How to Easily Create a Real Estate Website like Zillow
The global real estate market is rich in opportunities, but also in competition.
Zillow is the premier and most popular real estate website in America. It already brings in $ 1.1 billion in advertising revenue today.
Therefore, if you want to build a website like Zillow, you need comprehensive information on what makes it work.
Our web developers have created a guide on building a real estate website like Zillow.
What is Zillow?
Back in 2006, Zillow was just a small and unknown startup. Today, it is the world's most widespread real estate website. Perhaps the main reason for its success is that it is universal.
Zillow is used:
- by buyers who want to buy real estate
- by sellers who are looking to sell their property to real buyers
- by people who wish to rent a home
- by other professionals who wish to advertise their services on this huge advertising platform
Zillow has become a versatile real estate site that combines a wealth of offerings with ease of use. Zillow's mission is “When you're ready for a change, we're ready to help.”
The core features of a real estate website like Zillow
The Zillow sample site can be a great example and the foundation for building your own successful real estate website. The fact that it has become so popular speaks to the effectiveness of the techniques and features it employs. Therefore, we suggest you consider these key features that every real estate website should have.
Top 7 features of the Zillow real estate website:
1. Authorization process
When creating a real estate website like Zillow, pay attention to the registration process on your website. For the success and ease of use of your site, this is a must-have feature. Allow all users, whether buyer or seller, to sign up via Facebook or Google.
2. Filtering option
This is another essential feature vital for a real estate website. All site visitors will select the same options for what they need and what they are looking for.
This helps you sort all the options by:
- price
- home type
- location
- number of beds
- parking
- pool
- view
and other options.
3. Photo material
Just a description is not enough to sell something, especially when it comes to real estate. The site must support high-quality images of real estate to provide visual appeal, so buyers will be interested.
4. Communication
The success of the real estate business is communication. Sites like Zillow should provide all members with a real-time messaging option right on the platform. This will almost double the amount of selling and buying.
5. Map integration
Integration with maps helps prospective owners to sort offers by location. For example, Zillow gives the user the ability to find properties in a specific area and find information about the size and infrastructure.
6. Clean and simple web design
How can it work without an attractive web design? Speaking specifically about Zillow, the entire website is designed in white and blue, which creates an atmosphere of seriousness, reliability, and transparency.
Besides, the site has a lot of free space, allowing users to concentrate on what is needed. Therefore, when creating your retail estate marketplace like Zillow, do not forget to coordinate all the details with web designers.
7. Fast loading times
If you want to build a website like Zillow, then be sure to pay attention to optimizing your site's load speed. The higher your site's response rate, the more successful customers you will have. Therefore, make sure that the speed of your real estate website meets all the requirements.
How much doеs it cost to build a website like Zillow?
To create a similar site to Zillow, with all the features, you will have to spend a lot of money and a lot of time. In 2018 alone, 20+ million dollars were spent on improving the site.
However, this does not mean that you cannot create a real estate website! You just need to develop your site gradually and add some core features first. We would advise you to start an MVP site early on in the process.
It is impossible to name a specific cost of building a real estate website like Zillow. This amount depends on the number of hours spent on the project and the development team.
Even if you have seen some numbers on the Internet, they are likely inaccurate. The final cost may surprise you and most likely will differ from the data you were promised initially. Therefore, to find out the specific amount, it is better to contact a reliable web development company and estimate the project.
Build a website like Zillow with the Drudesk web support company
The real estate industry is growing daily. If you want to build a website like Zillow, then you have every chance to create a successful business.
However, one thing should not forget that this is a large platform, and creating a large platform requires you to invest patience, time, and money. You can see from Zillow that this is a pretty lucrative business.
The best advice we can give to future owners of a real estate website like Zillow is to find a reliable and professional web support company.