Having a professional, user-friendly, informative website is critical for your real estate business. After all, your website is often the first interaction a client has with you. But building a beautiful, functional website is only the first step. You also need to drive traffic to it.
Here are some tips for creating and optimizing a website that converts leads into clients.
10 Tips to Build an Effective Real Estate Website
What’s the first thing most people do when considering a real estate purchase? Most grab their phones or laptops and start looking for properties and real estate agents. Make sure your website is ready for these leads by ensuring it is helpful and easy to use.
Here are some tips on building an effective website for your real estate business.
1. Make sure your website is easy to navigate.
Make sure your website has clear menu options and intuitive navigation. Modern users have little patience for poorly designed websites and will click away if they have to work hard to find the information they are seeking.
2. Allow users advanced search options.
Implement robust search functionality that allows users to filter listings based on their specific criteria, such as price range, property type, location, and features. Use this data to send personalized messages to these leads.
3. Incorporate interactive maps.
Incorporate interactive maps to help buyers visualize property locations and nearby amenities such as schools, parks, restaurants, and transportation options.
4. Make sure the user has a consistent experience across a wide range of devices.
Your website should have a responsive design that ensures optimal viewing and interaction experience across all types of devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
5. Include contact forms (or lead capture forms) on your website.
Include lead capture forms strategically throughout your website to collect contact information from users interested in learning more about your properties or scheduling viewings. Of course, follow up immediately when someone submits a contact form.
6. Showcase client testimonials.
Include reviews from happy clients. You could include video testimonials, written reviews, or photos of happy clients in their new homes. Ask satisfied clients who would create persuasive reviews to provide content for your website.
7. Entice visitors with clear call-to-action buttons.
Use compelling call-to-action buttons to prompt visitors to take specific actions, such as scheduling a viewing, requesting more information, or signing up for email alerts.
8. Require users to register to get access to exclusive content.
Your website should provide helpful content and information for prospective buyers and sellers. However, your website has another purpose – to generate leads. Consider offering some content or information for users who provide their contact information.
9. Help clients make informed decisions by providing calculators.
Real estate calculators assist users in making informed decisions related to buying, selling, or investing in property.
There are several types of calculators found on real estate websites. Here are three of the most common.
- Mortgage Calculator: This helps users estimate their monthly mortgage payments based on the amount of the loan, interest rates, terms of the loan, and the down payment.
- Affordability Calculator: This tool helps users determine how much they can afford to spend on a home based on their income, expenses, debt-to-income ratio, and other financial factors.
- Rent vs Buy Calculator: Users can compare the costs of renting versus buying a home over a specific period to determine which option may be more financially advantageous for them.
Other real estate calculators include those that help clients make decisions about investing. You may also include closing cost calculators – or a calculator that allows users to estimate property tax obligations.
10. Include your biography.
What makes you different than the other real estate agents in your community? Write a brief but informative biography providing pertinent details about your background, including certifications or real estate specializations.
11 Tips to Drive More Traffic to Your Real Estate Website
We’ve given you tips on what type of content and tools to include on your real estate website. However, your website will only be helpful to you and your clients if they are able to find it. Your website traffic is important – the more visitors you have, the more search engines will establish you as an industry authority.
Here are some tips for driving traffic to your real estate website.
1. Optimize for Search Engines (SEO).
Search engine optimization (SEO) can be a full-time job — it’s something dedicated professionals spend their careers understanding. It includes such things as keywords, meta tags, and descriptive URLs.
You might not be able to master SEO, but you can learn a lot about it for free on the internet. We recommend paying attention to Neil Patel’s SEO advice — he’s a thought leader in this space.
2. Increase traffic to your website with your social media accounts.
Use your interaction with users on social media to drive your audience to your website. Content could include blog posts, videos, infographics, and (of course) property listings. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn can be utilized.
3. Try email marketing campaigns.
Emails can be a powerful tool for drawing users to your real estate website. Consider sending personalized property alerts, newsletters, educational content, open house invitations, client success stories, and more to lead people to your website.
4. Promote your listings on real estate aggregator sites.
Real estate aggregator sites, also known as listing portals or property search engines, gather property listings from various sources and provide users with a centralized platform to search for properties based on their preferences and criteria. They include Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and others. Such listings link back to your website and allow users to contact you directly for inquiries.
5. Create a video tour of the property.
Virtual tours provide a more immersive and engaging experience than static images or descriptions. In addition, video content can improve search engine optimization (SEO) for a real estate agent’s website because Google often prioritizes websites with videos – especially for property-related searches.
6. Write informative, helpful blogs for your website.
Blogging regularly can boost a real estate agent’s website’s SEO performance. Fresh, relevant, helpful content signals to search engines that the website is active and authoritative. If you don’t have the time or writing abilities, hire a freelancer to provide quality content.
Related: 50 Topics for Your Real Estate Blog
7. Feature your listings on your home page.
Including your listings on your home page can improve SEO, which will help your website rank higher in search engine results. Additionally, making sure that listings have immediate visibility showcases expertise – and makes it more convenient for visitors to your website.
8. Use paid search advertising.
Targeted paid campaigns allow you to advertise to people who are searching for a real estate agent in a specific zip code, city, state, or region – or people who are searching for particular keywords. If you need help with your website getting ranked on the first few pages for common searches, try a targeted paid campaign to increase traffic to your website.
9. Claim and utilize online directories.
Real estate agents should claim and optimize their profiles on popular online directories, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Places. Of course, also utilize industry-specific directories like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia. Ensure your website URL is prominently featured (and clickable) on your directory profiles.
10. Network with influencers and bloggers.
Influencers and bloggers want more website traffic, just as you want more traffic. Linking each others’ websites will help increase both websites’ visibility and help establish both parties as industry authorities. Join local professional organizations and attend community events to network with these influencers.
Related: Tips for Networking in Real Estate
11. Hire professional help to increase traffic to your website.
Your website is a critical tool in growing your brand and converting leads into clients. Make sure you are using the resources available to you from your real estate brokerage to make your website as professional as possible. In addition, as your marketing budget allows, utilize professionals to improve your business website.
Colibri Real Estate School offers flexible learning options wherever you are in your real estate journey. Whether you are planning to start a real estate business or have a few years under your belt, we are dedicated to helping you reach new heights. For more professional guidance on marketing your business, sign up to receive fresh tips and insights from Colibri Real Estate.
