For the vast majority of buyers and sellers, real estate lives online. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) buyer and seller trends report, in 2024:
- 43 percent of buyers started their home search online
- 69 percent of buyers used mobile or tablet devices during their online searches
- Listing agents marketed home on MLSs (86 percent), on Realtor.com (49 percent), on third-party aggregators (47 percent), on their own website (46 percent) and on their company’s website (39 percent).
Whether marketing a property or raising your profile, a website isn’t just a nice-to-have piece of your digital marketing. It can (or should be) an active part of your sales pipeline. Intentional design can help your site guide, engage and convert at each stage of the client journey.
Here’s how to design a website that draws attention from the first search all the way through post-closing client loyalty and referral-building.
1. Awareness and initial curiosity
At the beginning of the client journey, your job is to capture attention and spark interest in the services you provide. You need to be findable through solid search engine optimization, then you need to present a digital platform that features clear and consistent branding, strong visual appeal and imagery that creates emotion in your site visitor.
Consider featuring dream homes, community lifestyle content and introductory information that demystifies the buying and selling process and builds confidence in potential clients.
User experience (UX) features
- Fast-loading pages
- Mobile responsiveness
- SEO-optimized content for search discoverability
- Hyperlocal blog content to attract organic traffic (e.g., “Top 10 neighborhoods in [City] for families”)
2. Consideration and research
In this stage of the client journey, agents are refining their relationships and building authority. At the same time, clients are learning more about their agent’s services and how the agent can help them achieve their real estate goals. To that end, agents should provide helpful, user-focused content, and navigation should be easy and intuitive.
Find yourself answering the same questions again and again? Create Frequently Asked Questions pages that are relevant for each of your target audiences, and categorize blog posts by topic for easy reference and sharing on the go.
UX features
- Easy-to-use property search with filters
- Area guides focusing on schools, amenities, commute times
- Agent bios with credentials and up-to-date contact information
- Testimonials and case studies
- FAQ sections and mortgage calculators
3. Engagement and decision-making
As leads and clients get further into their buying or selling process, they’ll start wanting to reach out for individualized service and information. A well-designed website can help facilitate connections and decision-making, allowing site visitors to reach out with questions or requests for assistance.
Remove friction with clear navigation, including a well-developed menu and contact buttons on each page.
UX features
- Prominent CTAs: “Schedule a Showing,” “Get a Free Home Valuation”
- Live chat or chatbot support
- Integrated scheduling tools (Calendly, etc.)
- Interactive maps and neighborhood insights
- Clear contact forms with minimal fields
4. Action and conversion
As clients and leads move further into the process — narrowing the search and making an offer as a buyer or finalizing preparation for moving to market for sellers — confidence building is essential. Reinforce data security measures and allow site visitors to take action with the guidance of clearly delineated workflows and automations.
Don’t miss out on the human touch. Make sure you’re personalizing the process when possible or consider accompanying website links with personal video messaging.
UX features
- Secure forms and data-protected messaging
- Confirmation pages with next steps
- Follow-up automation: email confirmations, resources
- Personalized thank-you pages with contact info or informational videos
5. Loyalty and advocacy
Keeping a client close after they’ve left the closing table allows you to develop a repeat and referral business that will sustain you year after year. Your brand will stay top of mind when you provide additional post-closing services and educational resources along with ongoing support.
The goal here is to make you the go-to for past clients whenever they have a question about homeownership, market conditions or value-added updates and upgrades to their properties.
UX features
- Client portals for post-sale info or updates
- Ongoing content like home maintenance tips or market updates
- Referral program information or review requests
- Email newsletters with local updates and success stories
Designing with purpose
When a real estate website is built with the entire client journey in mind, it becomes a partner in your branding, marketing and ongoing success. Search for yourself online, then take a look at your current website with fresh eyes and decide whether it’s moving potential clients from “just browsing” to “let’s talk.”
Jon Krabbe is the co-founder of Agent Image and Access.com, a premier digital marketing agency specializing in branded website solutions for real estate professionals since 1999. Connect with Jon on Instagram.
