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Build Guide

Build a Real Estate Listing Site Without WordPress

Real estate WordPress themes charge $200+ and still look dated. Build an IDX-free listing site that loads instantly and ranks on Google.

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The Old Way

The WordPress Approach

Required Plugins

1HivePress + RealHomes Theme ($79 one-time) — real estate theme
2IDX Broker ($50-100/month) — MLS integration
3Essential Real Estate ($39 one-time) — property listings
4WP Real Estate Plugin ($199/year) — agent management and listings
5MyListing Theme ($49 one-time) — directory/listing theme

Limitations

IDX Broker iframe embeds are slow and hurt SEO
Property search uses database queries that crawl with 5,000+ listings
Map integration loads Google Maps SDK globally, adding 300ms to every page
Image galleries load all photos at once instead of lazy loading
Agent profiles and contact forms require additional plugins

Typical Cost

$100-300 in themes/plugins + $50-100/month IDX + $30-50/month hosting

The Modern Way

The Modern Approach

Next.js + Payload CMS + Algolia + Mapbox

Payload CMS manages property listings with rich fields for bedrooms, bathrooms, sqft, price, and location. Algolia enables instant property search with geo-filtering. Mapbox shows properties on an interactive map.

Instant property search with geo-radius and faceted filtering
Individual property pages are statically generated for SEO
Interactive map loads only on search pages, not everywhere
Image galleries with lazy loading and blur-up placeholders
Agent profiles and contact forms built into the platform

WordPress vs. Modern Stack

WordPress

  • IDX Broker iframe embeds are slow and hurt SEO
  • Property search uses database queries that crawl with 5,000+ listings
  • Map integration loads Google Maps SDK globally, adding 300ms to every page
  • Image galleries load all photos at once instead of lazy loading
  • $100-300 in themes/plugins + $50-100/month IDX + $30-50/month hosting

Modern Stack

  • Instant property search with geo-radius and faceted filtering
  • Individual property pages are statically generated for SEO
  • Interactive map loads only on search pages, not everywhere
  • Image galleries with lazy loading and blur-up placeholders
  • Agent profiles and contact forms built into the platform

Recommended Tools

Payload CMS

Property listings with fields for specs, images, and agent assignment

Free (self-hosted) or $50/month cloud

Algolia

Instant property search with geo-filtering and facets

Free up to 10,000 requests/month

Mapbox

Interactive property maps with clustering and custom markers

Free up to 50,000 map loads/month

Cloudinary

Property photo optimization with responsive resizing

Free up to 25,000 transformations/month

Vercel

Hosting with ISR for new property listings

Free hobby tier, $20/month pro

Step-by-Step Build Guide

1

Design the property schema in Payload CMS — price, bedrooms, bathrooms, sqft, location, type, status, images, and agent

2

Build property listing pages with Next.js — gallery, specs, description, map, and agent contact form

3

Create the search page with Algolia — filters for price range, bedrooms, property type, and geo-radius from an address

4

Add Mapbox integration for the search results map view with property markers and info popups

5

Build agent profile pages with their active listings and contact information

6

Add RealEstateListing schema markup to property pages for Google rich results

7

Deploy with ISR so new listings and price changes appear within minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need IDX/MLS integration?
Only if you're a brokerage that needs MLS feed data. For independent agents or property developers, manual listings in your CMS are simpler, faster, and give you better SEO since the content is native, not iframed.
How do I handle hundreds of property photos?
Cloudinary or the Next.js Image component handles responsive resizing and format conversion automatically. Use blur-up placeholders and lazy loading for galleries so only visible photos are fetched.
Can I add mortgage calculators?
Yes. Build a mortgage calculator as a React component right on your property pages. It's straightforward math and gives visitors a reason to stay on your site longer, improving engagement signals for SEO.

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