Home > Blogs > Katerina Gasset > Get It Done For Me Virtual Services, UTAH REALTOR

Real Estate Website Facts- Before You Buy A Real Estate Website

By Katerina Gasset

Real Estate Agent with The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services 13253167-SA00

May 08, 2011 02:35 PM

I wrote a post to help you know what choices you have for your real estate website solutions here. That is the first part in a series of posts I am doing for you to go through the real estate website solutions that are available for you.

Not all agents or brokers need the same website solution. Just like running your business is going to be different based on your geography, your market and your audience so is the choice of which kind of website you will need to utilize to have a conversation with your visitors.

At least 90% of all real estate websites for sale are built with a template. When you hear about templated real estate websites mostly that is referring to using the same design over and over again.

If you buy a ready made website that is called a Template. There is nothing wrong with a template website. It is the solution for most real estate agents.

If you buy a theme like AgentPress, StudioPress or Manifesto or any other theme for wordpress that is a Template.

Even if you customize it by adding a custom header it is still a Template website. You can call it a blog or you can call it a website but it is still a template. You are just making minor modifications to the design.

You can move all the widgets around and change colors and movement and placement but you still have a template at the end of the day.

Your ActiveRain blog is a templated blog.

Your ActiveRain outside blog is a templated site.

Blogger and wordpress.com, and others are templates.

Food for thought:

If your ActiveRain blog can rank on page one on Google SERPS why couldn't any other website you build from whatever template you choose to use?

The only way that you are going to get a fully custom designed website is if your website designer starts with a blank canvas and codes and styles all the elements of your design and structure and does not replicate that same site for anyone else. They have no base to start from- no footer, no body, no page data.

Stay tuned while we show you the pros and cons of some of the different real estate website solutions that are available to you.

*Real Estate Website Facts- Before You Buy A Real Estate Website?*

Re-Blog

Comments(24)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

FN LN

Toronto, ON

Hi Katerina - I look forward to reading your insights in your upcoming series.

May 08, 2011 05:12 PM

Tni LeBlanc, Realtor®, J.D.

Mint Properties, Lic. #01871795 - Santa Maria, CA

Tenacious Tni (805) 878-9879

Thanks for writing this Katerina. I learned this the hard way. I paid for what I thought would be a custom website and the web designer told me that they were switching to a Wordpress format -- which is basically a template. Nothing wrong with it -- but a template site at custom prices is not a sweet deal.

May 08, 2011 05:33 PM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Tni- I don't have a problem with any vendor doing either real estate or wordpress sites as long as they are honest and call it what it is. If a designer even builds you a website but then they use that same design, page, what we call a template for other people, well, that is no longer custom design. That is a templated site. If sites look similar they are most likely templates. Nothing wrong with that. But like you said, be honest about it and price it accordingly. Katerina

May 08, 2011 05:46 PM

Clint Mckie

Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM

Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Nester and Katerina, I have no idea what it takes to have your own web site. I am not a very good "IT" gut. I like the phrase "it's free". Not many good free sites out there.

Clint

May 08, 2011 06:15 PM

Kim & Kristine Halverson

Sotheby's & Knipe ERA - Bend, OR

Sisters, Realtors

If you could talk about the pricing, templates and custom sites-blank canvas. I believe that's why most use templates, costs way less. Am I wrong? Kristine :)

May 08, 2011 06:24 PM

Anne M. Costello

Weidel Realtors - Yardley, PA

Katerina: This will be a great series. Can't wait.

May 08, 2011 10:30 PM

Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA

Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD

301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

I switched to Wordpress because is so easy to add content as opposed to a traditional website and adding new content is king as far as Google is concerned. . . in a traditional website, most Realtors would not know how to format/HTML any additional content and they have to pay someone to do it and then. . . .the money becomes an issue if you have to pay every time someone makes a change on your site.

I could never go back to a traditional website now.. knowing this.

May 08, 2011 11:56 PM

Kathryn Maguire

GreatNorfolkHomes.com (757) 560-0881 - Chesapeake, VA

Serving Chesapeake, Norfolk, VA Beach

Just when it started to get interesting.....well, now I am parked and waiting for the rest of the story!

May 09, 2011 12:26 AM

Liz and Bill Spear

Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH

Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Katerina, Looking forward to the next post on the theme. We're in the exploration phase on our website expansion, probably WordPress. We've had an iHouse templated site for about 8 years, and it serves it's purpose. We've finally learning to customize it a bit more than we have in the past.

May 09, 2011 02:06 AM

Ken and Leslye Huebsch

3x Individual Agent of the Year, Luxury Homes, First-Time Buyers, Residential Resales, New Construction - Harrisburg, PA

Realtors - Harrisburg Homes for Sale 717.514.1793

I am really enjoying real estate from your perspective. You offer fresh points of view that are relevant. Great insight; not just on this topic, but all.

May 09, 2011 02:24 AM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Ken and Leslye - Thank you SO much! That was a wonderful comment to read when i first woke up! Katerina

May 09, 2011 02:58 AM

Mary Stewart

HomeTrust Real Estate, LLC, Homes for Everyone - Wilsonville, OR

Wilsonville and Surrounding Portland Metro Areas

I am looking forward to more information that you share. My company website is not desireable and I have not yet gone out on my own looking at different websites. Thanks for keeping us informed.

May 09, 2011 07:51 AM

MaryJane Sheppard

The Van Dyk Group - Real Estate - Long Beach Island, NJ

Hi Nestor & Katerina.....I have a iHouse website and I really like it - there are templates but you can add custom pages, text, forms and a lot more! I have gotten a lot of compliments on my site and continually try to update it.

May 09, 2011 08:52 AM

Dick and Dixie Sells

Sells Real Estate, LLC - Trinity, FL

Realtors, Tampa Bay Florida Homes For Sale

Katerina - looking forward to your series on this. It is very timely for me as I am looking to add a Word Press blog to our portfolio of websites and blogs. Can't wait as respect your insights and information. Thanks

May 09, 2011 11:45 AM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Fernando- While wordpress is a great site platform- the new real estate sites have come a long way. It all depends on what you want to learn, how much you can do on your own and most of all who your market is.

We will delve into all of this over the coming days and weeks as we highlight what we feel are great solutions. There is no one right answer for anyone.

I have great templates websites that are NOT wordpress. I know how to add content, some are just drag and drop. But I have a hard time with wordpress and so I most often pay my VA to take the content I write and put it where I want it to go.

So with each of us, we have different strengths and abilities. I am glad your solution is working out for you.

May 09, 2011 11:58 AM

Sharon Alters

Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL

Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Katerina, very timely series for us as well. We are looking at new website options. I will read your series with great interest.

Sharon

May 11, 2011 03:13 PM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

The next in the series will be up before the end of the weekend. Stay tuned.

May 11, 2011 07:59 PM

Virginia Dean

Keller Williams Tulare County - Visalia, CA

Real Estate Done Your Way

Here I am reading this on July 2nd. How did I miss this, or was it 2010.... Anyway, I will take any tips I can get from you.

Thanks for your service to our community.

Jul 02, 2011 12:35 PM

The Real Estate Professionals

Real Estate Professionals - Salt Lake City, UT

Did you already write your follow up Pros and Cons lists to this article? I would love to read it if you can direct me to where it is. Thanks! :) I am facing this decision right now and I would appreciate your insights.

Sep 20, 2011 08:07 AM

Katerina Gasset

The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT

Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Utah Real Estate professionals- You can call me and I can go over it with you. That would be faster than me finding the posts. :) Call me on my cell: 561-502-1577 Katerina

Sep 20, 2011 09:29 AM