If you are trying to find the exact cost for real estate website development & digital marketing, you probably won’t find it.

A real estate website can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the size, complexity, integrations such as IDX tools, and more.

Also, being a real estate developer, you cannot ignore the power of digital marketing. With potential homeowners using the internet to research properties, a strong and powerful digital marketing strategy will help you beat the competition.

Similar to website designing, digital marketing cost also depends on the type of marketing goals you wish to achieve.

There are many ways to build a real estate website and market it. At the end of the day, the cost matters the most.

In fact, that’s probably why you landed on this blog post. You are in the middle of a research now!

We will give you answers to all of your questions in this blog. Keep reading.

Real Estate Website Design and Development

In this section, we are going to give you a straightforward overview of the several key factors that will dictate the overall cost of developing a real estate website.

Important Factors That Determine Real Estate Web Development Cost

Pricing for a new real estate website development depends on a few important factors that are listed below. Your overall investment will depend on the following factors.

• Website design – The design phase is an important part of the real estate website creation process. It includes several important components such as content layout, color schemes, typography, icons, buttons, responsiveness, and more. The complexity involved to create custom graphics will also decide the cost and time
• Website development – In the development stage, the design is converted into a fully functioning website. The development cost and time will depend on the interactive components and advanced functionalities you require like property search filters, maps, client/investor portals, blogs, integration of 3rd party tools, MLS or IDX integration, and more
• CMS integration – A content management system (CMS), such as WordPress or Joomla, is a tool that allows you to manage the content of your website. This way you have full freedom to update the content of your website without a developer’s help. CMS integration costs will depend on custom modules or plugins you require to manage your website
• Hosting and maintenance – After you launch a website there will definitely be some ongoing maintenance tasks such as security updates, CMS patches, data back-ups, website hosting, and more. Giving importance to these factors will ensure that your website runs smoothly. Keep in mind that maintenance costs are separate and will not be included in the initial design and development
• Content creation – Content comes in various forms like blogs, case studies, infographics, photos, and videos. If you don’t have the time to create this, then you have to outsource this to a professional agency so you will have the initial content ready. If you are looking to create real estate content regularly, you can strike up an ongoing agreement

Also Read

Real Estate CRM & Marketing Automation Guide

Identify your Requirements

Now that you are aware of the key cost factors involved in creating a real estate website, you need to outline your requirements. It will affect the hours required to complete the project and the total cost.

If you have no idea how to figure out your requirements, start by finding answers to the following questions.

• What is the objective of your website?
• What type of features do you expect on your website?
• Who will create the content?
• Do you want to include 3rd party tools/platforms?
• Do you think search engine optimization (SEO) is important?
• What kind of existing real estate websites do you like?

Also, if you already have a website and plan for a real estate website redesign, identify the performance and key metrics.

Real Estate Website Creation – Agency vs. Freelance vs. DIY Tools

Here are the 3 options through which you can create a real estate website.

Professional real estate agency

Selecting the best real estate website design and development agency is an excellent approach because many experienced professionals will be working on building your website. Additionally, if you need help with real estate digital marketing activities, you can get help from them as most of the agencies will be all-rounders.

Pros – Experience, professionalism, efficiency, and access to resources
Cons – Quite expensive

Freelancers

When it comes to the cost, freelancers are more competitive than agencies. However, they will be experienced in only one area and may not have enough experience in other areas. Also, freelancers will be juggling with many projects at the same time, so they may find it hard to complete projects on time. You can also go through our blog on Hiring Agency vs Freelancer to get a better idea of how things work.

Pros – Competitive pricing and experienced in one area
Cons – Project may not be completed on time and limited support

DIY tools

There are plenty of DIY website builders such as WIX or Weebly that can help you create a real estate website for a cheap price. The downside is that you have to do all the work by yourself. Also, it comes with shared hosting problems, improper support, difficulties in further extending the website, SEO optimization issues, and more.

Pros – The cheapest option
Cons – Time-consuming and limited support

How Much Does it Cost to Create a Real Estate Website?

The cost involved in creating a real estate website depends on the factors stated above. Here’s the cost of creating a professional custom website.

• Simple informational website – For a small website with relatively 10 pages and less custom interactive features, it will cost around $1,000 – $2,000
• Website with custom functionality – For a mid-sized website with over 40 pages, interactive features, advanced CMS modules, custom property search filters, and property details pages, it will cost around $2,000 – $6,000
• Corporate website – A large website with over 60 pages, advanced CMS modules, custom property search filters, and 3rd party integration, it will cost around $4,000 – $10,000
• Database driven websites – If the requirements are complex and require a completely customized back-end, it will cost around $10,000 – $20,000

Real Estate Digital Marketing

There’s more to real estate than creating a website. If you want to be a successful real estate agent or agency, you’ll need a solid marketing strategy. That said, getting professional help for digital marketing is the best way to get the required customer attention and growth.

Before we move on to the cost part, we’ll explain some things you need to know.

Also Read

Real Estate Social Media Strategy : The Complete Guide

Establish Goals

In today’s digitalized world, having a marketing plan will help to make your personal branding strong and memorable. No matter the stage of the business you are in, you have to establish your goals to outperform your competition.

Before you fix a budget, you need to establish what you want to achieve. As a real estate agent or agency, you must concentrate on the following areas,

• Build awareness for your real estate brand in your city
• Create and build a strong online presence
• Establishing your reputation as a real estate expert who gives the right advice
• Generate more inbound leads

Once you have established these, you need to analyze what you are currently spending so you can allocate a budget based on your current goals.

Types of Digital Marketing Costs

These are the various types of digital marketing costs you will spend. You can also take a look at our guide on digital marketing packages to know how you can collaborate with agencies to create digital marketing packages.

1. Establishment Costs (may need to be updated once in two years)

• SEO friendly real estate website creation
• Setting up a marketing management and lead generation system

 2. Content production costs (on-going expenses)

• SEO optimized blogs or Vlogs.
• Infographics and downloadable guides.
• Educational videos

 3. Advertising costs (On-going expenses)

• Google advertising through AdWords.
• Social media marketing, including regular posts and advertising.
• Press release to local news media sites

Also Read

Popular Real Estate Web Application Features

How Much Does Real Estate Digital Marketing Cost?

Here is a rough estimate of what you can expect from the marketing dollars you invest.

• Less than $2,000 per year – General SEO (on-page, off-page, and local SEO)
• Around $5,000 per year – Content marketing (minimum 4 blogs month), promotion, and general SEO
• Around $10,000 per year – Content marketing, promotion, social media marketing (with supporting graphics), and SEO
• Around $20,000 per year – Content marketing, promotion, social media marketing (with supporting graphics), SEO, marketing automation, and paid ads

Looking for Real Estate Website Development Services?

Seize and experience the transformative impact of Real Estate Development solutions with ColorWhistle.

Real Estate Website Development Services

Real Estate Digital Marketing Services

Winding Up

As a real estate agent, with a moderate budget, you can create a website and find any form of marketing that is cost-effective. In today’s real estate league, it is all about becoming a reliable resource for your customers, crafting your personal brand, and staying relevant to your area of expertise.

Experiment with different options and make sure to work with the right agency if you are just starting out, as they will be able to help your real estate journey and connect you with the right target audience.

If you are looking for help with any or all of the above, contact ColorWhistle today. We can provide all the services at a competitive price with the creativity you need to stand out from your competitors. Send us a message or give us a call at +1 (210) 787-3600, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.