Hiring a company to build your real estate website is a decision that deserves careful thought. Your website can become the center of your online presence, helping support your branding, property search, lead generation, content marketing, local visibility, and client communication.
That is why one of the first questions worth asking is simple:
How long have you been in business?
At first, this may sound like a basic background question. In reality, it can help you understand whether a website company has the experience, stability, and real estate knowledge needed to support your business before, during, and after your site goes live.
When you are comparing real estate website builders, IDX website providers, or web development companies for agents, a company’s history can tell you a lot about how prepared they are to handle the needs of a real estate business.
Why This Question Matters
A real estate website is a long-term business tool. It should help buyers search for homes, help sellers understand your value, capture leads, support your marketing, and make it easy for people to contact you.
Because of that, the company behind your website matters.
A company that has been in business for a while has likely worked through changes in website design, mobile responsiveness, IDX tools, search trends, hosting needs, and client expectations. They may have seen what works well, what creates problems, and what agents often overlook when starting a new website project.
The goal is not to hire a company based solely on years. The goal is to understand what those years have taught them, and to use that insight to choose a company that fits your needs.
A newer company may have strong skills and fresh ideas. An established company may have deeper systems, more experience, and a longer track record. What matters most is whether the company can clearly explain its experience and connect it to your needs as a real estate professional.
Real Estate Websites Have Specific Needs
A real estate website is different from a standard business website.
Many business websites explain services, introduce a company, and provide a contact form. A real estate website often needs to do much more. It may need IDX property search, community pages, lead capture forms, saved searches, CRM connections, blog content, market information, listing pages, and mobile-friendly navigation.
That added complexity is one reason experience matters.
A designer may know how to build a beautiful website, but beauty alone does not make a site useful for real estate. Agents need websites that help people search, connect, register, ask questions, and move closer to a buying or selling decision.
When you ask how long a company has been in business, it is also worth asking how long they have been specifically building websites for real estate professionals.
There is a meaningful difference between general web design experience and real estate website experience.
Experience Can Create a Smoother Process
A website project usually involves a lot of moving parts.
There may be design decisions, content needs, IDX setup, page structure, branding, forms, hosting, mobile testing, search engine basics, technical settings, and launch details. A company with experience should be able to guide you through that process without making it feel overwhelming.
They should be able to explain what happens first, what they need from you, how long each stage may take, and what happens once the site is launched.
That kind of guidance can be especially helpful for busy agents, teams, and brokerages. You may know you need a better website, but that does not mean you want to manage every technical detail yourself.
A company with a clear process can help you make decisions with more confidence.
Longevity Can Point to Stability
A real estate website should be supported after launch.
Once your site is live, you may need content updates, technical support, hosting support, IDX adjustments, security updates, backups, page edits, plugin updates, or answers to questions that arise as your business evolves.
This is where company stability becomes important.
If your website is part of your lead generation and branding strategy, you want to know who will be available when you need help. You also want to understand how support requests are handled, how updates are made, and whether ongoing maintenance is available.
Asking how long a company has been in business can lead to the bigger question:
Will this company be able to support my website long-term?
That answer matters as much as the site design itself.
BREW Real Estate Website & Marketing Platform
Ballen Real Estate Websites were built by agents, for agents real-time in the field… and without any contracts!
A Good Website Company Should Explain What Is Included
One of the biggest frustrations with website projects happens when expectations are unclear.
An agent may assume certain features are included, while the website company may treat them as add-ons, upgrades, or third-party tools. IDX, hosting, SSL, maintenance, content writing, SEO, CRM connections, saved searches, lead forms, and ongoing edits should all be discussed before you commit.
An experienced real estate website company should be able to explain what is included, what costs extra, and what may require another provider.
This is especially important with IDX real estate websites. IDX depends on MLS rules, provider options, market availability, and technical setup. A company with real estate experience should be able to talk through how IDX works, what visitors can do on the site, and how leads are captured.
Clear answers can help you avoid surprises later.
Experience Should Still Feel Current
A long history is helpful when the company has continued to grow with the industry.
Real estate websites have changed over time. Buyers expect fast, mobile-friendly property search. Sellers want proof that an agent understands the local market. Agents need sites that support lead capture, content, branding, and follow-up.
The best real estate website companies understand both experience and current strategy.
When you speak with a company, pay attention to whether they can talk about modern website expectations. They should understand responsive design, IDX functionality, user experience, content updates, technical support, and how your website fits into your larger marketing plan.
A company’s history should give you confidence, but its current knowledge should give you direction. The takeaway is to choose a company that shows both experience and current understanding.
Ask for the Story Behind the Number
When you ask how long a company has been in business, listen for context.
The number of years is useful, but the story behind the number is even more helpful. You want to know who they have worked with, what kinds of websites they build, what platforms they use, and how they support clients after launch.
Good follow-up questions include:
- How long have you been building real estate websites?
- Do you work with agents, teams, brokerages, or real estate businesses?
- Do you build IDX real estate websites?
- What website platform do you use?
- Can I make content updates myself?
- How do you handle technical issues?
- Do you offer hosting, backups, security, or maintenance?
- Can my website connect with other real estate tools?
- Do you also help with content, SEO, or digital marketing?
These questions help you determine whether the company’s experience aligns with the kind of website you actually need.
Real Estate Website Content Services
Ballen Brands uses tested and proven methods in our blogs that have been proven to increase search engine ranking thus providing a higher opportunity for getting more leads on your website.
Red Flags to Watch For
The way a company answers this question can tell you a lot.
If the answer feels vague, rushed, or unclear, that may be a sign to slow down and ask more questions. A website company should be able to explain its background, process, and experience with real estate websites in an easy-to-understand way.
Possible red flags include:
- Limited real estate website experience
- Unclear answers about IDX
- No defined support process
- Confusing pricing or service details
- No explanation of what happens after launch
- Limited information about hosting or maintenance
- No clear process for content updates
- Little understanding of real estate lead generation
- No discussion of mobile design
A professional website company should welcome thoughtful questions. If they are the right fit, they should want you to understand what you are buying and how their experience supports your goals.
What a Strong Answer Sounds Like
A strong answer should make you feel more informed.
The company should be able to tell you how long they have been in business, how long they have worked with real estate websites, what services they offer, and how they support clients over time.
They should also be able to explain their process in plain language.
You should come away understanding what they build, how they work, what happens after launch, and how their experience benefits you.
A good answer may include details about IDX, website platforms, mobile design, hosting, maintenance, content, lead capture, SEO, and ongoing support. It should also give you a sense that the company understands the real-world needs of agents and real estate businesses.
Why This Question Belongs at the Beginning
Asking how long a company has been in business helps you start the conversation with clarity.
It gives you a way to talk about experience, support, process, technology, and long-term expectations before you invest your time and money. It also helps you compare companies more thoughtfully.
Instead of choosing only by price or design style, you can look at the full picture.
- Can this company build the kind of site I need?
- Do they understand real estate?
- Will they support the site after launch?
- Can they explain the process clearly?
- Do they have the experience to guide me?
Those answers can make your decision much easier. The takeaway is simple: ask early, listen closely, and choose the company that best fits your real estate website needs.
Work With a Real Estate Website Company That Understands the Bigger Picture
Your real estate website should support your business long after it launches. Before hiring a website company, ask how long they have been in business. Then ask what that experience means for you.
Ballen Brands was founded by Lori Ballen in 2016. Lori built her career around real estate, lead generation, online marketing, product development, team-building, and teaching. As a real estate agent herself, Lori understood what agents needed from their websites and marketing systems because she had used those tools in her own business.
Today, Ballen Brands is a family owned and operated business led by Lori’s brothers, Jeff and Paul Helvin. Jeff is also an agent on Lori’s team, serving Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Henderson in Nevada. His active role in the field gives Ballen Brands firsthand insight into how agents use websites, IDX tools, content, and digital marketing in real time. Paul brings experience in sales, marketing, client relations, and product development, helping agents better understand how the right website can support their business goals.
That background is reflected in BREW, which stands for Ballen Real Estate Website. BREWs were built by agents for agents, real time in the field, based on what real estate professionals actually need from their websites and marketing systems. A BREW is designed as a real estate website and marketing platform, giving agents a stronger foundation than a simple online brochure. Features may include an IDX Broker property search, Listings to Leads tools, custom property search pages, community-focused content, lead-capture opportunities, mobile-friendly design, and support for long-term real estate marketing. Instead of treating the website as a stand-alone project, BREW helps bring search, content, listings, and lead generation together in one place.
The best real estate websites are built with the agent’s daily work in mind. Buyers need a clear way to search for homes. Sellers need confidence that the agent understands the local market. Agents need tools that help attract visitors, capture leads, showcase listings, publish helpful content, and support follow-up. A real estate website company with industry experience is better positioned to understand how those pieces work together.
When you are choosing a real estate website company, that is the kind of background you should ask about. You want a team that understands how to build the website, support it, and ensure it serves your business long after launch.
To learn more, call (702) 917-0755 or email team@ballenbrands.com for a no-obligation free consultation.
BREW Real Estate Website & Marketing Platform
Ballen Real Estate Websites were built by agents, for agents real-time in the field… and without any contracts!