Real Estate Portal

A luxury real estate agency approached us to modernize their digital presence. In a market where physical viewings were becoming difficult due to global events, they needed a way to showcase high-end properties remotely without losing the "wow" factor. We built an immersive platform featuring 360° virtual tours, interactive neighborhood maps, and AI-driven property recommendations.

The Challenge

Traditional real estate listings—static photos and text descriptions—were failing to capture the essence of luxury properties. Potential buyers, often international, couldn't get a true sense of space or flow from 2D images alone.

The agency's existing site was also plagued by poor search functionality. Users were bombarded with irrelevant listings, leading to high bounce rates. Agents were wasting time on unqualified leads who had misunderstood the property's location or features.

Speed was another issue. High-resolution image galleries were causing slow load times, frustrating users on mobile devices.

Research & Discovery

We interviewed high-net-worth individuals and real estate agents to identify the key decision-making factors. We learned that "lifestyle" was just as important as the property itself. Buyers wanted to know about local schools, crime rates, and proximity to amenities.

Heatmap analysis of the old site showed that users were trying to zoom in on floor plans and photos, often unsuccessfully. This indicated a desire for deeper visual exploration.

We also found that 70% of property searches started on mobile, yet the desktop site was the primary focus of the previous design.

Solution Strategy

We proposed a "Digital Twin" strategy. Every listing would include a high-fidelity 3D virtual tour, allowing users to "walk" through the property from anywhere in the world.

To address the search issue, we implemented an AI-powered recommendation engine. By analyzing user behavior (e.g., time spent on specific listings, price range filters), the system would suggest similar properties they might have missed.

We also integrated rich neighborhood data directly into the listing page, pulling in APIs for school ratings, walk scores, and local points of interest.

Design Process

The design aesthetic was "Understated Luxury." We used plenty of white space (or dark space in our case), elegant serif fonts for headings, and a gold accent color to convey exclusivity.

We designed a "Map View" search interface that allowed users to draw a custom search area with their finger—perfect for finding homes in specific school districts or neighborhoods.

The property detail page was structured like a magazine spread, with full-width images and immersive storytelling elements.

Implementation

We built the platform using Next.js for its server-side rendering capabilities, ensuring excellent SEO performance. The virtual tours were powered by Matterport's SDK, seamlessly embedded into the React frontend.

To handle the heavy image load, we used a dedicated image CDN with on-the-fly optimization. This ensured that a user on a mobile connection received a properly sized image, not the 4K desktop version.

The backend was powered by a headless CMS (Contentful), allowing agents to easily update listings and upload media without needing technical skills.

Results & Impact

The new platform was a game-changer. Lead generation increased by 300% in the first quarter. More importantly, the quality of leads improved drastically—users who requested a viewing had already "toured" the home virtually and were serious buyers.

The agency solidified its reputation as the most innovative player in the luxury market, attracting new exclusive listings from sellers who wanted the "PurpleWave treatment."

Testimonials