Choosing a poor performing or bulky WordPress theme

Having worked with tens of thousands of real estate agent, brokers, and web developers, a poor performing or bulky WordPress theme is often one of the hiccups that I’ve seen delay the launch of a new real estate website. This can often cause ongoing issues for the agent as well.

Many people look for a “real estate” specific theme when buying a new theme or they read how easy the “visual builder” makes creating a new site. While there are some incredible WordPress themes, most real estate specific themes are bulky, may slow down your site unless you pay for a premium host, and can cause issues with the Property Search you’ll pick.

The fix:

Do not choose a real estate specific WordPress theme from one of the marketplaces where you can buy a theme. Also, be careful of many of the “lists” articles unless written by a web developer that has set up dozens (or hundreds) of real estate websites. While these list articles may be great for links to their article, they are generally written from a quick Google search rather than experience and research.

Instead, look for a highly rated theme where people have specifically mentioned SEO and page speed. If you’re working with a solid web developer, the themes included in WordPress can be great as well, as much of the experience for your clients and lead generation are delivered by the IDX solution you add to your site.

We also maintain a list of the best theme for agent, real estate team, and broker websites. We have reviewed thousands of WordPress themes and are able to see the themes that work well for tens of thousands of agents and Realtors, as well as those that may cause you a headache. Check out our article on The 11 Best WordPress Themes For Real Estate Websites.