A beginner’s guide to hosting for real estate websites

When it comes to running a successful real estate business, your website is one of your most critical assets. It's often the first point of contact potential clients have with your services, making it essential that your site is fast, reliable, and secure. 

The type of web hosting you choose directly impacts these factors and, consequently, your user experience and conversion rates. Let’s explore what hosting is, its importance for real estate businesses, and tips on choosing a good website host.

What is website hosting?

Website hosting is a service that enables individuals and organisations to make their websites accessible on the internet. Free website hosting is a popular choice for small businesses or startups due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of use. However, it often has limited storage and bandwidth, can slow down the site, often includes ads, lacks strong customer support, and can compromise security. 

For real estate businesses, a paid hosting plan is generally a better choice for long-term success, as it ensures the safety of both the site and client data. Hosting providers like Prop Data offer the necessary technology and server space to store your real estate website's files and data, ensuring it stays online and available to visitors. 

In addition to basic services, hosting providers often offer additional services such as domain registration, email hosting, customer support, and security features like SSL certificates, which are crucial for protecting sensitive client information. 

Reliable hosting is essential for maintaining your real estate website’s performance, uptime, and security, all of which are critical for attracting and retaining potential clients in the industry.

The importance of good hosting for real estate businesses

Speed and user experience

A slow website can be a dealbreaker for potential buyers. Imagine a prospective client searching for properties and encountering delays when viewing high-resolution images or loading property search results. Fast hosting ensures that your site delivers content quickly, keeping users engaged and reducing bounce rates.

For instance, a prominent real estate agency specialising in luxury homes noticed a 20% increase in leads after switching to a hosting provider that improved their site’s speed. Faster load times allowed visitors to browse property galleries seamlessly, leading to more inquiries.

Reliability and uptime

If your website goes down for several hours during peak home-buying season due to poor hosting, you could lose valuable leads to competitors with more reliable sites. It’s essential that your website is accessible 24/7, especially when potential buyers are browsing outside of regular business hours. Downtime means missed opportunities, and in real estate, every lead counts. Reliable hosting guarantees high uptime, ensuring your site is always available when it matters most.

Security and client trust

Real estate websites often handle sensitive information, including personal details and financial data. By using secure hosting with SSL certificates, a real estate agency or brokerage reassures clients that their data is safe during online transactions, which can be a crucial factor in their decision to choose a property practitioner. Secure hosting not only protects this information from cyber threats but also helps build and maintain your clients’ trust.

Tips for choosing a good website host

• Assess your needs

Consider the specific needs of your real estate business. Do you require a large amount of storage for property images and videos? Do you expect high traffic volumes? Understanding your requirements will help you choose the right hosting plan.

• Look for real estate-specific features

Some hosting providers offer features tailored to real estate websites, such as easy integration with MLS (Multiple Listing Service) databases, real estate website builders optimised for mobile use, and responsive web design tools. These features can save you time and enhance your site’s functionality.

• Prioritise speed and performance

Choose a hosting provider known for excellent speed and performance. Look for options that offer SSD storage, CDN (Content Delivery Network) capabilities, and caching technology, all of which contribute to faster load times.

• Ensure strong security measures

Opt for a host that provides robust security features, including SSL certificates, regular backups, and DDoS protection. This ensures your site remains secure and your data protected.

• Consider customer support

Reliable customer support is essential, especially if you encounter technical issues. Look for hosts that offer 24/7 support through multiple channels, such as live chat, phone, and email.

• Evaluate cost vs value

While free hosting might be tempting, it often comes with limitations such as bandwidth caps, limited storage, and a lack of support. Investing in a reputable hosting provider can provide better performance, security, and support, ultimately offering better value for your business.

Optimising your real estate website for mobile

With the increasing use of mobile devices to browse the internet, optimising your real estate website for mobile is essential. This ensures that your site is accessible and functional on smartphones and tablets, providing a seamless user experience.

Mobile-friendly design

A responsive real estate website automatically adjusts its layout and elements to fit various screen sizes. This ensures that images, text, and navigation remain user-friendly on mobile devices.

Speed optimisation

Mobile users often have less patience for slow-loading sites. Use speed optimisation techniques such as image compression, lazy loading, and AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to improve load times on mobile devices.

Secure hosting for mobile users

Mobile users are just as concerned about security as desktop users. Ensure your hosting provider offers mobile-friendly security measures, such as SSL certificates and secure payment gateways.

Invest in hosting that won’t let you down

Choosing the right hosting for your real estate website is a crucial decision that impacts your site's speed, reliability, and security. By understanding your needs, prioritising essential features, and investing in a quality hosting provider, you can ensure your real estate website provides an excellent user experience, helping to attract and retain clients. 

Besides helping you create and launch a professional and user-friendly website, Prop Data also offers hosting services. We can find your dream domain name and register it before it’s gone. Every year, we can also help you renew your domain so you don’t lose your website. Get in touch with our team to find out more.