Nowadays, a professional and well-designed real estate website is likely to be your top-selling tool. Unlike directories and social media channels, a real estate website offers complete control and customizability, which allows you to showcase and promote your listings in the best way. Today, CMSMART will give you an overview of real estate industries, why you should have a WordPress Real Estate Plugin and which one is the best for your site. Let's take a look!

1. Why Need A WordPress Real Estate Plugin?

1.1 How Real Estate Buyers Use Technology In The Home Search Process?

Since 2013, the National Association of REALTORS® has produced the Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report. This report provides insights into differences and similarities across generations of home buyers and sellers. The home buyer and seller data is taken from the annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

New to this year’s report is the share of Gen Z buyers and sellers aged 18 to 21. While the share is just two percent for both buyers and sellers, the sample was too small to show unique characteristics. However, this is an indicator that homeownership is important to this generation and next year’s report may contain a larger sample of Gen Z buyers. 

According to the research, buyers 22 to 30 years (Younger Millennials) and buyers 31 to 40 years (Older Millennials) make up the largest share of home buyers. 

Among all generations of home buyers, the first step taken in the home search process was to look online for properties. For buyers 66 to 95, they contacted a real estate agent as a first step more often than other generations.

Seventy-six percent of all home buyers used search tools to search for homes. 

When asked where their internet searches were conducted, home buyers were split. They typically conducted 50 percent of their search on a desktop/laptop and 50 percent on a mobile device(s). Those aged 40 and younger were more likely to use mobile devices, and those 66 and older were more likely to use a desktop/laptop.

Ninety-seven percent of home buyers used the internet to search for homes. As a result of an internet home search, buyers most often walked through the home that they viewed online, followed by viewing the exterior of homes because of searching online for properties.

Fifty-one percent of all home buyers found the home they purchased on the internet which is much higher than other methods. 

We could see that technology is changing every aspect of our lives, including how we search for and buy homes. With access to technology, buyers can view listings that are on the market and look at detailed photos and descriptions of properties without actually being there. Technology can help buyers save a lot of time and hassle by using platforms to “view” properties virtually before they decide which ones to visit in person. And with the current health crisis making things more difficult for buyers to be out and about checking out homes, technology is certainly coming in handy as a way for them to still keep the home search process going. 

1.2 Why Need A WordPress Real Estate Plugin?

In the case of buying and selling properties, being the best real estate agent might not be enough these days. You may think that you’re highly skilled and personable, but another agent who is more visible online might beat you to the punch in terms of reaching more potential clients. 

The solution? Put up a real estate website with high lead generation and conversion. By making a site with an appropriate real estate WordPress plugin and implementing an online marketing strategy that generates leads, you’re essentially exposing your services to more online users and potential clients. In addition, your real estate website must be able to convert these leads into actual sales by convincing casual visitors and interested clients to hire you for their real estate transactions.

1.2.1 Why WordPress?

Wordpress is a free, open-sourced Content Management System (CMS) for creating websites. It is the most user-friendly system for users to design, edit, and update their blog or website. This is no different for real estate websites. Wordpress remains the most popular CMS for real estate agents. This is due to its user-friendly dashboard and powerful ability to manage almost any website.

It Offers Businesses A Full-Service All In One Content Management System

For a small monthly fee, you receive access to your own business website, along with thousands of widgets, plugins, and themes. The dashboard is among the easiest out there. And, they have customer service experts available to assist you along the way.

In addition, they have detailed explanatory pages available via their WordPress home site. They also offer a variety of educational opportunities to increase your knowledge and skills.

So, it is easy enough for everyone to set up and run their own site if they have the time and put forth a little effort. 

Thousands Of Real Estate-Ready Themes To Choose From

The great thing about WordPress is that it offers pro themes that are specifically for the real estate industry. Also, there are plenty of real estate themes available at no extra charge, on both the free and paid WordPress platforms. But, to get the greatest performance, it’s suggested that businesses should install an additional theme set. This allows you to fully customize your own site to be unique and to fit your business model. 

Update Content / SEO Whenever And Wherever You Choose

One of the major benefits of WordPress is that it’s perfect for the content-driven marketing strategies. It allows you to communicate up to the minute to your potential and existing customers. 

In addition, it allows you to schedule content and post at any time and from any location that has an internet connection. WordPress was created originally for blogging anyway. So, it’s super user-friendly and makes blogging a breeze. The interface is simple, and there are loads of tools available to make sure that you are delivering top-notch content.

WordPress Is Social Media Savvy

Today’s consumers are getting information from social media sites. So, even if you aren’t personally into friends and followings, it’s important that you are mindful of who your audiences are.

WordPress has created buttons and other social media add-ons to invite your visitors to keep in touch with you. This enables you to maintain contact with those visitors who aren’t regular subscribers to your blog or on your email contact list.

Also, there are tons of tools out there that can help you create the most enticing and shareable headlines, schedule automated social sharing, social media management, unfollowing accounts, identifying real-estate-minded groups, boosting traffic, and redirecting commenters to your social media site, subscriber form, or to a customized thank you message.

No Expertise Needed To Create, Share, And Capture Beautiful Images

With multiple plug-ins and free tools available, sharing high-quality images with your visitors is not a big problem. This is one of the benefits of WordPress that realtors find especially useful. The time it takes to list and load photos on your site is cut down to less than a minute in many cases. And most people in the real estate business realize just how valuable this can be.

WordPress Is Cost-Effective

One of the benefits of WordPress that has made it so wildly popular, not only for the real estate industry but for all site owners, is that it’s exceptionally cost-effective.

While the pro-site, as well as some of the additional features, themes, and plug-ins, do incur a charge, the cost is far less than one would expect. Many realtors, especially those with limited budgets or those just starting out, prefer WordPress because of this reason. 

Grow Your Site Easily

As your business grows, your needs within your website will grow and change as well. The ease of transitioning your site alongside your company is one of the most attractive benefits of WordPress for professionals.

Your business gets bigger and bigger by the time. Obviously, the simple website from the beginning days wouldn’t accommodate your needs any longer. You don’t have to create a new site or go through a complicated process that could involve losing uptime. WordPress allows you to integrate upgrades, add many users, and increase functionality as needed. There are even tools to track your growth and keep you notified when an upgrade would better suit your needs.

You might already have your own business website. If you do, are you taking full advantage of all that the software offers realtors? And if you don’t, are the benefits of WordPress enough to convince you to become a customer?

1.2.2 Why Need A WordPress Real Estate Plugin?

To create a real estate website, you need to choose a CMS (Content Management System) such as WordPress. Unfortunately, the default functions of a WordPress site, might not be enough to launch a successful real estate business. To add custom functions and additional features to your real estate website, you must use a real estate WordPress plugin. Some plugins are available for free, while others have an annual or a monthly price tag. Every plugin is developed with a specific purpose in mind. So, if you want to build a great real estate website, using plugins specifically designed to develop real estate sites is the smartest choice.

Interested Buyers Use Online Search By Default For Home Search

The Internet is associated with things that are new and modern. If you want your real estate business to appear as a fresh and exciting entry in the market, then having a website can help you build that kind of reputation. A website with a real estate WordPress plugin gives prospective clients the impression that your business is updated with the latest trends and technologies.

A real estate website attracts the younger generation of property buyers and sellers. Online marketers and even traditional businesses in the real estate industry are trying to target the promising demographic of young adults to increase their sales. 

The Internet Is A Great Venue For Fair Competition

Nobody is too big or too small in the online world, unless of course if your brand is already a household name at the very start. By putting up a real estate website that looks professional, visually attractive and complete with information, you can compete with even the most popular real estate agents in your area. As your website grows and reaches more people, you should eventually earn yourself a strong business identity online. 

A Real Estate Website Provides More Opportunities For Better Customer Service

People who want to buy or sell a home will probably want a real estate agent who is available for communication anytime. If you have a website, you can direct your prospects to online communication channels such as an online form on your site, a link to your email address, or even to your contact us page. In short, having a website assures your customers that you can provide the best possible service to them.

Your Real Estate Website Is A Quick Reference For Your Clients

You can use the website as an online marketing brochure of sorts. You can refer people to visit your real estate website so that they can learn more about your services, your unique edge against your competitors, and your contact information should they need to reach you. Let your clients get the information that they need from you, through your agent website.

A Real Estate Website Saves Time For You And Your Potential Customers

Without having to meet them to discuss basic information about your real estate services, you and your customers can save a lot of time when you have a website with a real estate WordPress plugin. As long as your website contents are complete, your clients can simply visit your site for the info that they need, and you can simply communicate with them via online forms or email. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemics, people rarely come out of their house. Having a real estate website will help you to survive better during this time. 

The world has completely changed due to COVID-19. But a crisis also brings great opportunities to not just survive but also thrive. If you take advantage of this NOW, you can develop a reputation as a local real estate authority that will catapult you into the future.

Online Users Tend To Be Quick Home Buyers

Most online users have the tendency to be quick on the draw when it comes to purchasing, and it’s the same case for real estate. If they find your services and properties for sale online, there’s a big chance that they will reach you. Make sure that you put yourself out in the open online so that your prospective customers will be able to discover you and give you a call.

You Can Give Customers Access To Online Resources Such As IDX

Property listings are available online through Internet Data Exchange (IDX) services, so make sure that your website with a real estate WordPress plugin supports this feature. By installing an IDX such as Showcase IDX, you are offering prospective buyers the opportunity to search their desired home using your website. Meanwhile, people who intend to sell will probably want to hire you so that their properties can be included in your IDX-powered website.

A Real Estate Website Provides Clearer Channels Of Communication

 Unlike face-to-face or phone-only transactions where things talked about may be forgotten or missed out, discussions using online channels provide a better way to record the conversations. Whether it’s an online form on your real estate website or an email exchange, online communication provides a better venue for you and your clients to talk securely about your transaction.

These are just some of the many benefits that real estate agents can get from having an online real estate website of their own. If you are an agent looking for more clients or a better marketing strategy, putting up your own website is the next step that you should do.

2. How To Build A WordPress Real Estate Website From Scratch?

Some real estate agents feel that a website is too expensive and technically difficult to create and maintain. Actually, launching a real estate website on WordPress is surprisingly simple. You don’t need to know any coding or have much technical knowledge besides basic web hosting. All you need is a helpful WordPress real estate plugin to get started.

2.1 How The Best Real Estate Companies Use Their Websites

Normally the best real estate companies make a real estate website serve at least one of the following purposes:

A communication point: A community page or a forum is among the most desirable features of a real estate website as it allows the company to position itself as a local community expert. By creating a community page, you can both share insights into local life and learn user behavior.

A marketing tool: You can’t develop a real estate website without a friendly search engine and convenient customization options. Give it the best of user experience. 

A one-stop solution: The way we search homes today can make your own real estate website a self-sufficient solution to property purchase. Once gated by realtors and brokers, the data is now in public access. Attract users with quality content, engage them in a captivating journey, and convert them into happy customers.

Inclusive: Build a website for real estate agents so that it doesn’t discriminate, but facilitates buyers’ as well as sellers’ needs and makes use of experts’ assistance by balancing personal learning experience and professional aid.

A safety zone: In the case of real estate investing websites, success spells like ‘safety and transparency’. That’s why RE investment companies practice a strict review process before granting admission. Striking the right balance between the riskiest crowdfunding solutions and the costly consultants’ services is a challenge that requires smart technology.

See more: 7 Easy Tips For Realtors To Improve A Real Estate Agent Website

2.2 How To Build An Effective Real Estate Website On WordPress

Launching a website for your real estate business is no different from creating any other website. Maybe you want to take a look at 8 Must-Have Features Of A Real Estate Website before starting building your site.

The first thing you need is to decide which platform you are going to use. For this matter, we strongly recommend you choose WordPress since it is very powerful and has many customization options. Here are few steps:

Pick Proper Web Hosting

Imagine that you are building a house without land. Would that be possible? Of course not. This concept is similar to a website: you cannot create one without web hosting. Choosing web hosting should not be taken lightly. You need the one that is fast, dependable, and cheap.

Register Your Domain Name

The next thing you need to do after acquiring web hosting is registering your domain name. A domain name is the address of your website.

While there is no limit to your creativity, we suggest you stick to the niche you are going to pick (in this case, a real estate site). 

Make sure that the name you choose is catchy and memorable. If you already have a real estate company, it would be much better to use your company’s name instead. Picking a different name will create confusion among your clients.

Pick a Real Estate Theme

One of the best things about WordPress is that it has tons of beautiful themes. Some of those are completely free while the others provide a premium plan that would give you a lot of additional features when developing a site.

Nonetheless, even if you have complete freedom to choose the one you like, we recommend you to use a theme that is specifically designed to create a real estate website.

See more: Best WordPress Real Estate Themes For Realtors

Get Some Real Estate WordPress Plugins

Making your real estate site stand out among the competitors is not going to be easy. Luckily, there are a lot of WordPress real estate plugins that you can use to help your site thrive and beat the competition.

A plugin is a tool that adds custom functions and features to your site. The combination of a great real estate theme and a useful real estate WordPress plugin is a powerful weapon that will keep your real estate website going strong for a long time.

See more: How To Manage Your Business Easily With The Real Estate Property Management Plugin

2.3 How To Choose The Best WordPress Real Estate Plugin?

Before You Start

When looking for a WordPress real estate plugin, you should first write down exactly what you want it to do. Create a checklist with features that you’re looking for in the order of importance because it is hard to find everything you need in one plugin. The important factor will help you to make decisions easier.

How To Search For A Wordpress Real Estate Plugin

WordPress plugin directory is the starting point for most people. It has thousands of plugins available which is great but also makes it difficult to find the perfect plugin.

The search feature in the WordPress plugin directory is not very sophisticated. So, we recommend using Google search or look through the WPBeginner’s plugins category first. You can also combine the best of both by typing your keyword in Google search and add wpbeginner at the end of it.

Comparing Plugins – Which One To Download?

Once you have found a couple of Wordpress real estate plugins, you can open these plugin pages in new tabs to compare them. Each plugin page contains information about the plugin, what it does, how to use it, etc. You will need to use this information to decide whether or not this plugin is the best fit for you.

Plugin Ratings

In the sidebar of the plugin page, you will be able to see plugin ratings. You should always keep in mind that a lot of WordPress users use the plugin without rating it. It is possible that a WordPress real estate plugin downloaded by thousands of people may still not have enough people rating it.

Plugin Reviews

When a user rates a plugin, they are asked to write a review for their rating. You can see these reviews by clicking on the rating bars.

Another thing to notice here is the total number of ratings. For example, if a plugin only has one or two people rating it, it is really not significant. However, if one or two people left a good reason for their rating in the review, then this would make their rating significant for others.

Plugin Screenshots

Plugin screenshots are a quick way to see how the plugin looks on the front-end and on the back-end of your WordPress website. Sometimes we find screenshots to be more helpful than the actual plugin descriptions which could be lengthy and confusing. With screenshots, you can actually see how the plugin will look, what it actually does and then you can quickly find out whether or not you should try it.

Check FAQs And Other Notes

Don’t forget to check FAQs, and Other Notes sections below the plugin description. These sections usually contain useful information about how to use a plugin. Sometimes users end up complaining that a plugin does not work without even reading how to use it.

When you are trying a WordPress real estate plugin, make sure you read these sections so that you can configure and use the plugin properly on your website. It is also possible that you will find some other cool tips there.

Track Down Support Options

Take a moment to look for support or contact information for the plugin in question. If you can’t find any formally stated support plans or options, it might be worth sending an email to the developer with a test question just to see how quickly they respond. You can also search online to see if there are any other informal support locations

Testing The Plugin

If you have a large, popular, or highly-trafficked store, you should consider creating a staging site where you can install, deploy, and test the new WordPress real estate plugin before adding it to your live store. This can help you both learn how the plugin works and work out any potential bugs or hiccups ahead of time.

If you don’t have a staging site, it’s still a good idea to test the WordPress real estate plugin out on a few lesser-trafficked pages (or even hidden ones) prior to using it sitewide, if you can. Depending on how the plugin is used, this might not be possible, but try to limit its reach until you’re sure there are no big conflicts. You might even try to install and activate it during a slow period (like early in the morning on a weekday) so you minimize any customer exposure or potential frustration.

4. The Best WordPress Real Estate Plugins For Your Realtor Website - Reviewed

If you’re putting up a real estate website on WordPress or editing an existing site then you’ll probably find a couple of plugins here that can help.

4.1 IMPress Listings - Best WordPress Real Estate Listing Plugin

IMPress Listings is one of the best WordPress real estate plugins. It is easy for beginners to get started, and flexible for advanced users to create powerful real estate websites.

It is mobile responsive and works with any WordPress theme. You can add as many details for each listing as you want with images and video support. Listings are beautifully displayed in a grid layout, and a single listing page allows users to get all the information they need including location maps.

It also allows you to import listings from your MLS database and support IDX integration with an addon plugin. It comes equipped with contact forms so that interested buyers can directly contact you.

4.2 WP-Property - Best Real Estate Plugin WordPress 

WP-Property is another all-in-one WordPress real estate management plugin. It includes an easy to use interface to add and manage all your listings. You can add detailed information with tons of fields to add rooms, bathrooms, area, features, and more.

Listings are beautifully displayed on your website and the plugin website also offers free themes that you can use. It includes Google Maps support, powerful search feature with filters, SEO friendly URLs, featured listings, and more.

It is available in multiple languages and can be easily translated into any other language. It also comes with sidebar widgets and shortcodes that allow you to display listings through-out your website.

4.3 Estatik - Top Real Estate Plugin WordPress

Estatik plugin is another excellent option to manage your real estate listings in WordPress. This powerful plugin comes with an easy to use property management system allowing you to easily add listings to your website.

It includes photo gallery, property search widget, Google Maps support, built-in social sharing, and multilingual support. It also includes a fields builder which allows you to easily add new fields to your listings.

It has an ajax powered search feature with auto-complete. Users can also sort listings by price, date, and popularity. Plugin developer also provides paid IDX/MLS services and add-ons to add more features if needed.

4.4 Easy Property Listings - Best Real Estate Plugin WordPress

Easy Property Listings is another powerful and highly customizable WordPress real estate plugin. It allows you to easily build a real estate website without touching code and without changing themes.

It has a beginner friendly listing management interface which makes it super easy to manage your properties. It comes with mobile-friendly listing templates to display your properties in a grid layout or a single listing page.

Advanced features include support for REAXML, JUPIX, worldwide MLS systems, translations / multilingual support, advanced maps, and more. Paid addons and extensions allow you to add many other features including a real estate agents directory and management system.

4.5 WP Real Estate - Best WP Plugin For Real Estate

WP Real Estate is a relatively new real estate plugin for WordPress with tons of cool features. It can be used for buying, selling, and rental properties as well.

It includes an advanced search feature, Google Maps, IDX/MLS integration, contact forms, custom fields, and list or grid layout views. It also comes with shortcodes and widgets so that you can display different real estate listings throughout your website or create your own landing pages for different properties.

4.6 AgentPress Listing - Best Real Estate Plugin

AgentPress Listing requires the Genesis theme framework and is designed to work with their own AgentPress Pro theme which helps you quickly create a real estate website.

The plugin adds a listing custom post type and taxonomies to help you categorize properties. You can also use widgets to add listings search to a widget ready area.

4.7 WPL Real Estate - Top Real Estate Plugin WordPress

WPL Real Estate plugin is a flexible and powerful WordPress real estate management system. It has an easy to manage section to add your listings with a filterable search feature for the front-end. It has real estate agent profiles, Google Maps, different listing views, and a powerful custom fields feature to add property features.

It can be integrated with MLS/IDX services as an additional paid feature, other customizations are also provided by the plugin developer as a service. It already works well with some of the best WordPress themes in the market.

4.8 WordPress Real Estate - Best WordPress Real Estate Listing Plugin

Last but not least is a powerful WordPress real estate management plugin from CMSmart. It is a powerful plugin with an easy-to-use property management system that allows you to easily add listings to your website. The plugin allows for a clean listing module with a beautiful image gallery. Customers can purchase through your website by going through PayPal or Bank Transfers. 

This WordPress real estate plugin has everything you need: multiple listing options, automatic geolocation inquiry, and total control of information to maintain relationships with customers. Furthermore, it’s fully responsive for clients to browse listings on their mobile phones and tablets. For a better experience, give it a chance by visiting the DEMO.

Conclusion

To sum up, creating a WordPress Real Estate Website is not different from creating any other kind. Simply choose your web hosting provider, your domain name, real estate theme and the most important thing is choosing the best real estate plugins which provide the features that fit your business model. product knowledge or modern technology is not the things you need to get started. What you really need is the right tools at your fingertips that can automate the entire process.

We have certainly listed and discussed some of the best Real Estate Plugins for WordPress. You may choose just one of them for your website and go on to build your business. Good luck!

If you need more information, call us today for a consultation or shoot us a quick email Here.

Thanks for reading.

Rose Helen

Shop Owner

Rose Helen is a highly accomplished Ecommerce Project Consultant with a strong background in managing and guiding successful e-commerce projects. With her exceptional expertise and strategic mindset, she helps businesses achieve their goals in the digital marketplace.
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