The best real estate websites are polished and human. The agent should be front and center but content should be focussed on helping potential buyers and sellers.
They’re designed to generate leads but they don’t use invasive pop-ups or demand visitors give up an email address to access content. Instead they are calm and available for whenever the visitor is ready to get in touch.
Great real estate websites know the best form of marketing is education. So they provide resources to help potential buyers and sellers. Photography is deeply important to real estate on the web.
There are conventional features— real estate search, current properties, neighborhood guides — but almost every realtor website has these. The real way to differentiate is by educating and being human.
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.
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 excited 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
34 Real Estate Website Design Examples
Michael and Nancy work as a dynamic team in the area of Santa Barbara and Montecito. They’ve been recognized as a top producing team more than once, and believe it’s due to their laid back yet professional approach.
Guy takes a fresh approach to real estate in Toronto with Remax. He’s got over 10 years of experience, and a passion for working from the inside out, and for the long term with his clients. He knows how important it is to be a part of the process be it simple or complicated.
John Flanagan is a seasoned vet in real estate that’s located in Philadelphia. It’s not just about the moula, it’s about the relationships in the transaction. John’s been working on the Main Line for over 16 years, and has created great relationships both personally and professionally in the process.
Jennifer is an agent selling properties in San Francisco and Marin. She started over 10 years ago in New York and has been working hard ever since. She strives to make home buying and selling as stress free as possible.
True Homes property group delivers a variety of real estate services. They specialize in renovations in homes that truly need it and then turn it around for sales in Florida.
Sherrie offers a well rounded home buying and selling experience in Durham. On her website, you can learn more about her listings, selling style and find freebies as well.
Ashford Realty Group works in Colorado Springs. Check out their site for plenty of information about their team, blog and testimonials. When thinking of buying and selling with them, they talk about digital advertising and how important it is now days.
Catherine and Barry are a real estate team that has been ranked as a number one team by Wall Street Journal. They’ve lived in Rancho Santa Fe since 1977, and buy and sell homes in San Diego. They place a strong value on their clients entire experience which keeps them highly ranked.
Debra Smalley is a Los Angeles realtor who has lived in the city her entire life. Before going into residential real estate she was a commercial real estate agent— doing work for Apple Inc, Dreamworks and New Line Cinema.
The Kurz Real Estate Corp team is ran by David Kurz in Miami. He’s got 13 years experience and specializes in buying, selling and consulting. He grew up in New York before serving in the marines, and settling in Florida.
Keri is a California based agent, blogger and vlogger. You can read about her delicacy with her clients and their needs, and watch episodes for “KeriTV” where you can learn new tips and info.
Marci and Laura are a mother daughter real estate team offering services in Washington. Together they take over 20 years of experience and combine it with a modern and youthful marketing approach, giving a recipe for success.
Anthony is licensed in both Kansas and Missouri to assist with your needs. He has resided in Kansas City for over 20 years and knows the market well. His skills in marketing and management give him an edge on the competition.
Matt is an investment and sales agent based out of California. He has brokered over 1000 property transactions. He is casual in his tone and hopes to find a good fit for all of his clients regardless of price point.
Nieva, Inc is a company ran by Christine Nieva. They offer luxury property investments including commercial, residential and even international.
BK Staging stages your listing images virtually. You can send them images of homes that need a little extra something to appeal to buyers, they can add furniture and decor to really bring it to life.
Cindy is a luxury real estate agent that works in Idaho and Washington, and has a love for the beautiful scenery. With many years and a solid reputation under her belt, clients can expect top notch customer service throughout their experience.
Tamara Straight is based out of Boerne, Texas. She doesn’t just sell Luxury homes as the name would imply, she teaches that any home is considered a luxury. You can count on her for an importance placed on client confidentiality.
Cindy Lin provides a variety of real estate services in Silicon Valley, with an emphasis on trust. Check out her site for some interesting and educational reads that will help buyers and sellers feel more at ease with the process.
Debra Dobbs is a Chicago based realtor. Her website is unique and showcases her background and listings in a unique and fresh way. You can checkout her page “by the numbers” to see up to date data on her sales success.
Grist Realty is made up of Hugh and Hilary, a dynamic team of agents. They both reside and work in North Carolina and offer specialties that compliment one another and make for a great company to do business with.
Luxury high-rise condos that are located by Lady Bird Lake. Aside from the chic condo styles, you can view all of their amenities and find an agent that can look into what’s available in this location.
David Coffey offers buying and selling services in the Toronto area. David is business minded, and avoids being a typical salesman. He knows that each situation is different and needs to be handled and catered to in a unique manner.
The Malibu Life is a team of real estate specialists founded by Madison Hildebrand. He has many years of experience and has brought his years of knowledge and expertise into this now large group. You can read their blog and access press and media articles through their website.
Susan Smith started out in law school and while practicing real estate and immigration law, she realized her love of real estate and knew she needed to be in sales as well. She has since been recognized for some of the largest sales in Beverly Hills and surrounding areas.
There are 576 high rise condos available in the MGM Residences of Las Vegas. You can rent them nightly or for longer extended stays. Bill Zinnser is the agent who can help guests and buyers find a spot to call home.
Rachel was born and raised in Oregon and now sells real estate there for Cooper Realty. She has a fun and laid back vibe about the way she promotes her business and her lifestyle in general. Reach her blog, access real estate info and contact her through her website.
Nancy Saedi is a Toronto agent providing complimentary home evaluations and a personable sales tactic. She wants clients to trust her and has no problem working until they are 100% satisfied.
This group consists of 3 male agents in Great Bend and Central Kansas Areas. You can buy or sell your property with them, and they promise with their many years of experience that it will be a seamless transition for you.
Alvares Estates is an agency that offers buying, selling and renting assistance. Located in Brixton, they’ve been in operations since 1993.
Pates Properties is ran by Susan Pates and Anne Morgan Pates in Virginia. The company was created in 1954 by James Scott Pates who passed in 1989. You can check out all their listings, look at the blog and read about all the history on their site.
Big Sound Homes is a Keller Williams team buying and selling in Seattle. Shawn Lee is the broker, and you can read all about him and his teams passion for finding the perfect home for any stage home buyer.
Ricky sells any type of home and property being sought after. From start to finish he can assist with all the details of the process from legal matters to price negotiations.
Takeaways
Much like designing any website, you must know the audience first in order to tailor the content and user experience. In order to create a compelling high converting real estate website you should have the design invite visitors in jch like a home, personalize the experience, offer amazing resource and most importantly, be human. Not sure where to start? Contact me to build a strategy and develop a high converting real estate website.
