Have you ever wondered how your personal agent website stacks against the Top 25 agents on the Real Trends 500?
Well, wonder no more.
In order to see how the masters of the real estate universe roll online, we decided to take a deep dive into their websites and kick the tires a bit.
Using a mixture of objective measurements (Domain Authority, Google Page Speed Insights) combined with subjective measurements (how much we dig how the site looks) we came up with the Close Score; our shiny new system to rank agent websites.
Here’s how the Real Trends top twenty five agents (by volume) stacked up in 2018:
1.Ben Cabellero
After recently claiming a Guinness World Record as the most successful Realtor ever, it’s no wonder that Ben Cabellero topped Real Trends list again in 2017. As you might imagine, his website scored solidly in all of our categories and came in as the most well rounded site we tested.
The only thing keeping Ben from the top of our rankings is some agents having a slightly higher Google Page Speed Ranking and higher domain authority, and our own personal opinions about the way his site looks…
Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfect for the audience of big time developers he’s targeting, but we felt it was a little bland compared to some of the other sites on our list.
Our Ranking of Ben Cabellero’s Website:
Website: https://www.homesusa.com/
Type: Brokerage Website
CMS: WordPress
Mobile Page Speed: Average
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: Average
Desktop Optimization: Medium
Domain Authority: 34
The Close Score: 4.6 (out of 5)
2. Efi Luzon
Since Bay Area commercial Realtor Efi Luzon’s site targets the same top shelf corporate clients that Ben Cabellero’s did, we weren’t surprised that he went with a somewhat similar corporate design.
While it certainly hasn’t hurt his career, we subtracted points from his site for a low domain authority, and somewhat dated layout and imagery.
Our Ranking of Efi Luzon’s Website:
Intero Real Estate (Bay Area)
Website: http://efiluzon.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: N/D
Domain Authority: 9
Close Score: 4.2
3. Alexa Lambert
Stribling (New York City)
N/A
Would you be surprised if we told you that the third most successful agent of 2017 didn’t even have a personal website?
Lacking a web site seemed to be a common theme for New York City agents in the Real Trends top twenty five list.
While we’re not entirely sure why only New York City agents seemed to lack websites, we’re betting it has something to do with one of the most tried and true cliches of New York City’s upper crust. Exclusivity.
Hell, we have so many members only clubs, speakeasies with hidden entrances (La Esquina takes the cake of course) nightclubs with velvet ropes, and even a private park, that not having a website is almost like a badge of honor for New York City’s elite agents.
4. Erin Boisson Aries
Bucking the “velvet rope” trend of the other New York City agents on this list, Christie’s Erin Boisson Aries has one of, if not the prettiest site in the Real Trends top twenty five.
The layout is clean and elegant, the typography is amazing (something many designers these days seem to skimp on), and the renderings of trophy listing penthouses are fittingly dreamy.
While mobile optimization was on the low side, this seems more like an aesthetic trade off rather than poor design.
After all, huge images and animations all load slower and render differently on slow connections and older devices. That said, something tells me most of her clients aren’t looking at her site on 4 year old iphone 5c’s…
Our Ranking of Erin Boisson Aries’ Website:
Christie’s International (New York City )
Website: https://www.erinboissonaries.com/
Type: Team Website
CMS: WordPress
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Low
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Medium
Domain Authority: 2
Close Score: 4.7
5. Mauricio Umansky
As one of the only boutique brokerage founders on the site, Mauricio Umansky’s brokerage site was one of the best we looked at. Smartly designed for mobile users and with a high domain authority, the Agency’s site was also lovely to look at and use.
That said, this is not exactly an apples to apples comparison here, which is why we mentioned if the sites we looked at were personal sites, team sites, or brokerages sites. After all, developing a site for a brokerage is exponentially more expensive than for an individual.
Our Ranking of Mauricio Umansky’s Website:
The Agency (Los Angeles)
Website: https://www.theagencyre.com
Type: Brokerage Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: Average
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: Average
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 51
Close Score: 4.8
6. Dora Puig
While aesthetics is by definition subjective, we weren’t huge fans of Dora Puig’s website. It seemed a bit dated and cluttered compared to the other sites we looked at. Again, this is our personal take here.
Our Ranking of Dora Puig’s Website:
Luxe Living Realty / Fisher Island Real Estate
Website: http://dorapuig.com/
Type: Personal website
Developer: RESI Online
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 23
Close Score: 3.3
7. Jade Mills
One of the slickest and well designed websites we looked at, Jade Mills’ website looked great on mobile, great on desktop, loaded quickly, and had a respectable domain authority.
One of our favorites for sure.
Our Ranking of Jade Mills’ Website:
Coldwell Banker (Beverly Hills )
Website: https://www.jademillsestates.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: Average
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 34
Close Score: 4.7
8. Karen Heyman
Sotheby’s International Realty (New York City)
N/A
9. Chris Cortazzo
Chris Cortazzo’s site also did well in pretty much every category we measured.
Our Ranking of Chris Cortazzo’s Website:
Coldwell Banker
Website: http://www.chriscortazzo.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: Average
Desktop Optimization: Good
Domain Authority: 38
Close Score: 4.6
10. Tracy Campion
Tracy Camion’s site also boasts a sleek layout, gorgeous typography, and stunning imagery. However, it lost some points for having among the lowest scores on mobile and desktop optimization.
Our Ranking of Tracy Campion’s Website:
Campion & Company Fine Homes (Boston)
Website: https://www.campionre.com/
Type: Personal Website
Developer: Union Street Media
CMS: Custom (Bootstrap.js)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Low
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 26
Close Score: 4.3
11. Aaron Kirman
An office favorite, Aaron Kirman’s site was the only site to have a fast desktop page speed and good mobile optimization. A solid domain authority and our top ranked layout put Aaron’s site at the top of our list with a 4.9.
While he’s not in the top ten on Real Trends, his website looks like he’s leading the pack. This is why putting the time, effort, and money behind great branding pays off.
Our Ranking of Aaron Kirman’s Website:
Pacific Union (Los Angeles)
Website: http://www.aaronkirman.com/
Type: Team Website
Developer: Real Estate Webmasters
CMS: custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: Fast
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 25
Close Score: 4.9
12. Geneva Brett
With a purpose built layout focused on lead capture, Geneva Brett’s site was one of the more usable of the sites we looked at. However, a low domain authority and dated design means other sites fared much better. Again, this is our personal take here. Aesthetics are subjective…
Our Ranking of Geneva Brett’s Website:
Century 21 (Los Banos California)
Website: http://www.genevabrett.com/
Type: Personal Website
Developer: Placester
CMS: WordPress
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Medium
Domain Authority: 5
Close Score: 3.6
13. Max Lo /Stanley Lo
While father and son team Stanley and Max Lo are absolutely crushing it when it comes to sales, their site needs some work.
While we’re all for minimalism in web design, the site scored low for desktop optimization and the dated layout seemed out of character for such a successful team.
Our Ranking of Max Lo /Stanley Lo’s Website:
Green Banker (Burlingame California)
Website: http://maxlorealtor.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 8
Close Score: 2.5
14. Lisa Lippman
Brown Harris Stevens (New York City)
N/A
15. Harald Grant
Another great agent websites on Sotheby’s proprietary website platform, The Hampton’s Harald Grant’s website has a great layout, and uses drop dead gorgeous imagery of the local beaches to lure in prospects.
Our Ranking of Harald Grant’s Website:
Sotheby’s (The Hamptons)
Website: http://www.haraldgrantrealestate.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom (Sotheby’s Proprietary)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 8
Close Score: 4.5
16. Susan Breitenbach
In a world of cookie cutter agent websites, we have ti give Susan Breitenbach points for stepping outside the box and building something unique. While it might not have a bleeding edge layout (nor should it) it manages to look attractive while still maintaining some charm and personality.
Our Ranking of Susan Breitenbach’s Website:
Corcoran (The Hamptons)
Website: http://www.susanbreitenbach.com/
CMS: Custom (HTML 5)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Medium
Domain Authority: 25
Type: Personal Website
Close Score: 4.4
17. Kyle Giese
One of two websites from Placester on this list, Kyle Giese’s site is minimal, clean, and focuses heavily on functionality over form. The lightweight mobile site pushes visitors to search for homes right off the bat, which is great for lead generation.
Our Ranking of Kyle Giese’s Website:
Douglas Elliman (Los Angeles)
Website: https://www.kylegiese.com/
Type: Personal Website
Developer: Placester
CMS: WordPress
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 3
Close Score: 4.2
18. Adam Rosenfeld
N/A
19. Serena Boardman
Another site on Sotheby’s lovely website platform, Serena Boardman’s site is just as well laid out and attractive as the others. Being New Yorkers, we might have a slight (clearly unfair) preference for Serena’s site.
Our Ranking of Serena Boardman’s Website:
Sotheby’s
Website: https://www.serenaboardman.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Custom (Sotheby’s Proprietary)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Medium
Domain Authority: 7
Close Score: 4.6
20. Pascal Liguori
Palm Beach Realtor Pascal Liguori’s site boasts envy inducing imagery from the tropical paradise he’s lucky enough to work in. It also includes some creative typography which is a nice touch, but was a little bit too crowded for our tastes. Again, just our personal taste here. The site is pretty much perfect, we just happen to like others a little better.
Our Ranking of Pascal Liguori’s Website:
Premier Estate Properties (Palm Beach )
Website: http://pascalliguoriinc.com/
Type: Team Website
CMS: Custom (ASP.NET)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 18
Close Score: 4.5
21. Lauren Muss
Douglas Elliman (New York City)
N/A
22. Kyle W. Blackmon
Compass (New York City)
N/A
23. Santiago Arana
Like his partner in the Real Trends top 25, we though Santiago Arana’s brokerage site for The Agency is damn near perfect. Again, the aesthetic side of our rankings are purely subjective.
Our Ranking of Santiago Arana’s Website:
The Agency
Website: https://www.theagencyre.com
Type: Brokerage Website
CMS: Custom
Mobile Page Speed: Average
Mobile Optimization: Good
Desktop Page Speed: Average
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 51
Close Score: 4.8
24. Ginger Glass
The only site running on the Drupal CMS (Content Management System) on the list, Ginger Glass’ site is bright, happy, and gorgeous.
Our Ranking of Ginger Glass’ Website:
Coldwell Banker (Beverly Hills)
Website: http://gingerglass.com/
Type: Personal Website
CMS: Drupal
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Medium
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: N/D
Domain Authority: 14
Close Score: 4.7
25. Tim Davis
Corcoran’s Tim Davis rounds out the list with this lovely and well laid out website. We loved the typography and slide in animations. Slick, but not too overwhelming or showy. Very appropriate for the somewhat subdued character of the Hamptons.
Our Ranking of Tim Davis’ Website:
Corcoran (The Hamptons)
Website: http://timdavishamptons.com/
Type: Personal Website
Developer: Image Media Group
CMS: Custom (PHP)
Mobile Page Speed: N/D
Mobile Optimization: Low
Desktop Page Speed: N/D
Desktop Optimization: Low
Domain Authority: 22
Close Score: 4.2
Key Takeaways
Here are our key takeaways for Realtors and web designers after running the numbers on the agent websites for the Real Trends top twenty five agents:
A Surprising Six Out of Twenty Five Agents on The List Didn’t Have a Personal Website
Even more interesting, almost all of them were working in our home turf of New York City. While we don’t have a conclusive reason why so many top New York City agents don’t have websites, we think it might have something to do with exclusivity.
Very Few Sites Were Optimized Well for Mobile
This was pretty surprising considering that buyers are increasingly searching for properties and engaging with Realtors on mobile devices. While we didn’t find any issues with their mobile sites on our test device (A Google Pixel XL), that doesn’t mean others won’t have issues on different devices.
However, there is always a tradeoff in web design between how quickly and easily a page renders for the typical end user, and how good it looks. Since almost all of the Realtors on our list sold luxury listings, choosing lush, high resolution imagery over speed was more than likely a strategic decision.
There Was a Large Variety of CMS Used
We were also a little bit surprised to see a variety of CMS used to build these sites. Since WordPress is so ubiquitous and easy to use, seeing Drupal and many straight HTML sites on the list was an interesting discovery. Proprietary CMS like Sotheby’s were the most common.
Our Methodology: How We Ranked The Sites
In case you were wondering, here is a quick rundown of each measure we used to rate the sites and why they’re important.
1.Type of Website
There is a big difference between a personal websites, team website and brokerage website.
2. CMS
CMS is an abbreviation for Content Management System, a backend that website owners can use to quickly and easily add or edit content on their sites. While WordPress is the most popular CMS online, many sites we looked at used custom builds.
3. Mobile Page Speed
This is a measure used by Google Page Speed Insights that measures how quickly a site loads compared to all other sites measured by Google’s tool. Only one site we tested measured as “Fast” which put them in the upper third for load speed of all sites tested by Google.
4. Mobile Optimization Score
Google’s mobile optimization score measures how the site stacks up for common performance best practices. This is a measure of how likely (or unlikely) a site is to lead quickly and display properly on all devices.
5. Desktop Page Speed
Desktop page speed is identical to Google’s Mobile page speed metric but measures speed for desktop instead of mobile.
6. Desktop Optimization
Desktop optimization is identical to Google’s mobile optimization metric but measures optimization for desktop instead of mobile.
7. Domain Authority
Domain authority is a proprietary metric devised by SEO company Moz to measure how well a website is able to rank on Google and Bing. It takes into account age, site structure, article structure, spam score, and how many other pages link to the site.
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