It’s 2024, and we are way beyond the point of discussing whether real estate businesses need a website. Today, it is no longer enough to just have a website.

To beat the competition, you need a high-converting, modern, and feature-rich real estate website. But you probably know that already. So let’s talk about the barrier between you and a good, high-converting real estate website- the cost.

In this post, we’ll dive deep into how much real estate website development costs, what factors determine the cost, and how a well-structured, SEO-friendly website helps you grow.

How much will a real estate website cost you in 2024?

If you choose to work with a professional web development company specializing in real estate, the overall investment can be around $2,000 – $20,000.

However several factors determine a website’s cost, such as its type, size, and complexity. However, the biggest is ‘who’ is developing your website. Starting from a freelancer to an experienced real estate website development agency, you may have several options.

Yes, whatever questions are popping up, they all are valid!

How does a $2000 real estate website differ from a $20,000 one? How do you decide what you need? Which factors determine the cost?

Real estate website development cost breakdown by the scope

1. Basic real estate website for independent agents

Estimated real estate website package: ($2,000 – $5,000)

A basic website plus IDX with less than 10 pages is perfect for brokers and professionals who have just begun their real estate journey. If you don’t require custom interactive features, a basic real estate website could be a cost-effective way to get your business online.

2. Mid-sized real estate website for established brokers or a small firm

Estimated real estate website package: ($5,000 – $10,000)

Investing in a mid-sized website is advisable if you’re an established broker or own a small brokerage firm looking to grow your sales. You may require a website featuring 10-15 pages, an intuitive website theme, a property finder with details, etc., for an enhanced online presence.

3. Semi-customizable real estate website for large firms

Estimated real estate website package: ($10,000 – $16,000)

A semi-customizable website gives you the freedom to align it with your real estate brand image. An apt investment for professionals or large brokerage companies willing to stand out with a unique website.

4. 100% Customizable real estate website for enterprises

Estimated real estate website package: ($16,000 – $20,000+)

Want the real estate world to use your website as a reference? A custom-designed website with feature-rich integrations will help you stand out, validating your credibility in the real estate industry. Investing in a high-end website allows you to integrate advanced features such as virtual tours, interactive maps, etc.

5 Factors that affect the real estate website development cost

Here are important factors that affect your overall cost to build a website in 2024.

1. The complexity of the website design

How rich in features do you want your real estate website to be? This one question can determine the complexity of your website design and, thus, the cost.

Websites made using WordPress templates may not need significant customizations and are cheaper to develop.

However, designing a customized website with more features and functionalities requires more time, resources, and experienced talent. The intricacies and expertise in creating something unique can impact the cost of developing a real estate website.

2. Content development

Good content informs the user with an intent to take their user journey ahead. And every real estate website needs that persuasion.

Whether in the form of service descriptions, sales copy, property guides, blogs, CTAs, social media, or graphics, you’ll need to invest in content for a credible online presence. The amount of content you choose to publish can impact the website development cost.

3. Scope of website development

Hiring an experienced development team to create a highly functional real estate website is crucial.

As the scope for your website features gets more expansive, the developers may need to use better technologies to create the desired experience.

Similarly, open-source platforms like WordPress are affordable for a limited budget. With few customizations, WordPress websites can be a good option for individual brokers or small firms.

4. Search engine optimization

Supposedly, your Google search query is ‘real estate website development cost in the USA.’ All the results you see on Google are due to the agencies’ search engine optimization efforts.

Optimizing your website for search engines is the first step towards reaching your target audience organically. Hiring a good SEO analyst for keyword research, technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO can impact your real estate business’s SERPs and cost.

5. Type of Website hosting & Security

How you choose to host your website is a significant cost factor. Cloud hosting is the most popular choice now, but you can also choose shared or dedicated hosting.

Being a safer option, cloud hosting can cost you anywhere from $50 to $1000, while shared hosting can be cheaper. You also need an SSL certificate to secure your website data from cybercrime and phishers.

7 Key features that every real estate website must have

A good website has a low bounce rate, which ultimately fuels higher conversions. And to keep your users hooked to your website, you need to make it easy for them to find the relevant information.

We’ll discuss 10 key features that make the website accessible for your target audience!

1. Good UI/UX

A good, easy-to-navigate UX is non-negotiable unless you want your target audience to go to your competitor’s site. Why? Because if they find navigating your website for relevant information challenging, you’ll lose massively conversions.

Here’s what users should find easily on your real estate website:

About us section

Your potential customers might first want to know about you and your firm. Knowing who they are dealing with can give them confidence to move forward in their journey.

A smashing About Us section with your professional background, people working with you, and a few client reviews can stop your visitors from hopping to another firm.

Property listings

Help your users find the properties easily by placing the property finder where they can easily spot them. Give them all the necessary information about the properties that might help them in their decision-making journey.

Contact information

A user, your potential buyer, should always have multiple options for reaching out to you. Setting up detailed contact forms with compelling CTAs is one way of making contact easy. You can also use pop-up forms for the same.

Blogs

Your audience needs answers. And posting blogs or articles is the most credible way of addressing their concerns. Go all-in on giving information to your audience, and you’ll see a substantial boost in your conversion rate.

2. Advanced search

If you are running a real estate agency, you may already have a simple search filter where users can easily filter rent/buy, house/condo, etc. However, with advanced search options, your buyers can find exactly what they need.

Try advancing your search filter with the following options, especially if you’re a property listing website:

Property type

Allow your potential clients to filter by house, condo, apartment, villa, or commercial properties.

The number of rooms

Putting everything on the platter is the worst strategy for sales. Your buyers know how big a house is and how many rooms they want. Helping them filter out the rest is a good conversion strategy.

Garden/ open space

There will always be a client base with a ‘no-compromise’ policy on the outdoor space. Adding this filter can help you serve them better.

Budget

The most significant factor that impacts real estate buyers is budget. Not adding this filter is like forcing the users to shoot in the dark, which works for neither of you.

Luxury features

Add as many amenities your property listings have in common, like a pool, BBQ area, gym, etc., to the filter.

Neighbourhood

Allow your users to search properties by area or neighborhood on your website. This helps them check for nearby public amenities like schools, parks, stores, etc., and choose a property based on their preferences.

3. Map integration

Incorporate interactive maps to showcase property locations accurately, allowing users to explore the surrounding area, nearby amenities, and transportation options.

4. Responsive design

Mobile search is dominating, accounting for 64% of searches, while desktop searches make up 35%, according to Sistrix research. Ensure your website is responsive, adapting seamlessly to various screen sizes. A responsive website offers a user-friendly experience for users who search for properties on their smartphones or tablets.

5. Property guides

Demographics are crucial in real estate and a major decision-making factor for buyers. Creating property guides for locations where you offer your services can give a better idea to your potential buyers. Doing this might help people who move cities.

Here is what you can include in your guide:

Nearest transportation
Local schools, colleges, universities
Local shopping amenities, including convenience stores, malls, restaurants, entertainment venues, etc.
Community groups
Parks, play fields for kids
Youth groups

6. Photographs and videos

Visuals sell. Photos and videos of the listed properties increase the trust quotient of the buyers. Try adding high-quality images, video tours, and virtual reality tours to give your buyers a better idea of the real estate property.

Tip: Never settle for low resolution images and videos. They do more harm than good.

7. Social proof

Even in the age of social media, word of mouth wins as a marketing strategy. Yes, the medium has changed to digital, but that is still the best way of communicating expertise.

Add client testimonials to your website as social proof of your exceptional services. Proving the credibility and trust that users expect can significantly impact your sales.

How UpInFifty helps you build a high-converting real estate website

1. We specialize in real estate website development

We understand real estate from the core. At UpInFifty, we have a dedicated team of professionals specializing in creating real estate websites.

Our expertise lies in understanding the unique needs and requirements of the industry, ensuring that we deliver a website tailored specifically for your business. We create a unique presence whether you’re an independent broker or a large real estate company.

2. Our expertise is foundational

Whether it is real estate, website development, or marketing, we have a strong understanding of the basics. This helps our experts stick to our development mantra– fewer iterations and lower development costs.

Having helped PropTech businesses go live with their products, we can be your trusted partner for customized real estate websites.

Our team stays updated with the latest industry trends and best practices to provide you with a cutting-edge website that engages and converts visitors.

3. We offer cost-effective end-to-end services

Building a real estate website involves various elements such as design, development, content creation, SEO optimization, and more.

With UpInFifty, you get the advantage of our end-to-end services, which means we handle all aspects of website development under one roof. This streamlined approach saves you time, effort, and costs for managing multiple vendors.

Final thoughts

If you’d ask us how to develop a real estate website, we’d strongly suggest you seek a good balance between cost and quality. Whether you hire a freelancer or an agency like ours, do your research to avoid any compromise you might have to face.

As for us, we’re here to help! Check out our real estate website development price packages to know more.

How Much Does A Real Estate Website Cost In 2024?