Websites for Real Estate Agents – Real Estate Website Design & Development

Real Estate Agent Website Design and Development

As a Realtor and real estate investor, I understand firsthand how busy real estate agents are these days. With demanding schedules, long hours, and endless client responsibilities, it can be difficult for real estate agents to find the time to build and maintain a good real estate website.

But as a web design company owner (I own SparkerWebgroup.com) who has developed websites for real estate agents and brokers for 20+ years, I also understand the importance of having a strong online presence in the real estate industry.

In this post, I’ll answer some common questions real estate agents have when it comes to creating their own website. Unfortunately, the topic is much more complicated than what is below. The good news is, my consultations are free! So just reach out to chat further.

Why is a Website Important for Real Estate Agents?

A website is often the first impression a potential client will have of you, so it’s important to make it a positive one. A website is an excellent way to showcase your properties, establish your brand, and attract new clients. By having a website, you’re able to reach a larger audience and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their real estate needs. After all, most clients are online these days. It would be kind of weird if you weren’t online as well …

What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent Website?

A good real estate agent website should be easy to navigate and provide relevant information. Here are some high-level key elements that make a good real estate agent website:

1. User-Friendly Design: The design of your website should be easy to navigate and visually appealing. Visitors should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
2. Mobile-Friendly Design: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it’s essential to have a mobile-friendly website. This means that your website should be optimized for viewing on different devices and screen sizes.
3. Relevant Information: Your website should provide relevant information about your properties, as well as information about you and your services. This includes a professional bio, testimonials, contact information, and contact forms.
4. High-Quality Images: High-quality images are essential for showcasing your properties and attracting potential clients. Make sure that the images you use are clear, well-lit, and showcase the properties in their best light. We also want to optimize the images so they don’t slow your site down.
5. Blog: A blog (like the one you are reading right now) is a great way to provide valuable content to your clients and improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). You can write about industry news, property market trends, and anything else that may be of interest to your target audience.

Why WordPress is the Best Platform for Real Estate Agent Websites

WordPress is an open-source platform that offers a wealth of customization options and plugins. It is easy to use, even for those with no technical experience, and it can handle any kind of website, including real estate websites. WordPress is also search engine friendly, making it easier for your website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Here are a few reasons why I use and recommend WordPress for real estate agent websites:

1. Customization Options: WordPress offers a wide range of customization options, making it easy to create a unique and professional-looking real estate website. There are thousands of themes and templates to choose from, as well as plugins that can add functionality to your site.
2. Easy to Use: WordPress is user-friendly, even for those with no technical experience. With its intuitive interface, it’s easy to add new pages, posts, and images, and make updates to your site.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): WordPress is search engine friendly, making it easier for your website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). With the right search engine strategy and continued effort, you can optimize your site for search engines and attract more traffic to the areas or neighborhoods or listings your feature on your website.
4. Cost-Effective: WordPress is a cost-effective platform for creating a real estate agent website. While there is a cost for hosting and a domain name, the cost of using WordPress can be significantly less than other website builder platforms.
5. Security: WordPress is constantly updated to ensure the security of its users’ websites. Plus, with regular updates to your site and its plugins using our WordPress Security and Maintenance Service, you can rest assured that your website will be secure.

How I Create a Real Estate Agent Website with WordPress

Here are the steps I take to create a real estate website with WordPress:

1. Choose a Domain Name and Hosting: The first step in creating a website is to choose a domain name and hosting. A domain name is the web address for your site, and hosting is where your website’s files are stored. There are several options for hosting, but we recommend using a host like InMotion Hosting to ensure that your site is optimized for WordPress.
2. Install WordPress: Once you have chosen a domain name and hosting, I will install WordPress and any plugins needed for your website.
3. Choose a Theme: Once WordPress is installed, I can install the theme for your site. There are thousands of themes to choose from, and many are specifically designed for real estate websites. When choosing a theme, I will help you find one that is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and has a professional look. I will also be sure you purchase from a reputable vendor who updates its themes and stands behind your purchase for the long run (very important!).
4. Customize Your Site: Once you have chosen a theme, you can usually customize your site. This includes adding your logo, updating the color scheme, and adding pages and posts. You can customize a little, a lot, or none at all. Generally speaking, the more you customize, the more expensive the site will be.
5. Add Your Content: Your website should include relevant information about you, your experience, your services, as well as properties you have listed and properties you have sold. Your website is a great place for:
   1. A Professional Bio: A professional bio will help visitors get to know you better, learn about your background and expertise, and build trust with you.
   2. A Portfolio of Properties: A property portfolio is the most important aspect of any real estate agent’s website. It should be easy to navigate and include high-quality images of the properties you’re offering for sale as well as properties you’ve sold in the past or properties that are for sale in your area.
   3. Testimonials: Including testimonials from previous clients is a great way to build credibility and demonstrate the quality of your work.
   4. Contact Information: Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and easy to find on your website. You should also include a contact form to make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you.
   5. Contact Forms: Multiple contact forms are a great way to so you can start collecting contacts for your database or CRM (customer relationships management) software or spreadsheet.
   6. A Blog: A blog is an excellent way to provide valuable content to your visitors and improve your website’s SEO. You can write about industry news, property market trends, and anything else that may be of interest to your target audience.
6. Optimize for Search Engines: You’ve probably heard that search engine optimization (SEO) is important. Well, it’s incredibly important in real estate. All the real estate agents in your area are attempting to attract the same new clients. To ensure that your website ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs), you’ll need to optimize it for search engines. This includes adding keywords to your content, creating meta descriptions, using header tags, optimizing load times, and, where appropriate, running separate SEO campaigns for particular neighborhoods, buildings, or developments.
7. Launch Your Site: Once you have added all of your content and optimized your site for search engines, you can launch your site. I will test it on different devices and screen sizes to ensure that it looks and functions as intended. Congrats! You’ve got yourself a live real estate website!!

How Much Does a Real Estate Website Cost?

The cost of a real estate website can vary depending on the size, features, and customization options you choose. On average, the cost of a basic WordPress real estate website can range from $2,500 all the way to $15,000 or more for a brokerage. I always work with my clients to ensure that a website is a good fit and can grow and scale with your business. We also offer website subscription plans for less money upfront and we offer generous discounts to our WordPress Maintenance and Security Service clients, so it’s worth asking about both during your initial website consultation.

Should I Create My Own Website as a Real Estate Agent?

As a real estate agent, having your own website can be a valuable tool to showcase your properties, establish your brand, and attract potential clients. While you may get a page on your broker’s website and/or be able to create your own website on some free website builders, you may want to consider working with a professional web design company to create a website that you own and control no matter where you hang your hat. In addition, you only get one chance to make a good first impression and no one cares more about that than you do.

Final Thoughts 

Having a strong online presence as a real estate agent is essential. By creating a website with WordPress, real estate agents establish their brand, showcase their properties, and attract potential clients.

If you’re considering creating your own website, be sure to consider the time and effort it takes to do it all on your own from scratch and whether you would be better off using that time to cultivate your sphere of influence and work for your clients as opposed to dealing with website updates, learning how to optimize your site and content, worry about plugin compatibilities, and deal with site malfunctions and errors.

It is crucial to partner with a web design agency that understands the unique needs of real estate agents and brokers and can take care of the website development process from start to finish and then maintain that site for you as your real estate career takes off.

Our team of experienced professionals has worked with real estate, building, construction, architecture, and engineering clients for over 20 years. We understand the real estate industry and we know what it takes to create a website that is both effective and compliant with relevant regulations and guidelines including the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Act, the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics, and more. 

Let us take the stress of website development off your plate so that you can focus on caring for your real estate clients.

With the help of a professional web design agency like Sparker Webgroup, you can have a website that effectively showcases your real estate expertise and meets the needs of both you and your clients. Whether you’re just starting out with a new real estate business or looking to update your existing real estate website, we are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create the perfect website for your real estate business.

Helpful Links:

• National Association of Realtors (NAR) – the largest trade organization for real estate agents in the United States, offering resources, training, and advocacy for its members. (https://www.nar.realtor/)
• Realtor.com – a website that provides information on homes for sale, as well as resources for real estate agents. (https://www.realtor.com/)
• MLSListings – a multiple listing service (MLS) that provides access to real estate listings for agents and brokers. (https://www.mlslistings.com/)
• IDX Broker – a service that provides real estate agents with IDX (internet data exchange) integration for their websites. (https://www.idxbroker.com/)
• HomeSnap – a real estate app that provides information on homes and neighborhoods, as well as tools for real estate agents. (https://www.homesnap.com/)
• Placester – a real estate marketing platform that provides tools and resources for agents and brokers. (https://placester.com/)
• RealScout – a real estate search platform that provides personalized search results and collaboration tools for agents. (https://www.realscout.com/)
• BombBomb – a video email marketing platform that can be used by real estate agents to build relationships and communicate with clients. (https://bombbomb.com/)