4 Best Real Estate Website Builders of 2024 | Tried and Tested!
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Thanks to website builders, anyone can now build a real estate website. Whether it’s posting from the IDX, giving virtual tours, or capturing leads, modern website builders can handle a lot of the work.
Whether you’re talking to sellers and buyers, taking photos, giving tours, or preparing all the correct legal documents – for our money, the best overall website builder for real estate is Wix. It has the best selection of features, giving you support across the whole real estate process.
The 4 Real Estate Website Builders:
- Wix – For extensive real estate apps
- Squarespace – For unmatched real estate templates
- GoDaddy – For marketing your real estate properties
- Shopify – For virtual reality tools in real estate
Best Real Estate Website Builders: Comparison Table
If you’re short on time, you can compare our top real estate website builders in our table below:
| | | |
Wix | Squarespace | GoDaddy | Shopify |
Overall Rating 4.9 | Overall Rating 4.8 | Overall Rating 4.6 | Overall Rating 4.1 |
Starting from | Starting from | Starting from $9.99 | Starting from |
Free plan or free trial Free plan | Free plan or free trial 14-day free trial | Free plan or free trial Free plan | Free plan or free trial 3-day free trial |
Storage space 2GB – Unlimited | Storage space Unlimited | Storage space Unmetered | Storage space Unlimited |
Event bookings and scheduling With an app | Event bookings and scheduling Built-in paid upgrade | Event bookings and scheduling One-time appointments only | Event bookings and scheduling With an app |
IDX Integration Need coding experience | IDX Integration Copy code | IDX Integration Built-in section | IDX Integration With an app |
What Is IDX?
The IDX, or Internet Data Exchange, is an online database that allows people to post property listings in their area, giving people knowledge of the currently available properties. All real estate websites, from small, local ones to large companies like Zillow, have to be connected to the IDX to show listings online.
As an agent or broker, you’ll have access to each property’s most up-to-date information. To add a property to the IDX, you’ll have to add and keep updating its listing. For your real estate website, you can add IDX integration to your site and let customers view local properties. It’s a vital tool for building not only trust but a sizable pool of customers for your real estate site.
Wix - For Extensive Real Estate Apps
Starting from: $17 per month billed annually: save 10% with code “TAKE10”
Wix
For extensive real estate apps
- 12 real estate templates
- Easy to use and customize
- Temperamental for IDX
Free plan available
Paid Plans: $17 - $159 / month
Pros
- Wide choice of templates
- Best for features
- Wide range of apps for functionality
Cons
- IDX integration can be buggy
Wix is our best real estate website builder, with an overall score in our research of 4.9 out of 5. What makes it so easily recommendable to budding real estate moguls is its fantastic range of real estate features. From contact forms and virtual tours to interactive maps and lead generation, Wix provides you with every tool you could need for a real estate website.
When you first start with Wix, you’ll be asked whether you want to use a template or its ADI service, which can build you a custom site. Simply answer a few questions about your business and the AI website builder will do the rest – perfect for those who may be in a bit of a rush.
If you want to select your template, Wix has 12 real estate-specific templates to choose from. They’re all meticulously designed and can be customized as much as you like thanks to Wix’s easy-to-use editor. From here, you can simply drag and drop important features for real estate websites like contact forms and Google Maps integrations.
While Wix’s available features are certainly useful, it is Wix’s app store where the true treasures lie. From mortgage and ROI calculators to IDX integration, Wix has several apps made specifically for real estate, giving you a level of support that would be hard to find anywhere else. However, it should be noted Wix’s IDX integration is not as seamless as Squarespace’s, and our testers have reported it sometimes being buggy.
While Wix certainly has you covered when running your real estate website, can it offer the same service in getting the word out about it? Yes, it can! With a 5 out of 5 in our research, Wix’s SEO makes it simple for even beginners – plus integrations with Semrush and Microsoft Clarity make it a beast in visitor analytics.
On top of that, Wix offers real estate email templates through Mailchimp, letting you send out newsletters and capture forms to potential customers and let them schedule viewings.
What’s the Best Value Plan?
Wix’s pricing plans have different features but we’d recommend either the Light or Core plans for real estate agents. Wix offers four paid plans, plus a free plan:
- Free: free plan forever (with limitations such as ads)
- Light: $17/month
- Core: $29/month
- Business: $36/month
- Business Elite: $159/month
The free plan is a great way to test the water and start building your site, but with ads, no custom domain, and a 500MB storage limit, your site won’t inspire much confidence or trust. We recommend upgrading to the Core plan. This is ideal for businesses, whereas the Light plan is aimed at personal projects.
As you upgrade, you’ll also unlock more features, like extra video storage for virtual house viewings (this starts at one hour on the Core plan), and extra paid ad credit for landing local searches. And if you like discounts, you can get 10% off at the checkout using the code ‘TAKE10’.
Read our full Wix Review for more
Squarespace - For Unmatched Real Estate Templates
Starting from: $16 per month billed annually: Save 10% with code “WBE10”
Squarespace
For unmatched real estate templates
- Best user experience
- Easy to use and customize
- No pre-integrated IDX
Free trial available
Paid Plans: $16 - $52 / month
Pros
- Quality templates and design
- Mobile-friendly designs
- Wide range of apps
Cons
- Need to embed code from your IDX
Squarespace is primarily known for its stunning templates and easy-to-use editor, letting even beginners design professional-standard websites. There are six real estate website templates available, and although that’s half what Wix offers, one look is enough to tell that Squarespace values quality over quantity.
Once your template is chosen, you can begin editing your template with essential real estate features like contact forms and map navigation. Squarespace is the easiest builder to use in our research, earning 4.8 out of 5 for user experience. This is all thanks to the Fluid Engine, Squarespace’s unique editor which keeps your design intact no matter how many features you add. This means you can keep growing your site with new properties without the fear of ruining your design – Squarespace does truly make it that easy!
Compared to Wix, Squarespace has fewer features directly for real estate built into the platform – but it does have an excellent scheduling integration app with Acuity. Design your scheduling page and create appointments for viewings – all from the Squarespace dashboard.
It is also easier to sign in to the IDX with Squarespace, and it has a full guide on how to do it. Instead of an app, users have to input custom code into a code block on their Squarespace site. While it sounds difficult, it’s just a simple copy and paste – but we understand that code in any scenario seems confusing to beginners.
Luckily, no code is required to access Squarespace’s SEO and marketing capabilities. Like the editor, Squarespace makes sure the process is as clear as possible, and you’ll have access to Mailchimp email marketing, pop-ups for reminding customers of new deals, and contact forms.
What’s the Best Value Plan?
Along with a free 14-day trial, there are four paid Squarespace pricing plans:
- Personal plan – $16 per month
- Business plan – $23 per month
- Commerce Basic – $28 per month
- Commerce Advanced – $52 per month
While it doesn’t have a free plan like Wix, the 14-day free trial is enough for you to build your site and really nail down the design before you upgrade – which we recommend the $23 per month Business plan for. The Personal plan is lacking a lot of the most important features for a real estate website, like pop-ups, customer accounts, and – most importantly – IDX compatibility.
If you like deals, you can also use our exclusive discount code ‘WBE10’ at checkout for 10% off.
Read our Squarespace Review for more
GoDaddy - For Marketing Your Real Estate Properties
Starting from: $9.99 per month billed annually
GoDaddy
For marketing your real estate properties
- Afforable price plans
- Fast ADI building process
- No pre-built IDX app
Free plan available
Paid Plans: $9.99 - $20.99 / month
Pros
- Impressive real estate templates
- Step-by-step IDX guide
- Pretty easy to use
Cons
- No app market
- No virtual tour features
GoDaddy is not the most feature-loaded builder for real estate websites, nor are its templates the most stunning. However, it earns a place on this list due to its great value for money and helpful marketing and SEO integrations – making it ideal for the start-up real estate business that needs a lot of attention quickly but not exceeding budget.
Like Wix, GoDaddy has an AI website builder known as ADI. When you start your GoDaddy site, you’ll be automatically sent to the ADI over templates, and by simply describing your website in the setup process, the ADI does the rest. These auto-generated sites are of great quality, and our testers remarked that the design was never repeated, even with the same description.
If you prefer templates, GoDaddy has 10 real estate-specific to choose from. These templates come with unique features perfect for any real estate website, such as image carousels to highlight your properties and integrated Zillow reviews.
GoDaddy has no IDX-specific app, but like Squarespace, there’s a step-by-step guide to adding it to your website by creating an account with IDXBroker.com
Besides the industry-specific templates, GoDaddy is a bit thin when it comes to features directly for real estate websites. You can create contact forms and schedule viewings, but there are no virtual tours and no app store to cover the gaps.
However, what GoDaddy does do well is increase your website’s voice thanks to its easily accessible marketing tools – relying on social media, newsletter sign-ups, and on-site chat boxes to help nurture your leads.
On all the plans you’ll get to create Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns for your site, plus there’s the new GoDaddy Airo, which uses AI to help small businesses get their footing – a more modern approach than classic email marketing, and one more inline with modern customer behavior.
What’s the Best Value Plan?
GoDaddy pricing is split into three plans, plus a free one:
- Free plan: free forever (with limitations)
- Basic – $9.99 per month
- Premium – $14.99 per month
- Commerce – $20.99 per month
Like Wix, GoDaddy has a free plan that you can use forever if you want. However, it shares similar limitations such as ads, no custom domain, and no SEO tools.
If you want your real estate website to be taken seriously, we recommend starting with the Premium plan as it comes with SEO tools and better booking options. It’s also the best value plan on this list, giving you real estate-specific features like IDX integration for nearly half the cost of Wix and Shopify. In our research, it scored 4.5 out of 5 for value for money, ranking first.
Read our full GoDaddy Review for more.
Shopify - For Virtual Reality Tools In Real Estate
Starting from: $29 per month billed annually
Free for 3 days, then $1 for the first month
Shopify
For virtual reality tools in real estate
- Great lead capture tools
- No native IDX/MLS
- Expensive plans
Free trial available
Paid Plans: $29 - $299 / month
Pros
- Straightforward web builder
- Improvement in sitespeed
- Fairly easy to use
Cons
- Lowest value for money builder
- Mediocre real estate features
Shopify is an ecommerce platform, meaning it’s designed primarily to sell items online. Most real estate requires an offline element, but frequently more and more real estate sites are dedicated to being entirely online.
Shopify itself doesn’t have any real estate features, but it does have a large third-party app store, meaning you can integrate contact forms, lead generation, and IDX into your website. However, like Squarespace, you’ll need to use a bit of code to get it in.
Additionally, Shopify has the largest range of 3D and AR apps for virtual tours, meaning online customers can still view your properties from the comfort of their homes. They’re proven to be effective too, as a study found virtual tours increased the likelihood of a sale by 130% among 18 to 34-year-olds.
Many of these apps are free to install, but be careful, as some can have subscription fees or one-off payments of up to $150 or more. It differs case-by-case, so you’ll have to read reviews and do some of your own research, which can be time-consuming and not very consumer-friendly.
Payments sadly extend to templates too, with Shopify being the only builder on this list that makes you pay – sometimes up to $350. There are 15 free themes, but unfortunately, none of them are real estate-themed. In fact, none of Shopify’s themes are for real estate businesses. The closest we could find was for home and decor, so you’ll have to spend some time with Shopify’s editor in order to adjust it to your needs.
While you have to rely on third-party apps for a lot of functions, Shopify still has some good in-built functionality – especially for lead generation – such as:
- Email marketing (for keeping leads engaged)
- A members area (just note that it’s not password protected)
- Contact and appointment forms (for gathering leads)
While these aren’t designed specifically for real estate, you’re able to customize them easily enough and create marketing funnels for keeping leads engaged with your new properties.
What’s the Best Value Plan?
Shopify offers four main premium plans:
- Basic Shopify – $29/month
- Shopify – $79/month
- Advanced Shopify – $299/month
- Shopify Plus – $2000/month
The bad news is, Shopify is the worst value real estate website builder we’ve tested, earning just 2.6 out of 5 for value for money in our research. It’s pretty expensive and includes transaction fees, along with high pricing for themes that aren’t specifically designed for the real estate industry.
There is a 3-day free trial if you’re unsure, plus the first month for only $1. If you plan on being completely online with your real estate business, then its app store could prove incredibly useful. We recommend the Basic Shopify plan, as it sets you up with everything you need to add the necessary features and themes – but remember some of these will cost you as well.
Read our full Shopify Review for more
How To Choose a Real Estate Website Builder?
Real estate websites differ from regular online businesses because, while you do sell, a property or land cannot be shipped to you by courier. Much of the process involves offline procedures, like viewing the house, signing deeds, and presenting official documents.
Therefore, the tools you need for a real estate business should be focused on presenting your properties in the best way possible, enticing and converting customers into taking those next, real-world steps. ‘Home is where the heart is’ as they say, so your real estate business must – above all else – present professionalism and trust in the customer.
When doing our own independent research, we were able to identify some of the key features every real estate website needs in order to become a success:
- IDX – Your real estate website has to, in some way, be connected to the IDX and other property listings in order to build trust, not only amongst customers but also other real estate businesses. There’s a code of conduct, and not being on the IDX breaks it.
- Lead generation – From emails to contact forms to ad campaigns, you need to get into contact with potential customers regularly, turning online interest into real-world action.
- Image galleries – Being online, the best way to show off your real estate is through plenty of images and image galleries, showcasing the best of your properties.
- Virtual tours – Virtual tours are the next step in online real estate, whether through video or 3D apps, by letting customers view the house from the comfort of their own home.
- Storage – Images, videos, virtual tours. All of this requires quite a lot of storage on your website.
How We Test
At Website Builder Guide, we only use the most up-to-date information on all our builders, collected by our wonderful in-house research team and updated weekly, to bring you the best quality and most reliable website-building articles on the web.
For this list, as well as applying our rigorous research methodology, we wanted to accurately reflect what real estate professionals want from a website. Through our own hands-on research, we found the factors that would be most important and adjusted the weighting of our research categories.
So now, when you see a builder score on this list, you can trust its validity to not only our own methodology but to real estate websites in particular. Let’s see the weightings in action:
- Design flexibility – 35%
- Website features – 30%
- User experience – 13%
- Help and support – 12%
- Sales features – 10%
- Value for money – 5%
- Customer score – 5%
Best Real Estate Website Builders: Summary
As you’ve seen, each platform brings something a little different to the table. Our research into the best real estate website builder highlights Wix as the number one choice thanks to its easy-to-use and customizable templates, great SEO tools, and the best features.
By now, you can feel confident choosing the one that’s right for you, your homeowners, and potential buyers. Now all that’s left to do is to go and build your real estate website!
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