What should you be looking for when you’re searching for website designers for real estate agents?
I’m glad you asked, because we’re going to dive into just that.
Realtors need leads and an updated and beautiful website is a great way for generating leads. A real estate agent’s website is more than just a landing page, it’s a gateway to their services.
Why is a Website Important for a Real Estate Agent?
Ever Google yourself? Yes? No? Regardless, I’m sure some of your clients have.
Think of how many sales you’ve missed out on (that translates to thousands of dollars in commission) because someone knew of you but couldn’t find a way to get a hold of you.
Perhaps they had your business card and lost it or maybe they heard about you through a friend and wanted to look up your contact information.
If you’re not online with a search engine optimized (SEO) website, they’re not going to be able to find you. That is sales and commission down the drain. Easy money gone.
If you’re in the real estate industry it is critical for you to have a website that is specifically designed for you. Think of it as your online business card.
Your entire business model revolves around getting leads and clients to buy or sell homes, but it’s so difficult to even find you. That’s why, at the very least, you need to have a web presence beyond just social media. You need to have a place that you control and gives your potential buyers and sellers a place to get everything they need.
What Makes a Great Website for Realtors?
Class. Professionalism. Inviting.
You can expect a website to reflect who you are as a professional if it’s possible for your business card to do so. These are only a few of the qualities you’ll want in a website that demonstrates your professionalism.
Developing and designing an appealing website is undoubtedly necessary in today’s market. With so many Realtors fighting for leads, you need to stand out. You want a website that highlights your professionalism as a Realtor and makes leads feel comfortable with you. After all, your website may be your first impression.
Design Elements of a Realtor’s Website
Branding is a natural element of the design process. You want your name (i.e. brand) front and center when someone goes to your website.
Heck, you can’t even scroll on our website without our logo following you.
Your website’s color scheme goes hand-in-hand with your brand. You’ll want to make sure your site’s colors reflect your brand, while at the same time balancing readability. If your brand’s colors are black and teal, you might want to avoid a black background with teal text – it gets very difficult to read.
Lastly, you want it to be clean.
Remember your MySpace profile? Perhaps? No? Well, they existed and they could give seizures with the flashing colors on some of them. Hopefully, you had your computer’s volume down when you went to a profile because the music was a thing too.
Keep the design clean, neat, professional, and easy to read.
Real Estate Agent Website Layout and Content
What do you want to achieve with your website? Do you want your leads to call you? Do you want them to select a home and contact their agent?
All of this matters when developing a layout for your website.
Regardless, you want it to flow nicely and not confuse your potential clients.
If for example, you’re listing the homes you have on the market, perhaps you display them upfront. Beautiful pictures, delightful headlines, overall capturing their intent.
Maybe you don’t list properties on your website. It’s not a requirement, although I highly recommend integrating an IDX solution to display properties from the MLS. Instead, you highlight why you’re the best agent for them, whether listing or buying. If this is the case you’ll focus on testimonials or perhaps recent homes you’ve sold. This is your chance to sell yourself as an agent.
I Can Make My Own Site for Free
Of course, it’s possible, but then again there’s that ol’ adage – you get what you pay for.
Perhaps you can make your own site on a builder like Wix, or maybe your broker provides a ready-made website for you. You’ll end up looking and feeling like the rest of the agents. What separates you from the pack? Why are you different?
You’re good – no, you’re great – at selling homes. You received credentials from your state’s real estate commission and linked up with a great team. Heck, you might’ve even sold some homes already.
But have you ever tried to build a website?
You have to find a domain name (i.e. yourname.com), find a hosting provider, design an attractive and professionally appealing website, do some search engine optimization, and hopefully, just hopefully, a lead goes to your website and says, “That is who I want to work with!”
It’s difficult, but not impossible.
However, here’s why you should consider website designers for real estate agents.
We’re trained in this! It’s what we do. Website designers live and breathe design and SEO.
Have you ever had a lead tell you that they’d prefer to sell their home FSBO to save on the commission? Of course, then you tried to convince them otherwise. The same principles apply when you’re looking to develop your brand’s website.
Don’t skimp on it, even if you sell one property through a lead from your website the return on investment is astronomical.
Not Tooting My Own Horn, but Here’s an Example
My wife is a real estate agent and I’ve designed her website and optimized it for search engines.
Given that she is a member of a team of Realtors, we only had to focus on her brand, not necessarily listing properties. That was already taken care of.
So in her case, www.AmandaBrown.net, simply highlights her as a real estate agent and not any specific properties.
To date, she’s had 8 confirmed leads that closed on homes. Talk about a killer ROI!
Have you checked out any website designers for real estate agents? If not, I’d love the opportunity to show you what I can do. Whether you have a question or want to shoot some ideas around, I’d love to discuss some options with you. Just give me a call, text, or email and we can start coming up with some ideas.