Your website is your digital shopfront. It’s where homeowners go to research you. It’s how they evaluate your brand and your skill sets ahead of deciding whether you and your team are the right fit. Don’t underestimate your site’s importance!
In today’s market, more people will visit your real estate website than walk through the physical door of your agency office, making your site a crucial part of your business.
While buyers primarily use the real estate portals to browse property listings, your website should be vendor- and landlord-focused. It’s a trust-building tool that helps potential clients form opinions about you before they pick up the phone. A well-designed site establishes credibility, while an outdated one can cost you leads, clients, and opportunities. If your website still looks like it did in the 2010s or isn’t generating the desired results, it’s time for an overhaul.
Signs your real estate website is outdated
If you’re unsure whether your website needs an upgrade, here are some telltale signs:
- Outdated design that looks stuck in the past
- Difficult navigation that makes it hard to find key information
- Slow loading times, which frustrate visitors
- Not mobile-friendly, meaning it doesn’t display properly on smartphones
- No clear brand identity or messaging that highlights what makes you different
- Lack of strong CTAs, such as “Book an appraisal” or “Get an instant property price”
- Limited content beyond property listings—no blog or resources to establish your expertise
- No social proof, such as client testimonials or case studies
- Poor SEO performance, making it hard to find your agency on Google
- No analytics integration, so you don’t know who’s visiting your site or how they found you
- Stale content, making your business appear inactive
- Too many stock images rather than high-quality, original visuals of you and your team
Why an outdated real estate website is hurting your business
A subpar real estate website does more harm than you may realise. Prospective clients judge your professionalism based on your website, meaning an outdated or poorly designed site can immediately reduce credibility. When you invest in marketing to drive traffic to your site, but visitors arrive at an underwhelming experience, they leave quickly—resulting in wasted marketing spend and high bounce rates.
An ineffective website also means you miss valuable opportunities. Without strong lead capture features, visitors won’t take the next step, and without clear branding, you risk blending in with competitors rather than standing out. Additionally, search engines prioritise well-structured, modern websites, so if your site isn’t up to date, your rankings will suffer, making it harder for prospective clients to find you.
In today’s competitive market, having an outdated website puts you at a disadvantage. Sellers and landlords research agents before making a decision, and if your competitors have a stronger digital presence, they’re more likely to win the listing. Moreover, a modern website allows you to implement digital marketing strategies such as retargeting, which keeps you top-of-mind for potential clients even after they leave your site. Without these tools, you’ll have to work significantly harder to generate leads and convert them into clients.
The must-have features of a modern real estate website
To stay ahead in today’s market, your website should include:
- Mobile responsiveness, so it looks great on any screen size
- Fast loading times for a seamless user experience
- A clean, uncluttered layout with intuitive navigation
- Clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that drive inquiries and capture a contact’s details
- Strong branding that reinforces your unique identity
- High-quality visuals—photos of you, your team, and the local area
- A blog or resources section that highlights your expertise
- CRM integration for seamless property listing updates
- Client testimonials and case studies that build trust
- Easy-to-find contact information, including click-to-call functionality
- SSL encryption, improving security and SEO
- Google Analytics integration, giving you insight into visitor behaviour
Case Study: Lifestyle Gold Coast
When Lifestyle Gold Coast (formerly Lifestyle First Realty) engaged our services, they explained that their existing website had made a snap decision to leave a franchise network that they were operating under, so their website was built quickly and without much thought or planning. Their site had served them well as the first version of their independent agency, but being 14 years old, it was well overdue for an upgrade.
Alongside their website, the client wanted to improve their business name and undergo a rebrand. Now well-established as an independent brand, they had clear ideas about their identity and how they wanted to position themselves. Their strongest competitor had recently rebranded with a sleek, modern-looking real estate website, making their own brand feel even more outdated by comparison.
Our first step was to refine their brand name. We researched name availability, checked ASIC records and the availability of potentially registering certain URLs, and discussed various options. The final choice, Lifestyle Gold Coast, retained the familiarity of the original name while replacing “First Realty” with “Gold Coast.” Given that real estate and property terms would appear throughout the site’s content, including those terms in the business name was unnecessary.
Next, we worked on colour and style preferences. Using our suite of demo brands as a visual guide, the client identified their preference for a simple, single-colour brand with a beachy, coastal feel. Water and waves were important to them, leading to a palette of blues and turquoise.
We also coordinated a professional photo shoot, advising the principals on suitable locations and clothing that complemented their new brand identity. With refreshed colours, fonts, imagery, and real-life mockups — including signboards, website previews, and social media assets — the client could confidently sign off on their new brand before we moved on to their website redesign.
Within a few short weeks, their outdated, clunky, templated website was transformed into a sleek, modern platform that not only positioned them as trusted real estate professionals but also perfectly encapsulated the coastal lifestyle their business name represented. With a new website they could feel proud of, they could move on to marketing activities that would complement and drive prospects to their site.
Case Study: Meridien Realty
Meridien Realty’s previous website was built by a real estate CRM company. While these platforms manage property listings well, they are more operational-focused than marketing or lead generation-focused. Their tech teams often lack the skills or knowledge required to build for web searches. The sites are often rigid and lack the flexibility and advanced features needed for a high-performing SEO-optimised real estate website.
Some of the issues Meridien Realty faced included:
- A fixed-template design that looked identical to other real estate agency websites
- Limited SEO features, making it difficult to rank on Google
- A clunky backend that made making updates frustrating for staff
- Minimal branding customisation options
- Inability to implement new features without waiting for the CRM provider to add the request to their development roadmap, with no guaranteed timeline
The Hoole team stepped in to rebuild the site using best-of-breed web technologies. The process included:
- A brand refresh, optimising colours and layouts for digital screens
- A custom website design tailored to Meridien’s unique brand messaging
- A professional photoshoot featuring the team and real clients to create an authentic, engaging experience
- SEO optimisation, ensuring better Google rankings
- Seamless CRM integration, making property listing updates automatic
The result? A high-performing website that strengthens Meridien Realty’s brand and drives more inquiries.
Practical steps to improve your real estate website
If your website isn’t delivering results, start by auditing your site to identify outdated content elements. Look for issues such as slow load times, missing call-to-action buttons, or a lack of mobile responsiveness. Once you’ve pinpointed areas for improvement, working with a professional web team can help redesign and rebuild your website to modern standards.
Optimising for SEO is a crucial step to ensure your website ranks well on Google and attracts organic traffic. This includes refining content, using relevant keywords, and structuring your site to be search-engine friendly. Additionally, it’s important to test your website’s compatibility across mobile and desktop devices, ensuring a seamless experience for all visitors.
Finally, when launching a new site, implementing 301 redirects is essential to maintain search rankings. Redirecting old URLs to their new equivalents prevents broken links and ensures a smooth transition for both users and search engines.
Your real estate website is a critical business tool
A well-designed website isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have—it directly impacts your lead generation and marketing ROI. It should reflect your brand and establish credibility, helping you stand out in a competitive market. A strong website has the power to convert more visitors into clients, maximising your marketing investment and making winning property listings easier. Ensuring your site is modern, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines will set you up for long-term success in real estate.
Get a better website with Hoole
Not happy with your current real estate website? The Hoole brand experts and web development team can help. Let’s create a high-performing site that ensures you attract more vendors, landlords, and, ultimately, property listings. Book a time to talk with me, Melanie Hoole, about your brand and website.
We offer a variety of solutions tailored to different budgets, ensuring you get the best option to match your specific needs. We provide the full gamut of services from brand design, website development, and content creation to social media advertising solutions. Engage a team that knows real estate inside and out.