Real Estate Agent Website Launch Checklist

This article is part of our Real Estate & Property Management Marketing Guide: how buyers, sellers, owners and tenants find you online, what the housing ad rules allow, and how to choose the right help. Want to know where your site stands? Get a free 20–30 page website audit within 24 hours.

Before you launch a real estate agent website, check five areas: disclosures, listings, lead capture, page quality and search setup. Skip one and you can lose leads, rankings or a compliance review. This checklist walks through each area in the order most launches go wrong.

Use it with your designer in the final week before launch. It is part of our Real Estate and Property Management Marketing Guide. If you are still planning the site, start with real estate agent website must-haves instead.

Rules in this checklist vary by state and by MLS. Confirm final wording with your broker of record.

Key Takeaways

Check license, broker and state disclosures on every page before launch, not after.
Test IDX search, listing pages and every lead form on a real phone.
Run a Fair Housing read of all copy, photos and neighborhood pages.
Map every old URL to a new one with permanent redirects if you are replacing a site.
Verify the site in Google Search Console and submit a sitemap on launch day.

1. License, brokerage and state disclosures

Disclosure rules apply to websites in many states. Check these first, because fixing them later means a second review.

[ ] Your name appears exactly as licensed.
[ ] Your brokerage name is shown clearly on every page, usually in the header or footer.
[ ] State-required items are present. For example, California's 10 CCR § 2773 requires the eight-digit license number and responsible broker's name on websites the licensee controls.
[ ] In Texas, the homepage links to the Consumer Protection Notice under § 531.18. It also links to the Information About Brokerage Services notice under § 531.20. Both need the required labels and font sizes.
[ ] Team names follow your state's team advertising rules, if you are on a team.
[ ] Your broker of record has approved the site.

If you are a REALTOR®, check the NAR Code of Ethics. Standard of Practice 12-5 requires your firm name in a "reasonable and readily apparent manner." Standard 12-8 asks you to keep website information current.

2. Fair Housing review

Read every page as if you were a fair housing tester. The federal rule at 24 CFR § 100.75 covers "words, phrases, photographs, illustrations, symbols or forms" that suggest housing is or isn't available to a group.

[ ] Neighborhood pages describe the property and the area, not the kind of people who live there.
[ ] No phrases that suggest a preference by familial status, religion, national origin or other protected class.
[ ] Photos of people show a range of buyers, or the site uses property photos only.
[ ] School information is factual and sourced, not used as a stand-in for who lives nearby.
[ ] Your brokerage's equal housing statement or logo appears if your broker requires it.

Our guide to Fair Housing advertising rules for websites has wording examples.

3. IDX and listings

IDX brings MLS listings onto your site. Test it like a buyer would. Our IDX explainer covers how the feed works.

[ ] Home search works on phone and desktop.
[ ] Listing pages show the listing brokerage and any credits your MLS requires.
[ ] Your MLS's IDX display rules are met. Ask your MLS for the current rules.
[ ] Sold and off-market listings behave the way your MLS allows.
[ ] Your own listings appear and are featured where you want them.
[ ] Saved searches and listing alerts send to a test email.
[ ] Listing pages have unique titles, not "Property Details" on every page.

4. Lead forms and routing

A form that doesn't reach you is worse than no form. Test every one.

[ ] Each form sends to the right inbox and to your CRM.
[ ] You get an alert on your phone for new leads.
[ ] The visitor sees a clear thank-you message with what happens next.
[ ] Forms ask only for what you need: name, contact, and one or two questions.
[ ] Spam protection is on and tested with a real submission.
[ ] Phone numbers are tap-to-call on mobile.
[ ] Consent wording for texts and email follow-up has been reviewed by your broker or counsel.
[ ] If buyers can book a tour, your process covers the written buyer agreement. NAR's consumer guide says this requirement took effect on 17 August 2024 and applies before touring a home with an agent.

5. Content and accuracy

[ ] Your bio, photo and contact details are current.
[ ] Every number about your record (sales, years, volume) can be backed up.
[ ] Market stats name their source and month.
[ ] Testimonials are real, used with permission and not edited to change meaning.
[ ] No placeholder text, stock "Lorem ipsum" or demo listings remain.
[ ] Each page has one H1 and a clear title tag.
[ ] Each neighborhood page has real local detail.

6. Speed, mobile and accessibility

Test on a phone using cellular data.

[ ] The home page loads quickly and doesn't shift as it loads.
[ ] Listing photos are compressed and sized for mobile.
[ ] Text is readable without zooming.
[ ] Buttons and links are big enough to tap. WCAG 2.2 includes success criterion 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum).
[ ] All images have useful alt text, including listing photos where possible.
[ ] Forms have visible labels and clear error messages.
[ ] The site can be used with a keyboard only.
[ ] Color contrast meets WCAG 2.2 AA.

The Department of Justice's web accessibility guidance says ADA requirements apply to what businesses open to the public offer on the web. It points to WCAG as helpful technical guidance.

7. Redirects if you are replacing a site

Skip this section only if the domain is brand new.

Google's site move guidance is clear on the essentials:

[ ] Build a full list of old URLs from your sitemap, analytics and Search Console.
[ ] Map each old URL to the closest new page. Don't send them all to the home page.
[ ] Use permanent redirects (301 or 308).
[ ] Avoid redirect chains. Redirect straight to the final URL.
[ ] Update internal links and canonical tags to the new URLs.
[ ] Plan to keep redirects for "generally at least 1 year."
[ ] If the domain changes, use the Change of Address tool in Search Console.

8. Tracking and search setup

[ ] Analytics is installed and records page views and form submissions.
[ ] Calls from the site are tracked, if you use call tracking.
[ ] The site is verified in Google Search Console.
[ ] An XML sitemap is submitted.
[ ] The staging "noindex" setting is removed from the live site.
[ ] Your Google Business Profile website link points to the new site.
[ ] Your Zillow, Realtor.com and brokerage profiles link to the right URL.

Google's Search Console getting started page says to verify, submit a sitemap and check indexing. It suggests checking your account "around once every month" after that.

9. Security and ownership

[ ] HTTPS works on every page with no mixed-content warnings.
[ ] Admin logins use strong passwords and two-factor sign-in.
[ ] Backups are scheduled and tested.
[ ] The domain, hosting and analytics accounts are in your name.
[ ] You have a list of every login and who holds it.

Launch day order

Take a final backup of the old site, if any.
Switch DNS or publish the new site.
Test redirects on your top 20 old URLs.
Submit the sitemap in Search Console.
Submit three test leads and confirm they arrive.
Update your Business Profile and portal links.
Check Search Console again after a few days for errors.

Next step

Once the site is live, the real work is getting traffic to it. Our 90-day marketing plan for a real estate agent picks up where this checklist ends. If you want help building or launching your site, see our real estate website design and SEO services or schedule a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Who should approve my website before launch?

Your broker of record should review disclosures, advertising content and any claims about your record. Some brokerages have a marketing or compliance team for this. Get approval in writing and keep it.

Do I need a license number on my website?

It depends on your state. California requires it on websites the licensee controls, under 10 CCR § 2773. Check your state's rules and your brokerage policy.

What is the most common launch mistake?

Missing redirects from an old site is one of the most costly, because old pages and links stop working. Broken lead forms are another. Test both before you announce the new site.

Should I launch with IDX or add it later?

If buyers are a big part of your business, launch with it so search and lead capture work from day one. If you mostly list homes, you can launch with your own listings and add IDX later. Either way, test it before you promote the site.

How soon should I check Search Console after launch?

Check it in the first few days for crawl errors and redirect problems. After that, Google suggests checking around once a month. It also emails you about new issues.

Real Estate Agent Website Launch Checklist: 50 Checks Before You Go Live