Most house hunters don’t have the time or inclination to visit multiple agents, which is why they turn to portals like Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket.

Listing on these platforms has become essential for agents, but rising fees have added cost pressures.

Now, as AI reshapes property search, the estate agency’s own website has emerged as the most important owned asset, according to Starberry, a Nurtur company specializing in agency website design and marketing.

Ben Sellers, co-founder of Starberry, commented: “Portals will always matter, but websites are becoming the asset that compounds. As AI search grows, agents who invest in a strong single source of truth will increasingly outperform those who don’t.”

The most effective estate agency websites share one defining characteristic, according to Sellers. They are built to win more seller and landlord instructions.

That requires far more than strong visuals. It requires a deep understanding of how people behave when they are making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

Sellers says high-performing websites reflect this by focusing on:

+ Clear content architecture that answers real questions, not marketing slogans

+ Strong User Experience and User Interface that remove friction and build confidence quickly

+ Messaging and tone of voice that balance brand personality with credibility

+ Fast performance and intuitive journeys across all devices, especially mobile