WordPress has occupied almost the whole web design landscape. We can use the power of WordPress to build different niche specific websites with all the features needed. Flexibility of design and functionality in WordPress allows limitless possibilities to build websites for different niches.
In Real Estate market, there are almost 1.34 Million websites hosted and powered by WordPress. Let’s use this amazing software to build a fully functional Real Estate website. Before we get started with the website design for property listings, let’s have a look on the functions required for a Real Estate website.
Real Estate Website Requirements
Conventionally Real Estate websites allows website admin to manage property listings, which are available on front-end of the website. Therefore with the time being, the requirements are enhanced to allow users search/find/contact the property owners. Here is a list of basic Real Estate website functionality needed.
Admin Features
- Manage Property – This is a basic function needed for a Real Estate website to let the admin manage property listings from the admin control panel.
- MLS Connectivity – MLS is a property listing software which allows realtors to add/search property listings. This feature adds the function to search through property listing database managed outside of the website. This also allows admin to connect and export his property listings to the MLS software’s of his choice to get maximum exposure.
- Map Function – The property listings should be attached with map coordinates, so user could find it’s location pin point on the map.
- Gallery Function – The Real Estate website admin control panel should allow admins to upload number of associated images to a property listing. This will help users of the website to have view of different parts of a property.
- XML Import/Export – There maybe sometimes when you want to import or export property listings from or to your website. So you can consider including this feature as well.
- Feature Listings – Real Estate website should have features to attach different specifications to a property listing. For example a property with 3 rooms, 5 bathrooms etc. This feature allows users to find property specifications and at some point to filter search results with these specifications as well.
Front-end Features
- Property Search – The front-end of the Real Estate website should allow users to search and find properties available for rent or sale. These days mostly websites show search results on a map screen than conventionally displaying property listings in product listing format. Ideally there should be both views enabled on a Real Estate website.
- Search Filtering – An advance search option should be enabled on a Real Estate website to let users narrow down their searches with different filters. For example, if someone wants a property of 200 SqY in a specific location and the property needs 4 rooms, 2 laundries and 2 kitchens. This type of filter in search, allows users to search more specific property as per their needs.
- Property Detail Pages – When user searches and finds a property, he/she might be interested in reading complete details about that property. All properties should have their own detail pages with detailed image gallery as well. User can read complete details about a property and see images related to that property from certain angles.
- Contact Seller – User should be allowed to contact a property seller either the admin or the agent properties. In some cases, websites charge a users to contact the seller. It all depends on your business model.
- Agent Signup/Login – A Real Estate website should allow property agents to signup and login to manage their own property listings. This feature allows realtors to add properties to your website. Site owners can allow an agent to publish properties for free or for certain fee.
- Online Payment Integration – Agents can pay online for the property listings, they want to add to your website. So a payment system should be integrated into your website to allow them to pay you for certain property listings.
Design Features
- User Friendliness – The website should be as much user friendly as possible. Research shows that focussing on user friendliness than best graphic design, yields more sales.
- Responsive Website Design – The website design should be responsive and should work on all devices like desktop, tablet and mobile. These days lot of traffic lands on a website using mobile devices, so never forget to get a responsive design for your website.
- Featured Slider – A Real Estate website should have a featured property listing in slider on the home page. This adds chances to give more exposure to select property listings as well as charging agents for featured properties.
- Optimization Feature – The website should be optimized for user experience as well as search engines. It should compliant with on-page SEO techniques
Step 1 – WordPress Installation
Once you are clear with your website requirements, It’s time to take further step and install WordPress on your web host. I presume , you already know, domain registration and buying web hosting space. You can click here and buy domain and hosting for your website.
I also presume that you know WordPress installation steps on your web host. If you still want to learn about WordPress Installation please refer to the How to Install WordPress using FTP link.
Step 2 – Choosing Real Estate WordPress Template
Choosing website template for your WordPress site is the important most part of this process. Now you have all the requirements put together. You can search out premium WordPress themes and see if your requirements match. Once you have a good match, You can buy that template to use on your WordPress based Real Estate website.
WordPress niche specific templates/themes come with functions which will extend core functionality of WordPress. This way themes could create new functions in admin panel and allow you to manage different new things. For example, When you will install a WordPress based Real Estate template and activate it. It will add new tabs to admin dashboard to manage property listings and agents etc.
There are several websites online, who sell premium WordPress themes. Therefore the website with larger most database of available WordPress themes/templates is called “ ThemeForest “. This website has thousands of WordPress templates available to suit your needs. Specially, ThemeForest website has several WordPress Templates available, which meet your Real Estate website requirements.
Step 3 – Template Installation
Once you have bought a premium template for your WordPress based Real Estate website, You can move further and install that template. After the purchase is complete on ThemeForest. You can download the newly bought theme from download section in ThemeForest login.
WordPress template installation and configuration is really an easy goat. If you still have no knowledge about Template and still want to learn. Please refer to this link How to Install a WordPress Theme? A Step by Step Guide.
After the Real Estate WordPress template installed, You will notice that there are few new tab items added to the left navigation bar or your admin control panel. It’s really hard to tell the names of the newly created tabs, since each template uses it’s own names for settings. Therefore you can see few new tabs on the left side, which will normally allow you to do the following steps.
- General settings for your Real Estate Theme
- Property settings
- Add/Edit and Delete property listings
- And may be “Manage Agents” tab too.
On ThemeForest each WordPress template/theme is sold with well written document and online demonstration as well. You can refer to the documentation of your selected theme and do the appropriate template settings.
Conclusion
WordPress based Real Estate website is really easy to do it your self. Furthermore ist out the functionality needed for your website and buy a good matching WordPress theme. Install and configure theme to your needs and that’s it.
I hope, you will found this article very helpful. So if you have still some questions in mind, please never hesitate to ask us in comment section under this post.
