We’ve been working with estate agents, accommodation providers and property developers for many years, helping them to promote properties online and provide clear information for current and potential customers.
As with all our web development projects, there are two main aspects we’re always looking to focus on. How can we provide users with a useful and frictionless experience? And how can we provide the business with more streamlined and efficient processes?
In the case of property websites, the client needs to be able to quickly and easily manage property details so that information is kept up to date without taking up too much admin time. This means it’s crucial to build content management systems that are intuitive and easy for clients to manage themselves.
Another aspect is making sure potential buyers can quickly and easily find suitable properties online. This requires setting up intuitive search and filtering criteria, and clearly displaying key property information.
Here are a few examples of some property websites NB has recently worked on...
Dundas
Dundas is one of Scotland's leading property developers. We worked with them to launch a new website this summer, which enhances the user experience and visual appeal of the brand.
A key new feature is the ‘Find my new home’ tool, which allows users to search for available properties based on their preferences on location and property type.
Visitors can register interest and request appointments online, and the integration with SharpSpring, a marketing automation platform, allows Dundas to easily track and monitor these requests.
SEO was a main consideration throughout, and we worked closely with another agency to ensure the website was heavily optimised for performance. We also created dedicated area-based landing pages to assist with presence for key search terms.
Harper Macleod
Leading Scottish law firm Harper Macleod acquired the Shetland-based firm Dowle, Smith & Rutherford in 2015, who were one of our existing clients. We were tasked with designing and developing a new site for the Shetland branch of the law firm and estate agency, which was then replicated for the Inverness & Highlands branch.
In 2021, we carried out a refresh project to enhance website code and performance, and integrated all of Harper Macleod's estate agency websites with a property management system API. This allows Harper Macleod to update property information in a single platform, with the data being fed to each of the websites.
Other activities as part of this project included Hubspot CRM form integration. We also made tweaks to layout, website code and styling to ensure that users were provided with a consistent experience in-line with the main Harper Macleod brand.
Providing a user-friendly property search function is key to any property website. With Harper Macleod, users can filter by type, location, status and price, and browse locations via a grid or map view.
We've also incorporated clear calls to action, allowing users to request viewings directly from the website.
View the Harper Macleod Shetland website.
Orkney.com
As part of our long-standing work with HIE on the Orkney.com website, we were tasked with creating an area on the site to showcase all the properties for sale across the islands. The result is an integrated ‘property for sale’ section that takes data from several estate agencies and presents them on one searchable page.
The property section uses the same grid styles as the rest of Orkney.com and allows users to filter by area, number of bedrooms and price. Each tile links straight through to the estate agency’s website so users can quickly find out more information about a property and how to enquire further.
This functionality provides great convenience for anyone looking to move to, or within, Orkney.
View the property section on Orkney.com
d&h
In 2019, we launched a new website for the law firm and estate agent d&h (previous Drever & Heddle).
They were particularly keen to provide their customers with a more inspiring and useful way of browsing available properties. And, with branches in Orkney and Thurso, it was important to allow users to quickly filter by area.
Within the content management system, we developed a bespoke sales tracker module, allowing d&h staff to easily keep track of enquiries, viewing requests, and more. We also built in custom analytics data to give a detailed overview of all sale progress on a property.
More recently, d&h has introduced properties to let, providing the same experience and features for visitors looking to rent property.
If you are interested in finding out how NB can help you promote your business online, please get in touch.