It’s a winding road out there and finding the right developer and design team to help you execute your vision is crucial for real estate marketing success. We at Placester hear from lots of agents and brokers looking to improve their online presence and we help thousands of real estate professionals launch their websites every month.
But, there are many folks that aren’t a perfect fit for our platform, either because they want something custom or they’re looking for a feature that we don’t provide. And because we work directly with developers that utilize our platform and restful API, we often get asked, “Who are some of the other website designers and developers worth looking at?” What’s great is that there is some fantastic talent out there, building specifically for real estate.
Here’s a list of companies that have solid track records of creating beautiful websites in the real estate space.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
— STEVE JOBS
1000Watt
Based in Portland, Oregon, these guys have been around for quite a while and have a stellar reputation. 1000Watt specializes in larger brand work, focusing on marketing, design, and strategy. They are very selective about the projects they take on and their experience brings valuable insight to every project I have seen. They tend to focus on larger franchise, brand and broker projects. The founders, Marc Davison and Brian Boero, are insightful thought leaders in the industry and always provide value when you hear them speak or meet them in person. Definitely worth researching and reading their blog.
Ha Media Group
Run by the husband and wife team of Inna & Jon Hardison, Ha Media Group focuses on crafting individual websites one project at a time. Think of them as design build experts, handling everything from branding and web design to printing and optimization. Jon is a meticulous developer and Inna a fantastic online marketer. If you’ve ever met them, you know right away they are clear, motivated, and unwavering in their intention to do what works for their clients.
Curaytor
Launched just a little more than a year ago by real estate veterans, Chris Smith and Jimmy Mackin, Curaytor has rapidly built an impressive online marketing platform. They build everything from scratch and focus heavily on inbound marketing, marketing automation, and lead conversion. They also run an active mastermind for all of their clients to share insight and provide ongoing education.
“Good design is good business.”
— THOMAS J. WATSON
BrandCo
A boutique design and web development company based in Orlando, Florida, BrandCo operates more like an agency than most developers. They are one of the few that will not only design a website from scratch, but also handle logo design and printed collateral design from business cards to postcards. Ken Granger, the founder and CEO, has built a great team that produces solid work.
Virtual Results
Led by CEO Jim Marks, Virtual Results builds websites in addition to helping customers with SEO, email marketing, and content creation. Based in Laguna Beach, California, Jim has been in the business a long time and has a great reputation. He’s also an active public speaker covering topics ranging from social media and lead generation to SEO and website optimization.
Real Geeks
Based in Kailua, Hawaii, Real Geeks has been building websites for quite a few years. In addition to websites, they focus on lead management and lead generation. Jeff Manson, the founder of Real Geeks, has built a great fan base.
1 Park Place
Based in San Diego, California, 1 Park Place focuses on building websites on their proprietary content management system (CMS) called Smartpress. They are known for their custom-built websites and their marketing tools.
Dakno Marketing
A family business led by Brad and Bobby Carroll, Dakno has also been building real estate websites for years. They offer lots of additional marketing services as well as content creation and graphic design.
“The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
— VOLTAIRE
BoomtownROI
Based in Charleston, SC and led by CEO Grier Allen, BoomtownROI has gained a great reputation among teams and brokerages. They do a great job focusing on lead nurturing, search engine marketing, and PPC.
One Stop Agent
Based in Los Angeles, California, One Stop Agent focuses on building websites for high-end agents and brokers. Handling everything from photography & video to content creation and SEO, Founder and CEO Alex Atkinson runs a hands-on business that understands how to help real estate professionals market effectively online.
Union Street Media
A web design agency based in Burlington, VT, Union Street Media has been crafting websites since 1999. Founded by brothers Jon & Ted Adler, the company is a full-service design shop that produces top-notch custom work for their clients.
So here are 11 companies to consider if you’re thinking about building a custom real estate website. Finding the right partner to work with is crucial to online success, but it’s just the beginning. You need to be prepared to work at it continuously. Online marketing is no longer an option and definitely not something you can set and forget. The businesses that will be thriving tomorrow understand this today.
Hopefully, this will help you achieve the best marketing success possible. Feel free to reach out with any questions. And if you’re a developer not on this list, email us at partners@placester.com to get in touch.
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