Should I use WordPress.com or WordPress.org for my real estate website?

Check out this quick breakdown that summarizes both options for WordPress websites courtesy of wpbeginner.com.

Are you a real estate professional in the following areas?

If so, you’ll want to be using WordPress.org for your real estate website instead of the free, business or VIP options offered on the WordPress.com platform.

Why WordPress.org and not WordPress.com? “It is guaranteed that the more you put into your website, the more you will get out of itSinoun Chea, Founder at Shiftweb Solutions (Showcase IDX Certified Partner)

Therefore you’ll want to invest in the best solution.

This article will answer those questions, and where you have more questions, please leave them in the comments, so we can follow up and provide you with more information.

Let’s approach this decision with an open mind and consider all the reasons why WordPress.org is actually way better for real estate websites and can be a more cost-efficient option when compared to the VIP option offered through WordPress.com.

Why use WordPress.org for my Real Estate Website?

WordPress.org is self-hosted (this means – you need a domain name and a web hosting platform to operate on this version of the platform), but it gives you all the freedom and flexibility needed to operate effectively and be compatible with the necessary technologies (IDX and CRM tools) to be successful in your real estate business as a real estate agent.

What are the benefits of WordPress.org?

What are the cons of WordPress.org?

You may enjoy our article on the 17 Common Real Estate Website Mistakes (and How to Fix Them).

Why not to use WordPress.com for my Real Estate website?

WordPress.com is the simple service version of WordPress.org and comes in 5 versions to meet different needs. It’s perfect for blogging and has a few costly adaptations that makes it fairly functional but not effective for real estate business websites.

WordPress.com offers:

What are the benefits of WordPress.com?

What are the cons of WordPress.com?

In its infancy and at the core of its framework, a real estate WordPress website needs to accomplish the main objective of being a digital touchpoint where realtors showcase information to potential buyers and homebuyers can find and access that information. It must encourage integration. You don’t want your clients going to Zillow, and you need to build a site that your clients will actually use for their home buying/selling experience.

Check out our article on Designing a Real Estate Website With a WordPress IDX Plugin: A Step-By-Step Guide.

Almost every website does this, and in order to do it really well, they’ll need support from external plugins and third-party applications, internal tools such as themes and extensions. Most industries have their dream team, or unique combination of internal and external pieces that are “must-haves”. In real estate that team consists of a WordPress.org website and the Showcase IDX plugin.

If you’re new to the showcase idx plugin and how it works, you can join a live demo with their best in class customer support team where they’ll walk you through what it offers and how it powers your website.

Your real estate website needs to allow flexibility and full control, have a framework for search, search engine optimization, mobile responsiveness, security, and fast loading times.

In our modern digital age where the real estate market is so fluid, with technology advancing and constantly improving the home-buying process, you need an IDX solution best suited for your MLS to display your listings and a WordPress.org website to showcase your business, attract visitors, and keep them searching on your website.

Wondering how you can achieve this hassle-free?

Check out our list of approved Showcase IDX website developers, who can help you with improving your current website or building a new one and point you to the best IDX solution for your website.

Here are a few quick tips for your real estate business before you go:

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* If you insist on using the WordPress.com version, you will need to be running at least this version in order to utilize the Showcase IDX plugin or other real estate technologies.

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