What Real Estate Agents Expect from Your Website

If you work with real estate agents, you likely already know that they don’t have a lot of spare time. Even in sluggish markets, the best ones are constantly hustling for the next opportunity. If they visit your website to search for information, whether its locations served or if you specialize in commercial properties, they don’t have the mental space to endlessly click around for the answer.

This is why it’s so important to frontload your site, starting with the most important information before you move into the nitty-gritty details. If you’re in a law firm or title company, we’ll look at what real estate agents expect when they land on your site.

Fast, Mobile-Friendly Performance

Real estate agents are often on the go, going from private showings to open houses to closings. Your site needs to load quickly across all screens, whether it’s an Android phone or an iPad:

• Speed testing: You want your site to load as fast as possible across devices of every kind. While you can’t control certain factors, such as cell phone coverage or device age, you can optimize your site to ensure it’s as efficient as possible.
• Eliminate clutter: Pop-ups, photos, CTA buttons, videos, colors, fonts: these digital assets can all be effective tools when used in the right context. However, in reality, they often only serve to frustrate the visitor, slowing real estate agents down when they’re in a hurry. Instead, give them a clean site that gets to the point.
• Optimize for touchscreens: When real estate agents have to navigate to multiple sections, they don’t necessarily have time to enlarge text or squint at different words or graphics. The most important parts of your site should be easy to reach and there should be people to contact if the agent has an odd request or anomalous situation.

Easy Access to Key Tools

There are endless tools available today in the real estate industry, such as Net Sheet Calculators and Critical Dates Calculators, that can help agents get a better handle on listings and sales. Putting tools at their fingertips makes them more likely to return to your site and develop a sense of loyalty.

This is why it’s so important to ask real estate agents what they’re looking for, and learn how they use your site. Many title companies and law firms implement tools that are either unhelpful or too difficult to use. For example, a real estate agent isn’t going to have time to log in on their phone or search for a link at the bottom of a page when they only have 15 minutes between showings. Your tools need to be as valuable as they are easy to find and use.

Clear Contact and Ordering Options

Real estate agents are often on strict deadlines, whether that’s sending contracts or opening orders. If they can’t get in touch with anyone or the uploading options are confusing, they might not think twice to move on:

• One-click order forms: Streamline the ordering process, so real estate agents don’t have to answer unnecessary questions or fill in information they’ve already provided.
• Live chat: When the real estate industry can change on a dime, live chat options help real estate agents cope with the unexpected.
• Clearly-listed contacts: It should be easy for agents to find contact information for your company, including the numbers for specialists. Ideally, your contact info should include multiple options (e.g., alternate numbers, etc.) to get urgent questions answered if employees are out of town or otherwise unavailable.

Market-Specific Resources

Real estate is hyperlocal, and agents look for partners who understand their market.. It’s helpful to know not just the official laws governing the area, but also the unspoken customs and traditions that influence real-world outcomes. Real estate agents look for local office information, including relevant checklists and community coverage:

• Downloadable guides: You can walk real estate agents through the peaks and pitfalls of even the most complex transactions. For example, a real estate law firm might create an infographic to show how a 1031 exchange works for most sellers.
• Title checklists: Even experienced real estate agents can fail to include a step in the title process, especially if you’re working in a high-demand area. Checklists help everyone stay on the same page, so there are fewer miscommunications. This helps not only real estate agents stay organized, but it cuts back on title company employees having to delay delivery.
• Videos: Hyperlocal videos can answer hyperlocal questions, especially if real estate agents are concerned about new regulatory changes coming down the pipeline.

Credibility and Professionalism

Investing in your website is ultimately an investment in your clients. If your site looks like it was quickly slopped together, it signals that you’re not paying attention to detail. With a more polished site, you can convey just how much customer service matters to your organization:

• Real estate agent testimonials: Featuring the best reviews from real estate agents, ideally highlighting how easy it was for them to get things done, tells your prospective clients what they can expect when they work with you.
• Staff Bios: Bios give you an opportunity to brag about your incredible team. Give people a sense of not just who they’re dealing with, but how each professional leverages their industry experience to provide a superior customer experience.
• Updated content: Whether it’s a blog post or press release, your site needs constant updates (both to maintain site rankings and remain relevant). In a sector as fast-paced as real estate, you should have no trouble coming up with topics.

Support for Real Estate Agents’ Clients

Agents will often send their clients, whether it’s a prospective buyer or current seller, to your site, so your site needs to feature resources for them too, including:

• Content: FAQs, checklists, and guides can go a long way for visitors — especially if they’re brand new to real estate. Use simple, clear language to clearly explain how it works and where people usually go wrong. For example, a “What to Expect at Closing” article can go a long way to demystify the process.
• Buyer/seller hub: Break down your website for buyers and sellers, giving them basic information upfront as well as additional assets if they want a more detailed explanation. For example, a real estate law firm might feature a breakdown on Joint Tenants, so buyers understand how property rights transfer in the event of death, etc.

How to Build a Better Website for Real Estate Agents

Building a better website for real estate agents starts with making it more functional and intuitive. That’s why it’s so important to evaluate it based on not just how fast it is, but also how easy it is to answer a myriad of questions. Unfortunately, most agents won’t make formal complaints to a title company or law firm – they’ll just hire another company instead.

If you’re looking for support, TitleTap specializes in websites for title companies and law firms, offering marketing integrations and industry expertise that goes far beyond standard advice. No matter what state you’re in or what types of real estate agents you work with, we can help you nail down the best ways to communicate with them online — so they’re more likely to work with you offline.

Want to see how we build websites for real estate agents? Request a demo today!