In an era where AI is reshaping how we interact online, many real estate professionals are wondering if having a personal website is still worth the investment. “Old school” marketing tactics like cold calling and door knocking are finding themselves back in fashion (just like 80s’ synthwave and that “Y2K aesthetic” — no, I’m not joking). But your personal website isn’t just relevant… it’s absolutely critical now.
Read on for information about this year’s Design Sale, and the two new themes that we’ve designed to help agents stand out in this changing landscape.
As a design manager with over 10 years of experience and more than 500 websites that I’ve helped create out in the world, I’ve watched the internet evolve dramatically. Born in 1993, I was lucky enough to experience the “wild west” era of the web, when creativity ruled and personal expression was everywhere. Remember Geocities, and Angelfire? The MySpace profile customization days? I see that spirit making a comeback in the face of brandless automation, and it presents an exciting opportunity for real estate agents, who are more attuned than anyone to a changing and crowded industry.
The Internet Game Has Changed
Remember the days when ranking high on Google meant a steady stream of clients? When great content was the golden ticket to online visibility? This is changing quickly. Now, your carefully crafted content might appear as a simple text source in an AI-generated response, with your brand nowhere to be seen.
This totally changes what your website needs to be. Rather than serving primarily as a content hub designed to attract organic traffic, your website should act as your online Home — a visual representation of who you are, what you stand for, and why clients should choose you over countless other agents. Think about it: When you invite people over, aren’t you most proud and comfortable showing off when you feel like the decorations, the furniture, even the paint colours all seem to reflect who you are as a person (or a family)?
Your Brand, Your Business
One of the most common mistakes new agents make is relying on their brokerage’s website platform. I found this situation that a veteran agent with 17 years of experience shared:
“I used their personalized email, website and CRM. When I left after 4 years, I had nothing and had to start over from scratch. I lost access to my contacts, my emails and my marketing pieces. It was a disaster and I only use 3rd party software after that. Especially your email. Own that!”
Their story points out an important point: Your online presence is too valuable to trust to someone else’s platform. Most agents change brokerages eventually. You don’t want to lose everything you’ve built.
This is partially why we at RealtyNinja focus entirely on the website part of your business. We believe you should be able to choose the best options that suit your needs, not be stuffed into a “one size fits all” box. Connect to the CRM of your choice that has the features you want, use the email service that does what you need it to do, work with a marketer that makes the perfect strategy for your budget and business (and, hopefully build your website using RealtyNinja 🥷). If there comes a time that you want to upgrade to a more “from scratch” experience: all your content and images go with you, and there’s no contract holding you back.
What Today’s Clients Really Want From You
The game is changing for real estate agents. Research shows that clients aren’t looking for someone to find them a house anymore — that information is readily available online. What they really value is an agent who can handle the stress of big transactions, navigate negotiations, and be a trusted advisor through the process.
This is gold for your website strategy. Don’t just show listings — show your value. How do you handle negotiations? What’s your communication style like? Why should someone pick you over the agent their parents used, or the agent they got a postcard from two weeks ago? That’s the answer that your website needs to scream.
Ninja Tip: Video is an amazing way to portray these things! Not only does it show exactly who you are, but it’s great for all current and upcoming optimization strategies.
Finding Your Niche in a Competitive Market
Standing out gets harder every day. However, agents are learning to adapt by finding specialized niches that hold less competition. Some are moving into markets where deals take longer but competition is minimal. Others are focusing on specific neighbourhoods or property types where they can become the recognized expert.
Your website should clearly show your specialty. It should prove your expertise in your niche. Whether you focus on luxury homes, first-time buyers, or investment properties, your website should position you as the expert.
Is 2025 Too Late to Get Online?
“The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time is today.”
Meet your customers where they already are by working on establishing your online presence. Engage with them through relevant content, respond to their comments, and build meaningful relationships. This helps create trust and loyalty while keeping your brand top of mind.
Having the right website matters to actually clinch those leads. Not only should it act as a helpful sales assistant for your services from random people coming in off the (search engine) street, your site should connect all your marketing efforts. It links your social media, email campaigns, and in-person networking. And this is where you will find it to be more valuable than ever.
The Return of Personal Expression
In the early days of the internet, websites were personal, unique, and full of character. They weren’t all polished, templated, and corporate; They reflected the individuality of their creators.
I believe this approach is coming back. In a world where AI is making content increasingly homogenized, standing out means embracing your uniqueness. Your website shouldn’t look like every other real estate website. It should be distinctly yours, reflecting your personality, values, and approach to business.
This is where human-customized themes become invaluable. They give you the foundation of professional design while allowing you to express your individual brand.
Meet Hikari and Riku: Our Game-Changing New Themes
Our newest themes, Hikari and Riku, aren’t like anything else out there. We built them specifically for real estate pros who are sick of looking like everyone else and are seeking something that will ride with them through a changing market. These themes provide unique designs and allow for beautiful personalization, since you work with real human professionals whose goal is to make YOU stand out.
Hikari
Here’s a secret: All year, our designers have been experimenting and testing out how to achieve even more incredible layouts with better-optimized code. On top of that — like always — we wanted to create designs that were fresh and modern, but timeless in a way that meant you could work with this theme for as long as you wanted to and not wake up one day and feel like your site was “so 2025”. Hikari, which means “light” in Japanese, is the shining star of our semi-customized themes. It breathes through airy white space, and offers unique visual opportunities to portray your brand. This is a design that will make you say “WOW, is that my website??”!
Click here to view the demo of Hikari.
Riku
The grounding companion to its sister Hikari, Riku fills up the page and invites your customers into a warm site experience. Despite being available at our lower price point, it’s filled with attention-to-detail and special touches that everyone can appreciate. “Riku” can refer to land, or stability in Japanese; We envision this design to be especially useful to agents in cottage country, but it will also bring a strong calmness to even the most urban-focussed Realtor®.
Click here to view the demo of Riku.
Dear Ontario Real Estate Agents: We Made These With You In Mind
According to RECO, Ontario had 105,752 real estate agents at the end of 2023. That’s more agents per capita than California! In this packed market, having a cookie-cutter website just won’t cut it.
Specifically, Toronto and Southern Ontario’s real estate market presents unique challenges and opportunities with their evolving regulations and a competitive landscape. This means Ontario agents need websites that not only showcase their listings but also demonstrate their knowledge of local market conditions and regulations. Our themes are designed with these specific needs in mind, offering features that help you connect with Ontario buyers and sellers more effectively.
We’re rolling out the red carpet for Toronto and Ontario agents. Our platform is ready to help you stand out in Canada’s most competitive real estate market. With our new themes, we’re offering the digital edge you’ve been looking for at an incredible cost…
October Design Month Sale: Renovate Your Online Home (Without the DIY)
For the whole month of October, we’re offering:
- 20% off all our existing semi-customized themes:
- Themes priced at $899 are now $719.20+tax
- Themes priced at $1299 are now $1039.20+tax
- 50% off our brand-new Hikari and Riku themes
- Hikari will be $649.50+tax for the month of October, and $1299+tax after
- Riku will be $449.50+tax for the month of October, and $899+tax after
This is your chance to grab a website that actually represents YOU — not your brokerage, not some template everyone else has. A website that works as both your digital business card and the foundation of all your online marketing. To take advantage of this offer, just sign into your RealtyNinja website and submit your request for a customization before October ends. Everyone is welcome, not just Ontario agents 😉
Click here to view all RealtyNinja design options!
Your Website Is Your Digital Home
In this AI-crazy world, your website is your digital home. Potential clients visit to decide if you’re right for them. You control the story about who you are and what you offer. Most importantly, it belongs to you, not your brokerage.
Don’t wait until you have to start over. Invest in your online presence today with a website that truly represents you and your unique value. We’re here and excited to be part of that journey with you!
