A new development’s website is often the first place a future buyer meets the project, and the place they come back to after visiting the show apartment. They compare floor plans, run the numbers and show the site to their family. A good development website isn’t just a pretty presentation. It’s a tool that helps buyers decide and helps the sales team close. Here’s what it should include.
An apartment selector that works on a phone
The apartment selector is the heart of a development site. Buyers want to see every unit in one place and filter by what matters to them:
- number of rooms, floor area, floor and price;
- status – available, reserved or sold;
- extras such as a balcony, terrace, sauna, parking space or storage unit;
- orientation and view, where they’re selling points.
Alongside a table, a visual selector helps: a photo or rendering of the building where you can click a floor and then an apartment. That works nicely on a large screen, but on a phone the same information needs to be available as a simple, fast list. A large share of visitors browse on their phones, often in the evening on the sofa.
A page for every apartment
Each apartment should have its own page with its own URL. That page includes:
- a floor plan that can be zoomed and downloaded as a PDF;
- exact room-by-room areas;
- price and status;
- a floor plate showing where the apartment sits in the building;
- a clear button to send an enquiry about that specific unit.
Individual pages can be shared (“have a look at this one”), they help in search, and when an enquiry comes in, the sales team knows immediately which apartment it’s about.
Statuses must always be accurate
Few things are as frustrating as finding your dream apartment only to hear it sold a month ago. Out-of-date statuses erode trust and create pointless work for the sales team. Updating statuses and prices has to be easy, either with a couple of clicks in an admin panel or, better still, automatically from a sales spreadsheet or CRM. Keeping sold units visible with a “sold” label also signals to buyers that the project is moving and the interest is real. When prices change, update every language version at the same time so the numbers never disagree.
Visuals and materials
Before completion, the pictures do the selling. A development site should have:
- exterior and interior renderings that match the actual project;
- interior design packages and finish options, if you offer them;
- construction progress photos or updates that show work is moving;
- video or a 3D tour, where it adds value.
All of it has to load fast. We optimise large images automatically and load them only when the visitor scrolls to them, so the page stays light.
Location and surroundings
Buyers aren’t just buying an apartment, they’re buying a neighbourhood. A map showing nearby schools, kindergartens, shops, public transport and green spaces helps them picture everyday life. Be specific about distances and travel times, for example “bus stop 3 minutes away” rather than just “well connected”. If new roads, parks or shopping centres are on the way, mention them too, but only when the plans are confirmed.
Multiple languages
In Tallinn and other larger cities, many buyers don’t speak Estonian as their first language. An English version, and a Russian one where relevant, widens your pool of buyers. Each language should be a proper translation with its own URLs and metadata, not an automatic translate button, so the site can be found in searches in every language. We have direct experience with multilingual sites: we built a Korean and English website for Marmi Futerno, a natural stone fabrication company in Tallinn.
Lead flow
The website only pays off if enquiries reach the right person quickly. Think through the whole journey:
- a short enquiry form on every apartment page, with the apartment pre-filled;
- an automatic confirmation to the person who sent it;
- delivery to the sales team by email or straight into the CRM, with all the details;
- analytics showing which apartments and channels generate enquiries.
When enquiries get a fast reply, prospects have far less reason to open a competitor’s site.
When to launch
One of the most common mistakes is finishing the website only when sales begin. A better timeline looks like this:
- A few months before sales open, launch a simple teaser page with the project description, visuals, location and a sign-up form for an interest list. The site starts building search visibility and you collect a list of people to notify on launch day.
- By the start of sales, the full site is ready with the apartment selector, floor plans and prices.
- During sales, statuses are kept current and construction updates are added.
Because we build sites with modern static technology, a teaser page can go live quickly and later grow into the full site on the same address, without losing the search visibility it has built up.
In short
A good new development website helps buyers choose, keeps information current and delivers clear enquiries to your sales team. If you’re planning a new project or want to improve an existing site, tell us about its size and timeline. See also our property development websites and real estate videos. We’ll talk through when and in what order it makes sense to build the website.