How to Hire a Web Developer for Your Real Estate Practice

As more people go online to shop for a home or get their homes listed, agents, brokers, and other players in the industry must become visible on the web. Apart from social media, you will also need to create a website to attract clients and provide them with the resources they need to make the right decisions. However, building a website isn’t easy. There are creative and technical aspects to consider, and if you are not familiar with the process, you could end up with a low-quality website that also doesn’t get traction in the search engines. If that’s the case, you will need the help of a web developer. Check the helpful tips on hiring a web developer and how to do it right.

The Basics of How to Hire a Web Developer

Unless you have a website-building background, you will need an experienced web developer to handle every step of the process. These days, it’s easy to find web development professionals for your real estate business.  It’s just a matter of choosing between a web development agency and a freelance web developer.

The Advantage of a Web Development Company

You have the advantage of oversight when working with a web development company. The developers you hire will be under the direct supervision of the company. That means you won’t have to deal with any hands-on work. The company also has the tools and platforms you need, so you won’t have to spend time setting up web hosting, managing content databases, and securing an SSL certificate.

In case you need to deal with problems, outsourcing companies provide 24/7 customer support. Moreover, you are also assured of continuity in case a web developer is sick or on vacation. The company will assign a temporary replacement to keep the project going.

The Advantage of a Freelance Web Developer

Some work as independent contractors or freelancers. You can find them on Craigslist, Guru, Upwork, or Freelancer.com. The advantage of hiring freelancers is the cost. While companies charge depending on the package you choose, a freelancer charges a lower hourly rate. Hiring a developer will cost you $500 or more in the long run, but some freelancers charge by the hour, starting at $20.

Knowing this, you might be considering hiring someone offering the lowest price for the project. Then again, there is more to hiring a web developer than meets the eye. You must check if a company or freelancer is the right fit for your line of business. Check out these tips before you begin your search:

Tips to Help You Check If a Web Developer Is Right for You

Make Industry Knowledge a Top Priority

Not all web developers know much about real estate, so finding someone with experience in your field or niche is essential. For instance, if you run a cash-buying company such as Nexus Homebuyers, look for someone who has worked with investors and fix-and-flippers.

Do a Background Check

If you find a company or contractor that says it specializes in web development for the real estate industry, take their statement with a grain of salt. If you are looking for a web agency, look up their address and telephone number.

Moreover, you can also look them up on the Better Business Bureau. If the agency has at least an A rating, then it’s likely legitimate. You will also need to check for any bad reviews from past clients. If you are looking for independent contractors, look for their LinkedIn profiles and scroll down to the reviews section.

Ask People You Know

A background check can help you determine if an agency or contractor is legitimate, but how do you know if you will be comfortable working with them? If customer service and reliability are crucial to you, it helps if you check with other real estate professionals. Ask them about their experience with the service provider.

Professionalism and trustworthiness are crucial to choosing a legitimate web development service provider, but they are not the only factors to look for. If your goal is to drive traffic to your website and increase the number of queries, you need an agency or freelancer that has the following skill sets:

Programming and Technical Skills

These are a must for web developers who are highly skilled in one or more programming languages. The most widespread right now is CSS, as it allows websites to adapt to varying screen sizes.

Hiring someone with enough experience with JavaScript, Python, and PHP is also a plus. Consider adding these languages to your hiring ad or criteria. On top of programming languages, a good real estate web developer should be a master of different website-building platforms. Many websites in the industry run on WordPress and MotoCMS, but you can also use Squarespace or Wix.

Hire a Web Developer – Visual Communication

In most cases, you will need both a web designer and a web developer to work together. The designer will prepare the layout while the developer sets up the required features and handles the back-end tasks such as coding, search engine optimization, and web administration. However, considering the differences between these roles, there was always room for conflict. There are cases in which a designer and developer may disagree on creative and technical grounds.

You can find a web developer with a designer’s eye if you are lucky. The advantage of this is balance. Apart from ensuring each website component is functional, a developer will also check if the component doesn’t affect the overall layout.

Communication Skills

Web development uses highly technical language. You could get lost in the details if you hire a developer who won’t explain an issue in simple terms. For this reason, you need someone easy to talk to and responsive to your questions.

Whether hiring locally or outsourcing the project to an offshore agency or contractor, it is essential to know if you are dealing with someone who can explain what’s going on. Look for someone available on the messaging platform of your choice. Finding a developer who knows how to use collaboration tools such as Trello, Red Pen, or Bitrix 24 also matters.

Efficiency and Work Ethics

Just because a developer knows how to communicate well doesn’t mean they work well. As with hiring any other employee for your real estate company, you must have people who meet your expectations. Especially if you plan to launch a website on a specific date, you will need a developer who can balance speed and efficiency with quality. If you are interviewing candidates, ask them for samples of the real estate websites they helped build.

How to Hire a Web Developer – Bottomline

Building a website for your real estate business is essential. As more people are using search engines and social media to find real estate brokers, investors, and agents, you will need a website developer who knows your industry well.