If you want to make it in the real estate industry, establishing a professional online presence should be your priority.
That’s because having a real estate website helps market your business to a broader audience, not to mention the sales boosting effect that it has.
Of course, creating a website comes at a price.
The actual cost can vary depending on your needs, so you have to know where your money is going before you make the move.
To help you, I’ve come up with a cost breakdown for building a real estate website based on the method used:
- Using a website builder. This is one of the cheapest ways to build a website. You can make your own site quickly and use the platform’s built-in features to grow your business.
- Hiring a developer. A web developer can build a website that looks unique and is optimized for your needs. That said, this is a more expensive method.
Cost breakdown for a real estate website
1. Use a website builder with pre-made templates
The first option you have is to create the website yourself using a website builder.
A website building platform is designed to be beginner-friendly, so you can start working on your online presence in just a few clicks.
There are plenty of website builders on the market, but the one I’ve been using is Zyro.
Its drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to move the content around the web page. It also has a grid system that keeps all of the elements in place.
All the templates come with premade sections that you can replace with your own content. At the moment, I’m using Blackmore, which has a grid gallery segment that I use to display pictures of my current listing.
Are website builders affordable?
On average, a website builder is one of the cheapest platforms to build a website. But how much you pay depends on which site builder you choose.
For instance, Zyro’s package starts as low as $1.99 per month. Should you want to build a business website and get more advanced features, opt for the Unleashed plan, which costs only $2.99 per month.
These prices include web hosting and a free SSL certificate, so you don’t need to purchase them separately.
That said, you still need to get a custom domain that looks professional. If you want to get a .com extension, be prepared to pay an annual fee of $10 to $15, no matter which website building platform you choose.
In sum, using a website builder can cost around $50 to $250 a year. With such a low price, you can spend more of your budget on growing, not setting up, your realtor website.
Pros of using a website builder
- Beautiful and user-friendly designs. Most website builders provide ready-to-use templates that look good from the get-go. Plus, they always prioritize the best web design practices so that the site is easy to navigate.
- Built-in features. There are settings to increase your ranking on search engines, add social media buttons, and optimize your website for conversion rates.
- Fast onboarding process. All you need to do is pick a template, edit your website, create listings, and publish it.
Cons of using a website builder
- Cookie-cutter. If you don’t make a lot of custom changes, your website might look too similar to others using the same platform.
- Limited options. You have to stick with the features and extensions available. Additionally, if you’re working for a large company and looking for IDX integration, some platforms might not offer such a function.
2. Hire a developer to build a website from scratch
If you’re not confident in making your own real estate website, consider leaving the job to the experts.
With a developer, you can create a unique realtor website that stands out from the competition. Furthermore, he/she will ensure that your site has the best performance, which is important for your clients.
How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
To answer this question, let’s look at the two ways you can get a web development service — hire a freelancer or an agency.
Freelancers are usually more affordable, especially if they’re new to the business. Depending on their experience, they can cost anywhere between $15 to $75 an hour, or charge a flat fee starting at around $1,000.
On the other hand, working with an agency is more expensive. You’ll be consulting with a team consisting of a developer, UX designer, SEO consultant, copywriter, and so on.
According to 99designs, expect to pay over $3,000.
Some web development services don’t include hosting in their pricing plans. If you anticipate significant traffic on your real estate website, you can host it on a VPS plan that might cost around $30 to $90 per month.
Don’t forget about the SSL certificate. Some services like Cloudflare offer them for free, but you can get the Pro version for $20 a month if you need more security.
Lastly, you will still need to purchase your own domain name.
In sum, the price tag for a custom-coded website starts at $1,500, depending on your requirements. The more complex the website, the more you’ll have to pay.
Nonetheless, it can be a good investment if you plan on using your real estate website for a really long time.
Pros of hiring a developer
- Expertise. They’ll know the best way to optimize your real estate website based on your goals — whether it’s to increase listing sales or attract new clients.
- Maintenance services. Generally, web developers will offer to manage the back end of your website even after they’re done building it.
- Custom functions. Developers can help you integrate an IDX service with your website if you want to display MLS listings.
Cons of hiring a developer
- Time-consuming. Depending on the agency or freelancer, building a custom website can take up to four months — from researching, wireframing, designing, to making the final product.
- Ongoing costs. The regular maintenance service comes with a recurring fee.
- Dependence. Whenever you want to change something or update information, you will need to pay your developer again as opposed to quickly doing it yourself.
Your real estate website up and running — in five minutes
If you want to cut to the chase and need a real estate website ASAP, your best bet is to use a site builder.
To guide you, I’ll go over the steps on how to build a website by using Zyro as an example.
1. Choose a suitable template
Since you’ll be making a real estate website, I recommend looking for templates made for professionals or businesses. I’ll be using Gust.
2. Edit the content and design
Let’s customize your website. You can change the elements on the template and add your own.
In the following example, I’ve modified the color scheme, added a logo, replaced the headline, deleted the picture, and changed the background image.
In the next section, I inserted a free stock photo from Zyro and used the AI Content Generator to generate the description.
You can hire real estate agents instead of writers and let the AI do the work for you — for free.
3. Add your listings
Begin by adding a new page.
On Zyro, you can do this by selecting the Home tab on the top menu and click + Add New Page. Then select Add a blank page.
Don’t forget to give it an appropriate title, like “Our listings,” for instance.
Now, insert new elements to create your listings. You can display them however you want, but make sure visitors can easily navigate through them.
Here’s the final result of my imaginary listings. The layout is simple, yet it checks all the boxes needed to attract buyers: beautiful images, short descriptions, and CTA buttons.
Feel free to create a dedicated page for each listing to add more pictures and details.
4. Publish your real estate website
After you’re done building your website, check it over for errors. Look for typos, incorrect grammar, broken links, missing images, and so on.
You can also preview how your website looks like on mobile devices and adjust the layout.
For Zyro users, it’s done by clicking on the Smartphone icon at the top menu. If any elements are misplaced, you can drag and drop them accordingly.
Once you’re satisfied with the result, publish your site.
Conclusion
As you can see, the cost of making a real estate website depends on the route you pick.
If you use a site builder, you can get a website up and running quickly and at a low price. On the other hand, hiring a developer is more expensive, but your website will be more optimized and unique.
So far, I have no problem with using a website builder like Zyro. For someone who doesn’t have any technical expertise, it’s crucial that the platform I use is intuitive and easy to maintain.
What’s more, the out-of-the-box features have been really helpful for growing my real estate business.
If you click affiliate links in my post and buy a service, I might receive a small commission.
