Most property buyers in Nairobi, and many in the diaspora, shortlist homes online before they call anyone. A good real estate website answers their questions before they ask, then makes the next step easy. Here’s what to include, drawn from the property websites we’ve built.

1. Search that matches how buyers think

Buyers start with location, budget and size. Put a search on the homepage that filters by neighbourhood, property type, bedrooms and price, and lets them switch between buying and renting. PivotEdge Homes and Ivory Crest both lead with search for this reason.

2. Layouts, floor areas and prices

The question every buyer has is “what exactly do I get, and for how much?” Show each unit type with its floor area, a floor plan and a starting price. If prices change, say so, but don’t hide them: a listing without a price gets fewer serious enquiries. The Clermont Residence site lets buyers filter thirteen layouts by bedroom count and download each floor plan.

3. Photos, renders and video that load quickly

Property sells on visuals, but large images are also what makes property sites slow on mobile data. Use real photography where you can, renders for off-plan projects, and a video tour for the bigger developments, all compressed and sized for phones.

4. Amenities and location, explained

List amenities clearly, grouped so they’re easy to scan, and explain the location in terms buyers care about: nearby schools, malls, roads and commuting times. A map helps, but a sentence like “next to Sarit Centre” often helps more.

5. Proof of progress and credibility

For off-plan projects, trust is the main hurdle. Show construction status and update it, name the developer and partners, and publish handover dates you can stand behind. For agencies, explain how you support a purchase, from viewing to legal steps.

6. Easy ways to take the next step

Every listing should offer at least one of: book a viewing, download the brochure, or start a WhatsApp conversation, and the main ones should be visible on a phone without scrolling far. Ask for only the details you need. Space Residence asks which residence a buyer is interested in, so the sales team can follow up with the right information.

7. Pages search engines can read

Buyers search for things like “2 bedroom apartment Kilimani” or “apartments for sale in Westlands”. Give each development and neighbourhood its own page with a descriptive title, real text and images with alt text, so search engines can match them to those searches. Make sure the content is in the page itself, not loaded only by JavaScript after the page opens, so search engines and AI assistants can read it reliably.

8. Measure enquiries, not just visits

Set up analytics that record viewing bookings, brochure downloads, calls and WhatsApp clicks. Then you can see which listings and campaigns bring buyers, not just traffic.

Planning a property website?

See our real estate website development service and the websites we’ve built, or tell us about your project.