Realtor Web Design: Design Services that Generate Leads

If you’re in the real estate business, it’s time to work with a custom web design agency. Here’s why.

Every realtor knows the importance of having a website. It’s a requirement for any professional, especially for those hoping to generate leads. Unless you’re a web designer on the side, though, the prospect of designing a high-performing site that’s going to get you the results you need can be daunting.

Of course, there are countless companies out there who design websites for real estate professionals, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, narrowing down the choices can be tricky.

What Realtors Should Look For in Web Design Services

Many of the things that realtors should look for in website design are the same as they would be for any business: an attractive, user-friendly site that drives leads. But realtors have additional needs, too, such as CRM and IDX options.

Keep these things in mind while comparing web design companies and consider how they solved these needs for other clients in their portfolios.

Site Appearance

The best real estate website design is clean and professional without unnecessary clutter.

An experienced website design team will help you walk the line between professional and dull. You want to project the image of competence and professionalism while still showing some personality.

Otherwise, you run the risk of a bland site that potential home buyers won’t remember later when they’re comparing all the companies they’ve evaluated.

Site User Experience

Is it easy for people to find what they’re looking for on your site? It sounds like a silly question, but it’s not uncommon for people to get so wrapped up in a site’s look that they forget to make it user friendly.

Good realtor website design allows site visitors to easily find listings and contact information, at the very least.

Responsiveness, meaning how your site looks on different devices, is another essential part of the user experience. It’s more common for people to use their tablets or phones to search the web, so your site must work just as well on mobile devices as on a desktop.

Make sure that the web design service you choose is mobile optimized. Otherwise, potential leads who get frustrated with your mobile site will just go to the next real estate agency that pops up on Google.

Call to Action on Site

Many professionals see a website as necessary to present an established, professional appearance to the world, which is valid. But if you stop and think about it, the point of a realty website isn’t just to let people know what you do.

A successful realtor’s website needs to generate leads. For this to happen, you need your site to have a clear call to action. The call to action is usually filling out a contact form but can also be along the lines of “call now to set up a showing.”

Work with your website design team to decide on a clear call to action, and make sure it’s unmissable on your site.

Internet Data Display (IDX)

Arguably the most important page on any realtor’s website is the IDX page, which shows all available listings to site visitors. This is where many design services specializing in realty websites excel, since they naturally have more experience with the required plugins than other website design companies.

Any proficient web designer will be able to set up an IDX page for you, though, even if they don’t specialize in realty-specific sites, but companies with experience in the field may be better able to customize solutions for you,

Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)

Just as important as generating lead traffic to your site is capturing and managing the lead data. CRM software allows you to do just that and will help you organize your leads, make notes of their pressure points, and schedule follow-ups.

Web design specific to real estate professionals often incorporates CRM integration, which means that any time someone fills out a contact form on your site, the information automatically populates in your CRM, saving you the time of re-entering the data by hand.

Marketing Tools

Many of the companies listed above include robust digital marketing tools with their realtor websites, which can automate lead generation efforts. Just a few examples of these are:

• SEO
• Content writing and copywriting services
• Lead tracking and reporting
• Email templates
• Email automation and drip campaigns
• PPC management
• Social media services

The less time and effort you’re spending on generating leads, the more you’re able to spend on nurturing existing leads and closing sales.

Support

It’s essential to be honest with yourself when choosing a real estate website design company, and think about how much support you’re likely to need. Some companies are happy to pretty much do everything for you, and others are only available by email if you have questions.

If you’re not especially tech-savvy and this is your first website, you might opt for one of the companies that provide more support. On the other hand, if designing and maintaining websites is something you can do in your sleep, you might not want to pay for support you’re not using and might prefer a platform targeted towards more independent users.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a website for your real estate business can be daunting, but pairing with the right web design service can help the process go smoothly. And done right, it will be more than worth it since spending a few weeks on a well-designed website will generate leads for years to come.