Project Website for a New Development: The Checklist

The website of a new development answers four questions: where is it, what is there, what is still available and how do I enquire. Everything else supports those four. The checklist below follows that order. It helps you prepare content and brief the agency.

Work through the list together with sales, marketing and the architecture firm. Many items sit with different people.

Before you start

• Project name decided and checked against trademarks and domains
• Domain registered, in the developer's name
• Project logo, colors and typeface, or the decision to use the company brand
• Target audience: owner-occupiers, investors, tenants or a mix
• Sales start and who handles sales: in-house team, brokers or both
• A named person for content and approvals

Location

• Address or, before construction starts, a precise description of the location
• Map with routes to schools, shops, stops and green space
• Travel times to the key destinations, with the mode of transport
• Photos of the surroundings, no stock photos
• Text about the neighborhood with specific places instead of adjectives

Mind data protection with maps. An embedded Google map loads data from Google. It needs consent or an alternative such as a static map image.

Units

• List of all units with number, floor, area, rooms and outdoor space
• Price or the note "price on request", the same for all units
• Parking spaces, storage rooms and ancillary areas
• Commercial space listed separately from apartments
• Filters for rooms, area, floor and status
• With many units: an apartment finder in 2D or 3D

Whether an apartment finder pays off is covered in 3D apartment finders for developers. What it costs is in What an apartment finder costs.

Plans and images

• Floor plan of every unit, as an image and as a PDF to download
• Level plans and site plan
• Elevations or sections when they explain location and height
• Renderings of the exterior and interior
• A note on every rendering: "Visualization, deviations possible"
• Compass direction on every floor plan
• Image rights cleared with the visualizer, including for ads

Status

• Status per unit: available, reserved, sold or let
• A single source for status and prices, such as your CRM or a login on the website
• A named person who enters changes on the same day
• Construction progress with dates and photos
• Schedule: construction start, planned completion, move-in

A website that shows sold apartments as available costs trust and sales time. So maintain it in exactly one place.

Documents

• Brochure or project booklet as a PDF
• Construction and specification description
• Energy performance certificate or information on energy efficiency
• Price list, if you show it openly
• A decision on which documents are freely available and which only after an enquiry

In Germany, section 87 of the Building Energy Act (GEG) requires information from the energy performance certificate in commercial property ads when a certificate exists. In Switzerland there is the cantons' building energy certificate, GEAK for short. Whether it is required is regulated by each canton. Clarify the details for your project with your legal advisor.

Enquiry

• Enquiry form on every unit, with the number pre-filled
• Few required fields: name, email or phone, message
• Optional: owner-occupation or investment, preferred appointment
• Contact person with photo, phone and email
• Enquiries land directly in the CRM or with the right sales team
• Confirmation after sending and a reply within a fixed time
• Measurement of where enquiries come from, with consent

Campaigns and measurement

• A landing page per campaign or audience, not the home page
• Ads lead directly to matching units or to the finder
• Goal defined: enquiries, viewing appointments or reservations
• Reporting per source: portal, ad, broker, direct entry
• Listings on portals link to the project website

Technology

• Site tested on mobile, because many prospects search on the go
• Fast load time despite large images, using compressed formats
• Readable contrast and keyboard operation
• Editing in the browser, without a developer for every change
• Title and description for search engines on every page

Why load time affects the number of enquiries is explained in Load time and enquiries.

Data protection

• Impressum (legal notice) and privacy policy, also on a separate project domain
• Note on data processing at the form, linked to the privacy policy
• Cookie consent for tracking, maps and embedded videos
• Data processing agreement with CRM, hosting and form service
• Hosting in the EU or Switzerland, if you prefer
• Deletion periods for prospect data after sell-out

If brokers are involved, clarify who is responsible for the enquiry data. For an overview, see the GDPR checklist for websites. The mandatory details in the Impressum are explained in Impressum in Germany and Switzerland.

Handover after sell-out

• All units set to "sold" or "let", forms disabled or redirected
• Decision: the site stays as a reference, becomes part of the developer's website or redirects
• Keep the domain, even if the site redirects
• Delete prospect data after the agreed periods
• Information for owners or tenants, if wanted: property management, contacts, documents
• Photos of the finished building replace the renderings
• Carry the template and technology over to the next project

A finished reference page with real photos helps market the next project. Plan for it from the start.

Frequently asked questions