either clients or properties.

How important are dates?

Dates are always crucial, but I want to emphasize that they are especially important in real estate. We need to know the exact amount of time one of our rental properties is occupied so we can rent it again as soon as it becomes available. There cannot be any overlapping when two clients rent the same property. If a potential client expresses a desire to rent at some specific future date, we should store that information and get a reminder when that date is approaching.

What should our application look like?

For this purpose, a web application is the best solution. Much of real estate work is office-based, but sales agents should be able to insert new data wherever they are. The most important functionality in our app is a fast search that can find clients, properties, and property statuses.

The Data Model

Our real estate data model consists of three main subject areas:

  • Estates and locations
  • Clients and contacts
  • Contracts and transactions

There is one table, employee , that is outside of any subject area.

Please note that the employee and the estate tables in the Clients and contacts subject area and the client table in the Contracts and transactions subject area are just copies used to simplify the model.

We’ll take a look at the employee table first, continue with Estates and locations , move to Clients and contacts , and then finish up with Contracts and transactions .

The Employee Table

employee-table

We’ll start with the employee table. It’s simple: it stores only the first_name and last_name of each employee. We could add other details like the employee’s tax ID number, their birth date, address, job role, etc. However, in this model we won’t be focusing on the employees, so all that we need is a way to associate employees with actions (like being assigned to a task or contract). This table will also let us record which employee participated in each client contact.

Section 1: Estates and Locations

Estates and Locations Section

The Estates and location subject area contains six tables that describe all estates (properties) we work with, their locations, and their current status.

The central table in this subject area is the estate table. It contains a list of all the estates we are, were, or will be working with. This includes estates for which we mediate between two clients, those that we own, any we’ve sold or rented to clients, and any we’ve leased or bought from clients. It also keeps a record of estates that we plan (or had planned) to do business with.

Since we’re focusing mainly on apartments and houses in this article, the attributes in this table are mostly related to them. If we would like to describe other types of real property, we could add additional nullable descriptive attributes. We could also simply enter those values in the estate_description attribute. The attributes in the estate table are:

  • estate_name – The estate’s name. This could be our internal name for a property (“Stoker house”) or a well-known public name (“Bran Castle”).
  • city_id – The ID of the city where the estate is located.
  • estate_type_id – References the estate_type dictionary.
  • floor_space and balconies_space – The size (in square meters) of apartment floors and balconies.
  • number_of_balconies , number_of_bedrooms , number_of_garages and number_of_parking_spaces – Integer values for each category. Self-explanatory.
  • pets_allowed – A Boolean value denoting if pets are allowed. This is mostly used for rental properties.
  • estate_description – A detailed description of an estate. This is where we store any additional information, e.g. property history.
  • estate_status_id – If an estate is currently available or not. We will use this field in our search function.

We’ve already mentioned two dictionaries that the estate table refers to, estate_type and estate_status . Both these dictionaries contain only an ID and a UNIQUE name attribute.

In the estate_type dictionary, we’ll store values like “apartment”, “house”, “field”, etc. The estate_status table will have values stating if the property is currently available or not, such as “estate leased”, “estate bought”, “estate sold”, “estate rented”.

We will define each estate’s location, not only by description (the estate . estate_description attribute), but also by its country and city. For this purpose, we’ll use two dictionary tables: country and city . Each country is uniquely defined by a country_name , which will be the only attribute (other than ID) stored in the table. On the other hand, each city has a name and a country. Some cities could have the same name, but we’ll assume that each city’s name is unique to its country – only one Vienna, Austria or Geneva, Switzerland. However, if we want to protect against duplicates, we could add a region attribute. For now, though, we will leave everything as-is. The city_name – country_id pair is the UNIQUE key of the city table.

The last table in this subject area is the in_charge table. We can expect that each estate will have at least one employee assigned to handle matters relating to it. This employee is responsible for things like communicating with clients, showing the estate to potential clients, and other administrative and legal tasks. In the in_charge table, we’ll have:

  • estate_id and employee_id – Foreign keys that refer to the related estate and client, respectively.
  • date_from and date_to – The interval when the employee was assigned to that estate. Notice that “date_to” can be NULL because an employee could take care of an estate indefinitely. When we assign an employee to an estate, we should make sure they are not already assigned to another estate by checking for overlapping date intervals. On the other hand, we can assign many employees to the same estate at the same time. This would be desirable when employees have different roles, e.g. one employee takes care of client communication, another employee shows that estate, another handles sales and legal contracts, etc.

Section 2: Clients and Contacts

Section 2: Clients and Contacts

The Client and contacts subject area consists of only two tables, the client table and the contact table. The two other tables shown in this area, employee:Clients and contacts and estate:Clients and contacts are just copies.

The client table contains records of all the clients we have ever worked with, including current and potential clients. Who is a potential client? It could be somebody who has said they want to sell, buy, or rent some property from us in the future. We need to store such clients’ contact details and properties for future use. The attributes in the client table are:

  • client_name – For an individual, this field holds their first and last name. If the client is a legal entity, it holds the company or entity name.
  • client_address – A text description of the client’s location.
  • contact_person – First and last name (and probably a job title if the client is a business) of our contact person.
  • phone , mobile and mail – The client’s contact details.
  • client_details – All other details related to that client. These are stored in an unstructured text format.

The last five attributes in this table are nullable because they are not crucial. We’ll probably need to store information for at least one contact person, but we may not know in advance who our contact will be.

The second and last table in this subject area is the contact table. Here we’ll store data about every interaction we’ve had with clients. We’ll use this information to optimize our future business – for example, if a client asked to rent a certain estate from us when it becomes available, we should store that request and inform them when the estate is ready. The attributes in the table are:

  • client_id – The ID of the client involved.
  • employee_id – The ID of the employee involved in that contact instance. This can be NULL because a client may not contact any individual employee – e.g. maybe the client sent an email to the company account. Still, in most cases we can expect that we’ll know which employee handled an interaction.
  • estate_id – The ID of the related estate. This is useful when the client asks for a certain property or if the client wants to sell or lease something we already have in our system.
  • contact_time – The time when the contact took place.
  • contact_details – Any unstructured notes we want to save about that contact. We might write something like “Client expressed desire to buy a house in neighborhood.”

Section 3: Contracts and Transactions

Contracts and Transactions Section

The last subject area in our model is Contracts and transactions . We’ll use it to relate estates with clients.

The central table of this section is the contract table. It is where we’ll store all contract details and relate contracts with clients and employees. The attributes in this table are:

  • client_id – The ID of the client who signed the related contract.
  • employee_id – The ID of the employee who signed the contract on behalf of our company.
  • contract_type_id – References the contract_type dictionary and denotes if the contract relates to buying, selling, leasing, or renting property.
  • contract_details – A detailed description of the contact, stored in text format.
  • payment_frequency_id – References the payment_frequency dictionary and defines the intervals when invoices should be sent.
  • number_of_invoices – The number of invoices that should be generated. If the company pays only once, a value of “1” is stored in this attribute and the entire payment_amount will be equal to the invoice_amount .
  • payment_amount – The total amount paid.
  • fee_percentage – The percentage we charge the client. For example, we might charge 5% of a house’s sale price as a fee. The value in this column should be the same as the contract_type . fee_percentage attribute for this contract. The fee_percentage attribute will be used to calculate the fee_amount when we enter a value in the payment_amount attribute.
  • fee_amount – The total fee amount we’ll charge the client for this contract.
  • date_signed – The date when the contract was signed.
  • start_date – The date when the contract becomes valid (e.g. for a rental or lease contract).
  • end_date – The date when the contract expires. It can be NULL in case we sign a contract that has no end date. However, in most cases we’ll know the end_date in advance.
  • transaction_id –References the transaction table if the contract is a part of a transaction between two clients. It can contain NULL values because there won’t be a related transaction record if the contract is directly between us and a client.

The under_contract table relates contracts and estates. Beside the primary key attribute id , it contains only two foreign keys, estate_id and contract_id . This foreign key pair also forms the UNIQUE key of the table.

We’ll store records of every invoice we’ve generated in the invoice table. If the client makes a single payment for the whole contract, there will be only one record in this table for that contract. The same applies if we make a single payment to a client. If the client (or our company) chooses to pay in installments, there the same number of records as the value in the contract . number_of_invoices field. The attributes in this table are:

  • contract_id – The ID of the related contract.
  • invoice_number – A unique internal identifier for the invoice.
  • issued_by – A text description of the invoice issuer. When we issue an invoice, we’ll store our company details here. If the client issues it, then their details will be stored here.
  • issued_to – The opposite of issued_by . If we charge the client, then this attribute will contain their details; if the client charges us, then our details are stored here.
  • invoice_details – All invoice item details.
  • invoice_amount – The amount due on this invoice.
  • date_created – The actual date when the invoice was created in our system.
  • billing_date – The date when the invoice should be paid.
  • date_paid – The actual date when the invoice was paid. It can be NULL until the invoice is paid.

We’ll use two more dictionaries to describe contracts, contract_type and payment_frequency . The contract_type_name field is used to denote the action we’re performing in the contract: “mediation (buying)”, “mediation (selling)”, “mediation (renting)”, “mediation (leasing)”, “buying (from a customer)”, “selling (to a customer)”, ”leasing (from a customer)” and “renting (to a customer)”. The payment_frequency_name attribute simply describes how often invoices will be generated, either by us or the client. It can store values like ”once”, “once per month”, “once every 2 months” and “once per year”.

If our company buys or leases some property, we’ll pay the client. This means we’ll be the one in the invoice . issued_to field and we’ll have to pay invoices. If we sell or rent an estate, the client will pay us and we’ll be the one in the invoice . issued_by field.

If we mediate a deal between two clients, we will charge a fee for our services. In this case, we’ll sign two separate contracts, one with the selling/renting client and another with the buyer/renter client. We’ll relate these two contracts together by assigning the same transaction_id to both. The transaction table is used to store records of deals we’ve mediated. The attributes in this table are:

  • transaction_id – A unique ID for each transaction.
  • transaction_type_id – References the transaction_type dictionary.
  • client_offered – References the client table and denotes who is selling or renting an estate.
  • client_requested – References the client table and denotes who is buying or leasing an estate.
  • transaction_date – The date when the transaction will actually happen.
  • transaction_details – All details related to that transaction, stored in an unstructured text format.

The final table in our model is the transaction_type dictionary. Values stored in this table are assigned to each transaction according to what it is: “buying/selling” or “renting/leasing”.

Running a real estate company is very complicated, demanding, and even risky. In order to keep everything working smoothly, a great deal of organization is needed. I hope that this data model helped you realize the complexity of this field.

As always, there are many ways to improve this model. Feel free to share your suggestions and comments.

You may also like

A transport hub database model, a database model for gallery or museum management, a process management data model.

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Real estate commissions, brokerage models, and the consumer

Exploring the differences and consumer impacts of traditional-split and fee-based real estate brokerage models

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Daily, my inbox contains another article regurgitating the same tired rhetoric about the real estate lawsuits and the (proposed) settlements. Invariably, these same articles classify all real estate brokerages and models as identical. That’s just false. Despite the news report claims, there has never been a “standard” model nor a “standard” commission in this industry. Perhaps there are internal policies within some of the companies that are standardized, but the categorization of all brokerages as identical showcases the ignorance of the author. 

As we now know, the claim of there being a “standard commission rate” was arrived at by researching the advertisements of homes for sale in various MLSs, determining the amount of compensation offered to buyer agents , then doubling it. Yeah, that’s scientific.

As I discussed in detail in an article published in April , this method of analysis is deeply flawed. It does not reveal the actual commission paid by the seller at the closing table. Varying in each transaction, the only place where all final agreement terms are reflected is on the Settlement Statement, which is not public information.

A decade of new brokerage business models result in a hyper competitive market place 

What has also been missed by many counterfeit critics is the extreme difference in business models that now exist within the industry. Generally divided into the broad categories of traditional-split models versus the newer flat-fee models , with structures as far apart as the east is from the west.

Traditional-split model brokerage firms such as Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Compass, Keller Williams, Anywhere, eXp Realty, REAL , or any brokerage taking a percentage of the agent’s commission falls into this category. The brokerage share, or percentage split commonly ranges from 70/30 to 90/10, with the agent receiving the larger portion and the brokerage receiving the smaller. 

An example of this structure: On a $400,000 property, suppose the agent charged 2.5% (a more realistic average than the oft claimed 3%), the total commission check would be $10,000. On an 80/20 split the agent would receive $8000 (80%), and the brokerage would take $2000 (20%). 

Suppose that agent reduced the commission to 2%. Instead of $10,000, the gross commission is now $8000. Based on the same 80/20 split, the brokerage share is reduced by $400 to just $1600. That’s a 20% reduction in revenue for the brokerage. Ouch! Faced with a potential 20% reduction in revenue, the traditional-split model brokerage is clearly incentivized to pressure every agent into defending commission rates, keeping them as high and as consistent as possible.  

Under the traditional-split model brokerage, it is rare that an agent could reduce their commission on their own volition. Broker permission would typically only be forthcoming in cases of extreme risk of loss of the transaction. In other words, under the traditional-split model, the brokerage has every possible incentive to maintain higher commission rates.

Fee-based models are nearly the opposite of what is described above. Companies like United Real Estate, Benchmark Realty, HomeSmart, Fathom, and others operate under a fee-based model, only charging a flat and fixed amount (a fee) per transaction, regardless of what amount of commission the agent charges the client.  Unsurprisingly, these companies have been at the top of market share growth of all brokerages in the US over the past five years.

Whether the agent charges 0% or 20% commission is irrelevant to the brokerage because the fee is per transaction . With that fee usually not scaling relative to anything other than perhaps a slightly higher amount for large transactions carrying more risk and consuming more resources. The agent is completely autonomous to charge whatever commission they need and can negotiate since the brokerage revenue per every transaction is the same regardless of the commission charged. In fact, should the agent choose to charge $0 commission, the transaction fee is still due, with the agent required to write a check to the brokerage for that fee. 

Under the fee-based model revenue is completely decoupled from the commission amount. 

Important revenue comparison

Because of this decoupled nature, the revenue for the fee-based brokerage is much lower than for the traditional-split brokerage . By comparison, one might call it minuscule. 

Some specific math based on $2 Billion in residential real estate sales with an average unit price of $400,000, equaling 5000 transactions. “Company Dollar” is defined as the annual net revenue from the gross commissions paid to the brokerage.

Traditional-split model brokerage: An average 2.5% commission rate across all transactions would equal a gross commission income for the firm of $50 million before splits. Assuming the average agent split is 85/15 (high, in favor of the agent) the company dollar would be $7,500,000 .

Fee-based model brokerage: Only the transaction count matters here in calculating the brokerage company dollar. Assuming an average transaction fee of $499 (which happens to be United’s transaction fee), the gross company dollar would be $2,495,000 .

Based on an identical sales volume, the revenue for the fee-based model is 67% LOWER than the traditional-split brokerage . Clearly then, to say that “all brokerage models are the same” is nonsensical. 

The fee-based model’s only lever for increasing revenue is to increase the number of productive agents, and then to work hard to support those agents with services and products which improve their efficiencies, NOT in controlling what those agents charge the client in commission.

The critical element to grasp then is that every agent operating under a fee-based model has complete autonomy to charge or not charge, to add services are lessen services, and to create their product offerings to the consumer with total freedom. A-la-carte offerings are common under this model. These are the reasons the model is sometimes called the “Freedom Model” and why United owns the service mark of “Find your Freedom” in real estate. 

Because the fee-based model encourages development of consumer centric product offerings, combined with the inherent negotiability of an unfettered relationship between agent and client, it would be difficult to name a more consumer friendly offering than the fee-based model . 

The fee-based model is the only model that allows the consumer to choose exactly how much, when, and what level of service that individual consumer desires/needs, and then pay a corresponding fee for the delivery of that service. All of it negotiated directly and transparently between the agent and the client with zero interference from the brokerage. 

In the end, the fee-based model is the finest example of genuine free enterprise existent in any industry that I know, bearing precious little resemblance to the traditional-split model. 

These new models are empowering their agents to pass along our efficiency to their clients and customers.  Evidence of a hyper-competitive, dynamic market that consumers have and are benefiting from every single day.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.

To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected]

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What are the best real estate websites?

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House-hunting has changed a lot over the last few decades. Not so very long ago, you would need to go to local real estate brokerages and drive neighborhoods to find available properties. Now, almost every listing is available online — and home sellers and real estate agents know it.

As Kimberly Allard, a Braintree, Mass.-based broker and Realtor at Century 21 Professionals, puts it: “Everybody starts their searches for real estate online.” Even once you hire a real estate agent, you’ll probably keep your eyes peeled. “In our modern world, the vast majority of buyers do their own online research,” Robby Hill, a Realtor at LIV Sotheby’s International Realty in Ojai, Calif., says.

In general, most of the big real estate websites pull from multiple listing services (MLS) and aggregate the results in their own platform. Usually, they make their money by collecting data and contact info from home-hunters .

While these websites might function similarly, there are some key differences between them. Let’s get into what makes a good real estate site, along with some of our top picks.

What makes a good real estate website?

Most real estate listings websites gather up listings from various agents and compile them all into what is essentially a search engine. “The formats are slightly different and people tend to find their preference,” Hill explains. “The ultimate function is the same. They all pull directly from the MLS so they have every listing uploaded within seconds of being entered.”

Since they’re all functioning fairly similarly, finding the best real estate websites comes down to your preferences. Do you want to be able to search by neighborhood? Do you like to see the listings displayed on a map or as a list? When you click into the listing, does it have the key details displayed in a way that’s easy for you to read? To a large extent, finding the best real estate websites means clicking around on the top options to find which one you personally like best.

You don’t have to go in totally blind here, though. Allard advises, “Because all real estate is local, you should ask the real estate agent that you’re working with where you would find the most accurate data — on which website?”

Beyond your real estate agent ’s recommendation and your personal preferences, there’s another factor you should take into consideration: the site’s business model. Most of these sites make money by featuring a contact form on each listing. If you like the listing, you can fill it out — and theoretically get contacted by the listing agent . Actually, though, “the search engines will show featured Realtors that pay for exposure,” Hill says. In other words, “Realtors can pay to be featured and their name and contact will show up on the user’s browser.”

Be warned: “The website wants to register you,” Allard explains. “Once they have your name and contact information, they then want to sell you services, like inspection or lending services. And they want to sell your name back to an agent who may not even work in that area.”

To guard against this, look for real estate websites that will give you the info you want without requiring you to share any of your personal details in exchange.

6 of the best real estate websites

Knowing that, we teed up several real estate websites that will give you info without requiring you to share your personal info. Here are the six of the best real estate websites to get you started, whether you’re buying or selling — plus an honorable mention that might be worth a perusal.

Zillow has more than 130 million properties in its database and gets northward of 230 million unique users each month. It’s one of the biggest players in the game and for good reason: you can find a lot of info on there and it’s completely optional to give up any of your personal details.

Zillow also provides its Zestimate, their estimate of the home’s value . This leverages their extensive data sources so it can give you a good feel for whether or not the list price matches what the home is actually worth.

Zillow can be a useful tool for buyers, sellers and renters. Just be advised that if you like a listing you find on their site, filling out the attached contact form doesn’t necessarily put you in touch with the listing agent. Your info might (read: likely will) get sold to the highest-bidding real estate agent.

In short, this can be a great place to start, but if you find a property you like on Zillow, ask your real estate agent about it rather than risk getting bombarded with solicitations.

Zillow bought Trulia back in 2015, so they share most of the info on their websites. You might even notice that when you search an area on both, the resulting map looks virtually identical (except Zillow uses red pins and Trulia uses blue ones). Really, the main difference comes down to how the listing’s details are displayed. Some find Trulia, whose features include drone film footage, quotes from people who live in the area, school ratings and walkability scores, to be more complete and user-friendly. Check both and see which you prefer.

Redin is a brokerage, which means it has its own real estate agents. Even if you don’t want to use a Redfin agent, though, it can still be a useful tool to search for listings — so useful, in fact, that roughly 53 million people consult it each month. Plus, there’s no fee to use this site to search listings.

Redfin is a discount brokerage , which means if you do end up using a Redfin agent to sell your home, you might be able to score a reduced commission. As the buyer, you may get a refund to apply toward your closing costs. That said, you should still thoroughly vet your options for real estate agents. Don’t choose a Redfin agent just because you want to save — a bad agent could lose you a hefty sum of money during negotiations.

4. Realtor.com

Realtor.com isn’t actually owned by the National Association of Realtors® but they do have something of a connection . As a result, this is Allard’s top pick when it comes to real estate websites. “They have relationships with local MLSes,” she explains, “and they can tell you whether or not the person is a Realtor or not.” ( Here’s a refresher on the difference between a Realtor and a real estate agent.)

Like many other real estate websites, Realtor.com wants to match you with an agent (and make some money in doing so). Unlike a lot of other sites, they’re willing to cut you in on the deal. They currently offer cash rewards to buyers who choose the agent they recommend. Remember, though, that this is their business model, not necessarily something in your best interest. Choose the agent who will best represent you when you’re making the huge decision to buy or sell or buy a house.

Like Redfin, Realtor.com can still be handy even if you don’t use the agent they recommend. As a search tool, they rank high thanks to plenty of listings and a solid user interface.

5. Homes.com

You’ve probably seen the Jeff Goldblum (or should we say “Brad Bellflower”) ads for Apartments.com. Homes.com is owned by the same company, the CoStar Group, and delivers listings for home purchases just like Apartments.com tees up rental options .

This website makes the map, satellite and street view of a potential property just a click away and includes local transit and parks and recreation options. Ultimately, it can be a solid way to get a feel for not just the listing itself but also what’s going on around it.

6. HomeFinder

With millions of listings across all 50 states, HomeFinder might be less known than other real estate websites, but it’s still a solid option. Their user interface isn’t as clean as other sites but it’s worth a scan. It also includes a rent-to-own side, a rarity on the market today.

Honorable mention: FSBO.com

Maybe you’re in the market for a house or you want to sell but you don’t want to deal with a real estate agent. To buy a home directly from the current owner or to sell your house yourself, check out FSBO.com. As the name suggests, this site specifically compiles for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) listings.

Best real estate websites for foreclosed properties

If you’re looking to get the most affordable home possible, you might specifically want to shop foreclosures . Here, we recommend MLS.com.

Like Realtor.com, this website’s name may be a slight misnomer. There is no one MLS. As Allard explains, “We say the MLS, but there are thousands of them across the country.”

In short, don’t let the branding of this site fool you: It’s not the go-to MLS solution. But it is a tool you can use that can be particularly helpful for properties that are in foreclosure. The site itself is pretty clunky, but once you navigate through the menus to get to your area, you’ll be able to see local foreclosures.

Beyond that, you might also want to check for foreclosures on:

  • Auction.com
  • Foreclosure.com
  • Hudhomestore.gov

Bottom line on the best real estate websites

You’ve got options. Most of the real estate websites out there today function more or less the same, so it’s all about finding the one that you like the look and feel of.

Once you do, think carefully before you fill out any contact form. If you do, the odds are high your info will get sold to the highest bidder, and you’ll be deluged with email or text solicitations. Instead, you’re probably better off finding your own real estate agent first. That way, when you find listings you like, you can show the agent and have them handle reaching out.

business model for real estate websites

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More From Forbes

Three creative strategies for building a real estate portfolio.

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Edward Fernandez founded 1031 Crowdfunding in 2014 and has more than 20 years of experience in sales, real estate and investments.

As market dynamics evolve, I see investors seeking strategies to align portfolios with their individual needs and objectives. While the real estate sector has experienced volatility over the past few years, I find that there are still many opportunities to diversify investments from the standard equities and bond mix.

But to do so, it’s important to understand your end goals as well as the different types of investments or vehicles that can optimize your assets. Beyond traditional methods, here are three creative strategies to fortify and expand your portfolios and accumulate wealth.

1. 1031 Exchanges

As someone who leads a real estate investment platform for various alternative investment vehicles, I've seen how leveraging Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) for 1031 exchanges has transformed real estate investments by allowing investors to defer capital gains taxes. DSTs offer fractional ownership in high-quality real estate through a trust, providing access to diversified portfolios without the complexities of property management.

Typically held for five to seven years, DST investments can offer monthly cash flow distributions and a share of sales proceeds, including potential gains from appreciation. Notably, DSTs can serve as replacement properties in 1031 exchanges, enabling tax deferral while offering passive ownership, diversification and professional management.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

It's important to note, though, that while DSTs offer compelling advantages, they are generally illiquid and restricted to accredited investors. Risks include sponsor creditworthiness and operator competency. As a DST beneficiary, the investor has no decision-making power in the asset. Therefore, performing your due diligence on the sponsor and operator, interest rate, liquidity risks and management fees is crucial before making any financial decisions.

A lot of investors tend to think that purchasing stock is easier than outright investing in real estate. But luckily, there are investment vehicles today that make it easier to invest in real estate without the burden of property management. When it comes to hedging against the volatility of the stock market, real estate investment trusts (REITs) can be a powerful addition to your portfolio.

If you are worried about the market’s unpredictability, REITs can offer diversification and passive income opportunities. Specifically, non-traded or private REITs are not correlated with equity market fluctuations, which can provide an investment more rooted in real estate value. This is not to be confused with publicly traded REITs, which can be viewed more like equities since their share price can fluctuate with market movements.

A REIT is a company that operates, owns, and finances income-producing real estate. Investors pool funds to purchase assets held in a portfolio and own shares in the REIT, not the properties. The REIT manages the properties, collects rent, and distributes income dividends to shareholders, providing access to institutional quality real estate without direct ownership or management responsibilities.

There are many types of REITs available including retail, residential, office and even healthcare REITs. Senior housing can be an attractive sector within healthcare for investors because of the increasing demand for such facilities. As one of the largest sectors in healthcare, senior housing has become a thriving sector with many investment opportunities. We have all heard the numbers: starting in 2025, 10,000 people per day will turn 80. As the nation’s senior population grows, so does the demand for housing and services that are able to accommodate their evolving needs.

Evaluating a non-traded REIT investment requires careful consideration of its risks and benefits. Consider the dividend profile as well as metrics such as PE ratio, earnings per share, external growth prospects, and maintaining occupancy rates, to name a few. Private-placement REITs are typically available only to accredited investors and are not highly liquid.

Non-traded REITs often start as blind pools, lacking transparency about specific properties, which can pose risks. However, advisors can adjust the portfolio by adding or removing properties to maximize value. I find that REITs can offer a balance between active and passive income, enhancing portfolio stability and long-term growth.

3. 721 Exchanges

One of the biggest mistakes I see investors make is poor estate planning. You might think that the best thing to do before you die is to put your child’s name on the title of the deed to your home. This can have huge tax consequences for your heirs. Transferring property to your child may subject your heirs to capital gains tax upon its eventual sale.

Utilizing tax-advantaged investment vehicles can elevate your real estate portfolio in the present while keeping estate planning in mind for the future. For example, a 721 exchange allows you to contribute property to an umbrella partnership real estate investment trust (UPREIT) in exchange for equity units, deferring capital gains taxes and receiving dividends.

Upon the investor’s death, units can be converted to REIT shares and divided among heirs. These shares are typically easier to liquidate than physical properties. Heirs receive a step-up in basis, meaning taxes are based on the market value at the date of death. Depending on redemption policies, heirs can hold the shares for dividends or liquidate them for cash.

While 721 exchanges offer benefits, they are not suitable for everyone. These are passive investments, so investors have no decision-making power or direct involvement in property management. Investors also can't control when the REIT sells the property, which could trigger unexpected taxes. Consulting with a tax professional or advisor is essential to determine if this strategy fits your financial situation.

Adapting portfolio strategies to market changes is crucial for real estate success. As a part of this, innovative approaches can unlock new wealth opportunities, each offering unique benefits for specific financial goals. Consider your objectives and risk tolerance before starting a new strategy. Ultimately, I am a firm believer that diversifying your portfolio, especially with real estate, can help achieve long-term investment goals.

The information provided here is not investment, tax, or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation.

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Edward Fernandez

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