Why Real Estate Agents Need Their Own Websites (2024)

As a Realtor and real estate investor myself, I understand firsthand how busy real estate agents are these days. With demanding schedules, long hours, and endless client responsibilities, it can be difficult for real estate agents to find the time to build and maintain a good real estate website.

But as a WordPress Web design company owner who has developed websites for agents and brokers for 20+ years, I understand the importance of having a strong online presence in the real estate industry.

In this post, I’ll answer some common questions real estate agents have when it comes to creating their own website.

Why is a Website Important for Real Estate Agents?

Having a strong online presence is crucial for real estate agents. A website is often the first impression a potential client will have of you, so it’s important to make it a positive one. A website is an excellent way to showcase your properties, establish your brand, and attract new clients. By having a website, you’re able to reach a larger audience and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their real estate needs. After all, most clients are online these days. It would be kind of weird if you weren’t online as well …

Should I Create My Own Website as a Real Estate Agent?

As a real estate agent, having your own website can be a valuable tool to showcase your properties, establish your brand, and attract potential clients. While you may get a page on your broker’s website you may want to consider working with a professional web design company to create a pro-level website that you own and control. After all, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

If you’re considering creating your own website, be sure to consider the time and effort it takes to do it all on your own from scratch and whether you would be better off using that time to cultivate your sphere of influence and work for your clients as opposed to dealing with website updates, learning how to optimize your site and content, worry about plugin compatibilities, and deal with site malfunctions and errors.

What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent Website?

A good real estate agent website should be easy to navigate and provide relevant information. Here are some high-level key elements that make a good real estate agent website:

1. User-Friendly Design: The design of your website should be easy to navigate and visually appealing. Visitors should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
2. Mobile-Friendly Design: It’s essential to have a mobile-friendly website. This means that your website should be optimized for viewing on different devices and screen sizes.
3. Relevant Information: Your website should provide relevant information about your properties, as well as information about you and your services. This includes a professional bio, testimonials, contact information, and contact forms.
4. High-Quality Images: High-quality images are essential for showcasing your properties and attracting potential clients. Make sure that the images you use are clear, well-lit, and showcase the properties in their best light. Optimize the images so they don’t slow your site down.
5. Blog: A blog is a great way to provide valuable content to your clients and improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). You can write about industry news, market trends, and anything else that may be of interest to your target audience.

Why WordPress is the Best Platform for Real Estate Agent Websites

WordPress is an open-source platform that offers a wealth of customization options and plugins. It can handle any kind of website, including real estate websites. WordPress is also search engine friendly, making it easier for your website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are a few reasons why I use and recommend WordPress for real estate agent websites:

1. Customization Options: WordPress offers a wide range of customization options, making it easy to create a unique and professional-looking real estate website (visit my real estate website for an example: stephenrparker.com. There are thousands of themes and templates to choose from, as well as plugins that can add functionality to your site.
2. Easy to Use: WordPress is user-friendly. With its intuitive interface, it’s easy to add new pages, posts, and images, and make updates to your site.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): WordPress is search engine friendly, making it easier for your website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). With the right search engine strategy and continued effort, you can optimize your site for search engines and attract more traffic to the areas or neighborhoods or listings your feature on your website.
4. Cost-Effective: WordPress is a cost-effective platform for creating a real estate agent website. While there is a cost for hosting and a domain name, the cost of using WordPress can be less than other website builder platforms.
5. Security: WordPress is constantly being updated to ensure the security of its users’ websites. Plus, with regular updates to your site and its plugins using a WordPress Security and Maintenance Service, you can rest assured that your website will be secure.

How I Create a Real Estate Agent Website

Here are the steps I take to create your real estate website:

1. Choose a Domain Name and Hosting: The first step in creating a website is to choose a domain name and hosting. A domain name is the web address for your site, and hosting is where your website’s files are stored. There are several options for hosting, but I use and recommend InMotion Hosting.
2. Install WordPress: Once you have chosen a domain name and hosting, I install and configure WordPress and any plugins needed for your website.
3. Choose a Theme: Once WordPress is installed, I install the theme for your site. There are thousands of themes to choose from, and many are specifically designed for real estate websites. When choosing a theme, I will help you find one that is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and has a professional look. I will also be sure you purchase from a reputable vendor who updates its themes and stands behind your purchase for the long run (very important!).
4. Customize Your Site: Once you have chosen a theme, I will customize your site. This includes adding your logo, updating the color scheme, and adding pages and posts. You can customize a little, a lot, or none at all. Generally speaking, the more you customize, the more expensive the site will be.
5. Add Your Content: Your website should include relevant information about you, your experience, your services, as well as properties you have listed and properties you have sold. Your website is a great place for: A Professional Bio: A professional bio will help visitors get to know you better, learn about your background and expertise, and build trust with you. A Portfolio of Properties: A property portfolio is the most important aspect of any real estate agent’s website. It should be easy to navigate and include high-quality images of the properties you’re offering for sale as well as properties you’ve sold in the past or properties that are for sale in your area. Testimonials: Including testimonials from previous clients is a great way to build credibility and demonstrate the quality of your work. Contact Information: Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and easy to find on your website. You should also include a contact form to make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you. Contact Forms: Multiple contact forms are a great way to so you can start collecting contacts for your database or CRM (customer relationship management) software or spreadsheet. A Blog: A blog is an excellent way to provide valuable content to your visitors and improve your website’s SEO. You can write about industry news, property market trends, and anything else that may be of interest to your target audience.
6. Optimize for Search Engines: You’ve probably heard that search engine optimization (SEO) is important. Well, it’s incredibly important in real estate. All the real estate agents in your area are attempting to attract the same new clients. To ensure that your website ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs), you’ll need to optimize it for search engines. This includes adding keywords to your content, creating meta descriptions, using header tags, optimizing load times, and, where appropriate, running separate SEO campaigns for particular neighborhoods, buildings, or developments.
7. Launch Your Site: Once you have added all of your content and optimized your site for search engines, you can launch your site. I will test it on different devices and screen sizes to ensure that it looks and functions as intended. Congrats! You’ve got yourself a live real estate website!!

How Much Does a Real Estate Website Cost?

The cost of a real estate website can vary depending on the size, features, and customization options you choose. On average, the cost of a basic WordPress real estate website can range from $2,500 all the way to $15,000 or more for a brokerage. I always work with my clients to ensure that your website not only fits your needs now, but can also grow with you. I also offer all-inclusive website subscription plans that cost much less upfront (hundreds a month versus thousands all at once) and include generous professional discounts, so it’s worth asking about during your initial website consultation.

Choosing the Right Partner

It is crucial to partner with a web design agency that understands the unique needs of real estate agents and brokers and can take care of the website development process from start to finish and then maintain that site for you as you focus on your real estate career.

I have worked with real estate, building, construction, architecture, and engineering clients for 20 years. And I am a Realtor myself. I understand the real estate industry and I also know what it takes to create a website that is both effective and compliant with relevant regulations and guidelines including Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Act, the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics, and more.