People buying or selling a home have a big task ahead of them. The first important decision they have to make is who will guide them. A well-designed real estate website can help clients in choosing one agency over another, and gain their important business.
A website builds trust in your brand
Imagine walking into a real estate office with ugly carpeting, janky furniture, and a color scheme straight out of the 1970s. Would you trust them to help you find your dream home? Probably not.
A real estate website, like a physical office, needs to be clean and modern. It should communicate the professionalism of an agency as well as the people who work there. The best real estate websites contain a wealth of property listings and high-quality photos — as well as instill trust that their agents will be able to guide someone through the often complicated process of home buying or selling.
A real estate agency needs to be there every step of the way, from having local agents show people properties to handing off the keys. The agency needs to facilitate every part of helping someone in their search for a new home.
A real estate website can be an important factor in homeowners choosing an agency. Here are a few best practices to follow when setting up a real estate website.
Include testimonials and team member biographies
A real estate agent needs to know the intricacies of MLS listings, mortgage rates, and floor plans, as well as listen and be aware of what a homebuyer is looking for. Real estate brokerage is more than a financial transaction — it’s an investment in someone’s hopes and dreams for the future. Real estate professionals require both expertise and empathy to help people in their home search.
Like any business website, a real estate company needs to humanize their staff members. Testimonials from actual customers provide proof of how agents have helped people become homeowners. Team member biographies let potential customers know a bit about the people who work there and show who they are professionally. Testimonials and real estate biographies give depth and reassure people that they’re dealing with a reputable company.
Show your certifications
Another way to gain confidence from potential homebuyers is to include professional certifications. If your team members hold certified titles like Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, Certified Residential Specialist, or other specialized designations, make sure that information is on your website. Also, if an agency is a member of any groups like the National Association of REALTORS®, make sure to mention it somewhere in the copy.
Have a responsive design
Real estate sites need to provide a similar experience no matter what device they’re being used on. The layout, text, and images should scale up and down to accommodate whatever screen they’re being displayed on.
If you use Webflow for your real estate website, whether it’s being looked at on a desktop or as a mobile app, the site will look and feel the same, creating a cohesive experience with your brand.
Integrate MLS and IDX
If you’re based in the United States, you’ll want to integrate multiple listing service (MLS) into your website using IDX integration. This takes a little bit of custom code but is easy to accomplish.
If you’re using Webflow, you can perform this integration through tools like iHomefinder, which allows you to connect your site via an iframe through Webflow’s API.
7 examples of real estate websites
Here are seven real estate website examples:
1. Ledge & Young
Photography is essential for an effective real estate web design. Ledge & Young top their website with a stunning carousel of visuals. Each image is crisp and vibrant with color. From one real estate listing to the next we see the quality of properties that they deal in.
Just below the fold are two prominent calls to action, one for those looking to buy and another for people looking to sell. Through these direct calls to action, Ledge & Young quickly identifies who is visiting their website and sets visitors on the right course depending on if they’re a homebuyer or a homeseller.
The block of content that shows up next features their three managing partners. Clicking on their profiles brings up a short bio about each real estate professional. The emphasis here is on giving a bit of background information about these agents, as well as communicating the customer-centered approach that their company takes. Reading these biographies lets potential clients know that they’re in good hands if they enlist Ledge & Young to help them out.
From the modern look of their logo to the clean lines and well-organized layout, Ledge & Young builds trust the moment you land on their website.
2. Amrock
Though not a real estate agency, Amrock provides services and technology to facilitate property valuations, help with settlements, find title insurance, and assist with other facets of real estate.
This design has the feel of a tech startup, which works so well as technology powers much of what Amrock does. With plenty of white space, grays, and purple text, it has a modern aesthetic. Visitors get the sense that Amrock’s solutions are forward-thinking.
Amrock’s audience includes a wide range of roles, such as lenders and brokers, commercial real estate investors, real estate professionals, buyers, sellers, financers, appraisers, and signing agents. The top navigation has links to the services Amrock provides for each of these specialized audiences. The web design makes it easy for each person to find the information they’re looking for.
3. Casas Rurales de Navarra
Casas Rurales de Navarra is similar to Airbnb but has a specific focus on rental properties in the vicinity of the Spanish town of Navarra.
Just like Airbnb, the website starts with an input form to narrow down what potential renters are looking for. From this search bar, one is brought to a page displaying lodgings that fit their criteria and given another opportunity to filter the search results based on the kind of property, outside amenities like a swimming pool or a barbecue grill, and services like Wi-Fi. This search flow from the broad to more specific helps customers find the vacation property that will fulfill their needs.
With splendid images of the Spanish countryside, photos of immaculate vacation rental properties, and a highly effective UI, Casas Rurales de Navarra makes it easy to find the perfect spot for vacationing in Navarra.
4. Deland Real Estate
Deland Real Estate is another company that packs its website full of brilliant and colorful photography. The top of this design has a revolving carousel of property listings that gives a bit of information about each one, as well as providing links to learn more.
Along with showing off some of their property listings, Deland Real Estate never loses focus on the customer side of things. They have an extensive section of testimonials from both buyers and sellers who were happy in their dealings with them.
They also do a great job in personalizing their agency through agent biographies. This profile below for owner Melissa Deland finds just the right balance between personal and professional details, telling people in a few paragraphs who she is as a person and how she can help you out.
5. Cathie Catalano
Right at the outset, a blue call to action button beckons you to Meet Cathie. Forming a personal connection with potential customers is important, and this direction to get to know her is a strong choice to have at the top of this real estate website. She also includes a social media block in the bottom section, giving people the chance to follow her on Facebook and Instagram for updates about what she’s up to professionally.
After clicking on this CTA, you’re brought to the page below that tells who Cathie is as a real estate agent, as well as how she can help. The page includes several testimonials that add so much more in telling her story.
Buying a home can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. There’s an entire page dedicated to outlining this process and what Cathie will do at each step for homebuyers. This will put anyone’s mind at ease when enlisting Cathie’s help in buying a new home.
6. Group Open Doors
This is another effective real estate website that puts a powerful search front and center. Not only is there a search box, but there are handy dropdowns that help people narrow down what they’re in the market for. Websites like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com are great to use, but it’s always nice to have other options like Group Open Doors.
One element that often is overlooked on real estate websites is the copy. Lisa Grehn, the real estate agent behind this website, uses empathy throughout to pitch how she can help people. With sentences like the hero text that reads “Finding your next home isn’t just about shelter, but finding a space to make memories,” this website has a warmth to it that keeps people at the center.
7. Anah
Luxury is the driving force behind Anah, a Mexican real estate agency. It boasts plenty of images of resort-like living spaces, full of bright colors, where one can almost smell the sea breeze. Everything comes together in harmony for an easy scroll, giving someone the impression that finding and closing on any of these properties will be an equally simple process.
Communicate your expertise and connect with potential customers
Real estate goes beyond mere architecture — it’s about the spaces where life happens. A real estate website should never miss out on personally connecting with people who are considering buying or selling a home. People need to trust in the real estate companies they’re employing to help them out. The best real estate websites find just the right balance by positioning themselves as professionals who will always keep their customers’ best interests in mind.
