As a real estate agent, there are must-have features for a real estate website that you simply cannot do without. By ensuring that your website has these essential elements, you’ll be able to provide viewers with the information they need, generate leads, nurture clients, and gain search engine authority to generate more organic traffic, which is gold in digital marketing. So, what should every real estate website have? Here’s a breakdown.
1. Domain Name and Extension
A domain name is a digital address used to identify a website’s location. It’s similar to a physical address in that it provides the location that people need to visit when looking for your business online. It is important because it is how people find you on the web.
Some important attributes of a domain name are that it is unique, relevant, and easy to remember. For example, a good domain name for a real estate agent might be something like “homesbyhelen.com.”
You can buy one or more domain names from a domain name registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Domain.com, Dreamhost, Bluehost, and more. Domain names typically cost around $10-15 per year.
A domain extension refers to the part of the domain name that comes after the dot. For example, in the domain name www.example.com, the extension is “.com.”
.com: the most popular domain extension and is used for businesses. It’s also the easiest to remember.
.net: a less popular but still widely used domain extension that is often used for networks, servers, and other internet-related businesses
.org: a domain extension that is used mostly by not-for-profits, organizations, and charities
.gov: a domain extension that government agencies only use
.edu: a domain extension that is used only by educational institutions
.info: a domain extension that is used for informational websites
.biz: a domain extension that is used for business websites
.mobi: a domain extension that is used for mobile websites
There are also domain names specific to countries, such as:
.us: domain names for businesses and organizations in the United States
.ca: domain names for businesses and organizations in Canada
.UK: domain names for businesses and organizations in the United Kingdom
.au: domain names for businesses and organizations in Australia
2. Web Hosting
A web host is a company specializing in providing servers that store websites so they can be accessible on the internet. When someone types in a web address, they are directed to the server that houses the information on the website they want to visit. Web servers are powerful computers with a lot of storage space and memory, which is why they’re ideal for hosting websites.
In addition, web hosts provide other important services, such as email, domain names, and site security.
There are risks associated with doing business with a web host that isn’t up to par. For example, if a web host doesn’t have reliable customer service, it could be difficult to get help if your website goes down. In addition, a bad web host could oversell its server space, leading to Slow load times and crashes.
When choosing a web hosting company that’s right for you, there are specific attributes to look for. A good web hosting company will have excellent customer service, ample storage space, and reasonable prices.
3. Website Platform
A website platform is a pre-designed foundation or framework used to create websites. A website platform typically consists of a content management system (CMS), which helps users manage their website content and a range of design templates and tools.
Choosing the right website platform is crucial because it can determine how easy or difficult it is to create and manage your website.
WordPress is the world’s most popular website platform and is the best choice for building your website for several reasons.
WordPress is highly user-friendly, even for beginners. It offers a vast selection of design templates and plugins, so you can easily create a professional-looking website.
A WordPress plugin is a software you can upload to your WordPress website to extend its functionality. There are unique plugins for almost everything, from contact forms to social media integration to property listings.
Real estate websites can benefit from plugins that allow visitors to search for properties, contact agents, and learn more about the local market. Installing the right plugins can turn your WordPress real estate website into a powerful tool for driving leads and growing your business.
And WordPress is constantly being updated with new features, making it one of the most reliable and secure platforms available.
4. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is optimizing a website to rank highly in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is accomplished by incorporating certain elements into the website’s design, organization, and content. Website crawlers, which are used by search engines to index websites, take these elements into account when figuring where a website should rank in SERPs.
One crucial element of SEO is incorporating relevant keywords into the website’s back end and content. These keywords can be either short-tail or long-tail keywords.
Short-tail keywords are general terms typically used by people just beginning their search for a product or service. On the other hand, long-tail keywords are more specific and often used by people who have already narrowed down their options. Including both types of keywords in your content can appeal to a wider range of searchers.
In addition to on-site SEO, off-site SEO is also important for improving your website’s ranking. Off-site SEO involves activities outside your site, such as link building and social media engagement. By engaging in these activities, you can signal to search engines that your website is relevant and trustworthy, improving your ranking.
SEO is paramount any business that wants to attract traffic from online searches. Without optimizing your website, you risk being buried in SERPs and losing out on potential customers to other real estate agents.
5. Created for User Experience
User experience (UX) encompasses all aspects of the end-users interaction with a company, its services, and its products. Creating a positive UX is essential if you want customers to return to your website. Here are a few key components of a good UX:
Clean design: A cluttered, busy website will drive users away. Keep your design clean and simple, with plenty of white space.
Simple navigation: Users should be able to easily find their way around your website. Use clear labels and logical structure.
Fast load times: Nobody wants to wait for a slow website to load. Most viewers will click away from your site if it takes more than three seconds to load. Make sure your website is adequately optimized for speed.
Positive customer service: If users have a bad experience with your customer service, they’re likely to go somewhere else. Make sure you’re providing prompt, friendly service.
6. Branding
Website branding creates a unique identity for your real estate business that should translate onto your website. This can be accomplished in several ways, including designing a custom logo, choosing an attractive color scheme, and developing a distinctive tagline. Your branding should be consistent across your business cards, print advertising, social media presence, website, yard signs, and other traditional and digital marketing materials. Branding is essential because it helps to set your website apart from its competitors and creates a lasting impression in visitors’ minds.
7. Photos and Videos
For several reasons, professional photos and videos are monumental elements of a real estate website.
First, they provide potential clients with an accurate portrayal of the properties that an agent has to offer.
Second, high-quality photos and videos can help an agent stand out from the competition. In a crowded marketplace, professional visuals can make all the difference in attracting attention and generating leads.
Finally, photos and videos are a great way to build rapport with potential clients. Agents can establish themselves as trustworthy experts in the field by sharing informative and engaging content.
An agent can share many different types of videos on their websites, such as walk-throughs of properties, virtual tours, area overviews, and client testimonials. Each type of video has advantages and can help achieve different marketing goals.
For example, walk-through videos give viewers a detailed look at a property. Area overviews are ideal for giving potential buyers a sense of what it would be like to live in a particular neighborhood, and recorded client testimonials can help build trust and credibility.
8. About Us Page
An “About Us” page on a real estate agent’s website introduces the agent or team to potential clients. An “about us” page is important because it helps build trust and credibility with potential clients.
The “about us” page should include the agent’s or team’s experience, education, and awards. It should also tell potential clients what to expect when working with you or your team. For example, if you or your team specializes in first-time home buyers, that should be included on the “about us” page.
9. Contact Information and Forms
As a real estate agent, your contact information should be highly visible on your website. You want to make it as easy as possible for leads and clients to reach out to you, so listing your info in the heading of your site, on every page, and a dedicated “Contact Us” page is a good strategy.
You may also consider embedding a contact form into each page so people can reach out to you without searching for your info. By making it easy for people to get in touch with you, you’ll be able to build better relationships and close more deals.
10. Social Media Integration
Real estate is one of the oldest and most established industries. It must adapt continuously to the latest changes and technologies to stay ahead of the curve. One of the latest trends in real estate is social media integration.
Most people are familiar with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They may not realize that these platforms can be used for much more than posting pictures and status updates. When used correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
That’s where social media integration comes in. Integrating social media links into your real estate website makes it easy for viewers to find your social media pages and also share your content with friends and followers. Not only does this help to promote your business, but it also helps to build trust and credibility. After all, if someone’s friends or family members recommend your services, they’re much more likely to use them themselves.
11. Lead Capture
When you’re running a real estate business, it’s crucial to have a way to capture leads. Lead capture simply means collecting contact information from interested parties so that you can follow up with them later.
There are a few different ways to entice viewers to allow you to capture their information. One is to offer a free home valuation. This report tells the viewer how much their home is potentially worth. It’s a valuable piece of information they’ll be willing to trade their contact information for.
Another way to capture leads is to offer a free e-book or guide on buying or selling a home. This is a great way to provide value and build trust with potential clients.
You’ll need to use a lead capture program or service to capture lead information. These programs will allow you to collect and store the contact information in your database.
12. CRM
A CRM, or customer relationship management system, is a tool that helps businesses keep track of their interactions with clients and customers. In the real estate industry, a CRM can be used to store contact information, manage deals and transactions, and track client communications.
A CRM is monumental for real estate agents because it helps them stay organized and keep track of their interactions with clients. It can also be used to cultivate relationships with leads and customers and to create targeted marketing campaigns.
When organizing your CRM, you can categorize leads and sort them in your sales funnel as hot, warm, or cold based on their level of interest. Hot leads are those ready to buy or sell a property, while warm leads may be thinking of selling or buying real estate in the near or distant future. Cold leads are those who are not currently interested in buying or selling a property.
Real estate agents can use a CRM to create targeted marketing campaigns for each lead type. For example, a campaign for hot leads might include sending personal emails or making phone calls, while a campaign for cold leads might include sending postcards or direct mailers.
13. Marketing Automation
Marketing automation in real estate is the process of using technology to automate marketing tasks. This can include anything from email marketing to social media campaigns. For real estate agents, marketing automation can be a great way to improve efficiency and increase leads.
For example, Keap CRM is a program that offers sales and marketing automation. With Keap, agents can keep their contacts up to date, manage tasks, track appointments, deploy automated text touches, take advantage of the auto-dialer, broadcast email marketing, manage their sales pipeline, use built-in landing pages, and integrate their CRM with other systems. Keap can help real estate agents save time and win more business with many features.
14. IDX (IDX Broker)
IDX, or Internet Data Exchange, is a system that allows real estate agents to display listings from their MLS (Multiple Listing Service) on their own websites. An IDX service provides the framework for displaying and accessing this data on an agent’s website.
IDX services are essential for real estate agents who want to generate leads online, as they provide the tools and resources needed to showcase listings and capture leads. For example, IDX services often allow agents to syndicate their listings on popular search engines and portals like Trulia, Zillow, Google, Yahoo!, Bing, AOL, and more. In addition, most IDX services offer mobile-friendly property search tools and lead capture forms.
Choosing the right IDX service is crucial for any real estate agent looking to generate leads online. There are many different IDX providers on the market, so it’s important to compare features and reviews before deciding. One popular option is IDX Broker™, which offers advanced tools for lead generation, including lead syndication and custom mapping capabilities
15. Property Sorting
Property sorting is a feature that allows users to search for properties based on specific criteria. For example, a user may want to see all the properties in a specific price range, or they may want to see all the properties that have been recently listed.
As an agent, property sorting can be a valuable tool for finding new clients. Offering this feature on your website makes it easier for potential clients to find the properties they’re interested in.
In addition, by being able to sort properties by specific criteria, you can tailor your marketing efforts to specific groups of people. For example, if you know that a particular client is interested in properties in a certain price range, you can send them listings that match their criteria.
16. Advanced Property Search
An advanced property search is a tool available on many real estate websites that allow viewers to narrow down their home search by specific criteria. For example, a viewer may enter “three bedrooms, two bath, 1800 sq. ft., mountain view” as their search terms to find properties that match those specifications.
Advanced property search is essential because it allows viewers to save time by only looking at homes that fit their needs. It can also be helpful for viewers who have specific requirements.
17. Local Property Listings
In addition to the ability to sort properties or conduct an advanced search, it’s crucial that you prominently display local property listings on your website and blog pages.
A real estate agent’s website should be a one-stop shop for anyone looking to buy or sell a property in their area. In addition to providing basic contact information, an agent’s site should also feature a comprehensive list of local properties that are currently on the market. This makes it easy for potential buyers to browse through available listings and helps build the agent’s credibility as a knowledgeable source of information about the local housing market.
When it comes to listing format, there are several different options that an agent can choose from. The most basic option is simply to provide a list of properties with basic information such as price, square footage, and the number of bedrooms/bathrooms. However, some agents take a more aggressive approach by creating detailed listings that include photos, virtual tours, and extensive descriptions.
No matter what style of listing an agent chooses, the important thing is that they can provide potential buyers with the valuable information they need to make an informed decision about purchasing a property.
18. Map Location
One of the features that many real estate agent websites offer is map location. This allows potential buyers to see where a property is located in relation to other landmarks and amenities. There are several reasons why this is an important feature to offer on your website.
First, it helps to generate more leads by making your website more user-friendly. Second, it enables buyers to better understand the surrounding area, which can be an important factor in their decision-making process. Finally, it allows you to showcase your local knowledge and expertise.
There are several different resources that you can use to incorporate map location into your agent website. The most popular option is to use Google Maps, which offers many features and options. Another option is to use a mapping service such as MapQuest or Bing Maps.
Whichever approach you choose, make sure that you take the time to integrate the feature into your website in a user-friendly and informative way.
19. Home Valuation Calculator
A home valuation calculator is a tool that estimates the value of a home based on current market conditions. Real estate agents should offer a home valuation calculator on their websites because it’s a lead capture tool. When homeowners enter their information into the calculator, they give you their contact information so you can follow up with them.
20. Blog
A blog is a critical element in your real estate agent website because it allows you to continuously provide valuable information to your viewers and also gain search engine authority for organic results that can help generate more traffic. A good real estate agent blog should include community pages, articles for buyers and sellers, and hyperlocal content.
Community pages on your website provide information about the communities you serve. They should include information about each community’s schools, amenities, public transportation, climate, and more.
Hyperlocal content is content that is specific to a particular geographic area. It is important to a real estate agent’s website because it helps show that you are an expert on the local market. Hyperlocal article topics might include the best places to eat, the best places for date night, things to do with kids, area parks, local events like Easter egg hunts, holiday parades, and other things to do in that area.
Examples of articles an agent might publish for buyers include tips for finding the right home, negotiating the best price, and getting financing. For sellers, articles might focus on preparing the home for sale, pricing it competitively, and marketing it effectively. By providing this type of valuable content on your blog, you will be able to build trust with your target real estate audience and position yourself as a knowledgeable and authoritative source of information about the real estate market.
21. Calls to Action
A call to action (CTA) is an element on a website that encourages visitors to take a specific next step, such as subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a free e-book, or making a purchase. CTAs can take many forms, but they typically include text and/or an image and usually link to another page on the site.
There are many different types of CTAs, but some common examples include “subscribe now,” “download now,” and “buy now.” Having a CTA on every single page of your website is important because it helps guide visitors through your site and also encourages them to take the next step. Without CTAs, visitors may get lost or confused and ultimately leave your site without taking any action.
While there’s no hard and fast rule for what makes a good CTA, there are a few things to keep in mind when creating yours. First, make sure your CTA is clear and concise – you want visitors to know precisely what they need to do. Second, use persuasive language that will encourage visitors to take action. And finally, make sure your CTA stands out from the rest of the content on the page – use contrasting colors or an eye-catching design.
22. Testimonials
Testimonials are short statements from customers that praise the quality of a product or service. They allow customers to share their experiences and offer potential buyers an unbiased opinion about a company.
Real estate agent testimonials are especially important because they can help build trust with potential clients. A good testimonial will mention the agent’s professionalism, integrity, and local market knowledge. It’s also helpful if the testimonial includes information about the results the agent was able to achieve for the customer.
Asking clients to provide testimonials can be as simple as an email asking them to write a few sentences describing their experience working with you. You can also include a link to an online form where they can leave their feedback.
23. Email Newsletter
An email newsletter is a fantastic way to keep in touch with your clients and promote your business. As a real estate agent, you can use your newsletter to share recent blog posts, post industry news, showcase properties, and highlight recent successes.
Email newsletters are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and offer a high return on investment in lead generation and branding. When done well, email newsletters can help you build relationships with clients, generate referrals, and drive traffic to your website.
24. Tools for Tracking and Measuring
Google Analytics and Clicky.com are two tools that can be used to track and measure your website’s performance.
Tracking and measuring your website’s performance is important because it allows you to see how well your website is doing and make improvements as needed.
For example, if your website’s bounce rate is high, you may want to change your website’s design or content to keep visitors on your site for longer.
Tracking and measuring your website’s performance can help you understand which marketing efforts are working and which are not. This information can be used to adjust your marketing strategy so that you are getting the most return on investment.
25. A High-Quality Web Development Company
A web development company is a service that offers website development services to individuals, businesses, or organizations. Website development includes the process and activities of creating, designing, coding, and deploying a website.
A professional web development company will have a team of web developers who are experts in their field and can provide a wide range of website development services.
A DIY approach to building your website may seem like a good idea at first, but it is often not as effective or efficient as working with a professional web development company. A reputable web development company will have a good understanding of your business goals and objectives and be able to create a custom website that meets your specific needs. They will also be able to provide you with ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that your website remains up-to-date and functioning correctly.
When choosing a web development company, selecting one with experience in your industry and who offers a range of services that fits your budget is important.
Conclusion
A website is one of the most powerful tools in a real estate agent’s toolkit. It’s where you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry, showcase properties, connect with potential clients, and generate and nurture leads.
By taking the time to build a professional website that incorporates all the necessary features, you’ll be putting yourself in a much better position to succeed in today’s competitive real estate market.