Advantages of Building Real Estate Websites with Jekyll

March 20, 2023 by Michael Evans

Real estate sites are at a crucial turning point with the digital landscape constantly shifting gears. Now, more than ever, real estate professionals need websites that are easy to navigate and work like a charm. As real estate professionals seek to establish and maintain their online presence, choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) becomes paramount. WordPress is a big name for managing your website content with all its cool add-ons, but now there’s Jekyll turning heads as a sleek new option. Jekyll stands out as a static site generator that offers the real estate world an uncomplicated, swift, and secure web-building experience.

With Jekyll on the scene, real estate experts are eyeing a shift toward hassle-free, efficient site creation that resolves their need for speed and simplicity. In contrast to WordPress’s dynamic content generation, which often leads to slower site speeds and complex maintenance, Jekyll offers a streamlined approach. Jekyll’s knack for whipping up static sites speeds things up and locks down security, tackling two big headaches for real estate pros. Getting to property listings fast and keeping client data safe is vital.

For realtors, a website isn’t just show and tell; it’s critical to drawing in clients and keeping them hooked. In this context, Jekyll’s simplicity and efficiency come to the fore. Just like a fresh storyline can breathe new life into a classic tale, keeping real estate websites up-to-date with the latest property listings and market insights is critical to staying relevant in the fast-paced housing scene. With Jekyll, you can easily keep your real estate site fresh with the latest listings and news by using straightforward tools like Markdown - no tech wizardry needed. This simplicity allows professionals without technical expertise to manage their websites hands-on.

Jekyll’s static site generation leads to faster page loads. In the fast-paced real estate market, clients expect quick access to listings and resources; a Jekyll-powered website ensures that slow-loading pages do not bog down potential buyers and sellers. Delivering that seamless user experience goes hand in hand with climbing the Google ladder in the highly competitive real estate market.

Jekyll steps up the game for keeping client info safe, which is crucial when dealing with all that private data in real estate. Unlike WordPress, a juicy target of cyber threats due to its popularity and dynamic nature, Jekyll’s static output makes it less susceptible to common security vulnerabilities. Jekyll’s robust security layer not only eases the worries of real estate professionals but also reassures their clients they’re in safe hands.

Jekyll’s static site generation makes it more secure and faster than WordPress, valuable traits for real estate sites handling sensitive data. Let’s explain how Jekyll can seriously boost a realtor’s game online, where standing out is critical.

Simplicity and Ease of Use: Jekyll in the Real Estate Industry

Jekyll’s clear-cut design is a real win for real estate professionals who thrive on quick, smooth operations. Jekyll’s simplicity shines, especially when stacked against WordPress’s complexity - it cuts through the hassle of keeping site-building straightforward for real estate pros on the go. Jekyll, when teamed up with tools like WebStorm, simplifies the web-building game for those in real estate by cutting through the technological clutter.

User-Friendly Content Management

At the heart of Jekyll’s appeal is its user-friendly approach to content management. Unlike traditional CMS platforms that often require a steep learning curve to navigate their intricate dashboards and settings, Jekyll simplifies the process:

Markdown for Content Creation: Real estate professionals can easily update property listings, news, and blog posts using Markdown. This lightweight markup language is intuitive and eliminates the hassle of dealing with complex HTML or CMS interfaces. The simplicity of Markdown means that even those with minimal technical skills can update their website content without any significant obstacles.
Local Development and Preview: Using Jekyll with an IDE like WebStorm enhances the user experience. WebStorm’s slick coding tools, like auto-fill and bug alerts, smooth out the kinks in building and tweaking your Jekyll site. Real estate experts can test their website tweaks on the fly, ensuring they look professional before going live.

As an example of the usefulness of Markdown, have a look at this code for the list above (trimmed content for clarity):

1. **Markdown for Content Creation:** Real estate professionals can easily update property listings, news, and blog posts using Markdown.
2. **Local Development and Preview:** Using Jekyll with an IDE like WebStorm enhances the user experience.

The same code in traditional HTML would be:

<ol>
    <li><strong>Markdown for Content Creation:</strong> Real estate professionals can easily update property listings, news, and blog posts using Markdown.</li>
    <li><strong>Local Development and Preview:</strong> Using Jekyll with an IDE like WebStorm enhances the user experience.</li>
</ol>

As you can see, using Markdown allows for a more straightforward approach to authoring much easier-to-understand content. Moreover, each piece of content in Jekyll can be either Markdown or HTML, so you don’t have to give up the flexibility of HTML.

Streamlined Workflow

Jekyll’s integration into a streamlined workflow is a game-changer, particularly for real estate websites that require frequent updates:

Efficient Content Updates: Adding or modifying listings is as simple as editing a text file. There’s no need to navigate through multiple backend menus. Quickly adapting to new listings, price shifts and rapid sales is crucial in the dynamic real estate scene.
Version Control: Since Jekyll manages content through flat files, integrating version control is straightforward. Real estate teams can track changes to their website content, collaborate on updates, and roll back to previous versions if necessary. They can also efficiently collaborate to update listings while maintaining accuracy.

Reduced Learning Curve

The reduced learning curve with Jekyll is particularly advantageous:

Easy to Learn and Use: Jekyll offers a less intimidating entry point into website management for real estate professionals needing more in-depth technical expertise than complex CMSs. The time and resources required to train staff or oneself are significantly lower.
Seamless Transition for Existing Users: The transition to Jekyll is seamless for those familiar with Markdown or basic HTML. Real estate professionals with basic blogging or website management experience will find the Jekyll environment familiar and easy to navigate.

Real-World Application

Our website is a testament to Jekyll’s simplicity and effectiveness. We decided to use Jekyll as it delivers what we need, and by integrating efficient DevOps processes, we can roll out content and updates quickly. Most of our site pages consistently score excellently on Google PageSpeed and GTmetrix. Jekyll’s got your back, letting real estate professionals like you ditch the technological headaches and zero in on closing those property deals. So, with its no-fuss setup and user-friendly nature, Jekyll is an ideal candidate for real estate professionals who need a website that’s easy to handle without sacrificing professionalism. Jekyll’s no-fuss way of handling content, with a robust IDE like WebStorm, smooths out the kinks in building websites. Real estate professionals can easily handle their digital footprint, stay tech-stress-free, and keep their eye on what matters: clients and properties.

Blazing Fast Performance: Jekyll’s Advantage for Real Estate Websites

In the competitive world of online marketing for real estate, where every second counts for agents and clients, website performance is not just a feature but a necessity. Jekyll’s architecture is inherently geared toward delivering blazing-fast website performance. The static site generation architecture inherently enables fast website performance.

Static Site Generation: The Key to Speed

Jekyll is a static site generator, which fundamentally influences its performance:

Pre-built Pages: Unlike dynamic CMS platforms, Jekyll generates static HTML pages ahead of time. When visitors access a site, the server delivers these pre-built pages directly. There’s no need for real-time data processing or database queries, which can significantly slow down website response times. Quick access to sharp photos and the details of homes means a smoother, more enjoyable search experience for those browsing real estate sites.
Reduced Server Load: Since the server only serves static files, its load is considerably less. So, when the server’s just handling static stuff, it stays quick on its feet, even if everyone’s hitting up those hot property listings at once.

Impact on User Experience and SEO

The speed of a Jekyll-powered website has direct and indirect benefits:

Enhanced User Experience: A fast-loading website for clients browsing real estate listings means they can quickly access the information they need without frustrating delays. Snappy website performance is critical - it may tip the scales for clients eager to land their perfect property.
SEO Benefits: Website speed is a critical factor in search engine rankings. Faster websites are favored by search engines like Google, which means a Jekyll site is more likely to rank higher in search results. For real estate agencies aiming high, snagging a top spot in search results is vital to expanding their digital footprint and drawing in a bigger crowd of potential clients.

Scalability and Performance

Jekyll’s performance advantage extends to scalability:

Handling Traffic Spikes: Real estate websites can experience sudden surges in traffic, especially when new properties are listed or during promotional events. Thanks to Jekyll’s robust framework, these real estate platforms stay sleek and responsive, even when traffic spikes hit them hard.
Optimization Opportunities: Jekyll’s simplicity allows for further performance optimization. Real estate firms can seriously crank up their website’s loading speed by leveraging CDNs and streamlining their code with CSS and JavaScript minification.

Jekyll shines in the bustling real estate market, ensuring sites stay speedy and within easy reach, no matter the hour. Jekyll’s knack for whipping up websites that load quickly and handle traffic like a pro is what the real estate game needs to keep things moving smoothly online. Jekyll helps real estate sites load faster and rank higher in search engines, which is vital for standing out online. Real estate professionals can shine online by using Jekyll’s super-fast load times to grab attention in this hectic market.

Enhanced Security: Safeguarding Real Estate Websites with Jekyll

In real estate, where sensitive client information and high-value transactions are commonplace, web admins need to consider the security of a website. Jekyll’s static site approach is like a fortress, shielding your real estate dealings from malware better than the more vulnerable WordPress. Jekyll’s setup, by its very nature, acts like a shield against the malware attacks that often plague more dynamic platforms such as WordPress.

Immunity to Common Malware Threats

One of the primary security advantages of Jekyll lies in its immunity to the kind of malware attacks often seen on WordPress sites:

Reduced Malware Risk: With its dynamic content generation and extensive use of plugins and themes, WordPress is frequently targeted for malware attacks. Cybercriminals can sneak in through security gaps, plant malware, swipe personal data or take over websites to spread the harmful stuff further. On the flip side, Jekyll sidesteps these security gaps by creating straightforward HTML pages that hackers need help to mess with. Without server-side processing or a database, the avenues for installing malware are significantly reduced.
Secure Static Files: Since Jekyll websites are essentially collections of static files, they are less susceptible to being compromised by malware. These files are served as-is, without the server executing code that attackers could potentially manipulate.

Hypothetical Security Scenario Involving Malware

Imagine a real estate website built on WordPress. An attacker exploits a vulnerability in an outdated plugin to install malware. A compromised site could expose visitor data or redirect to scams. Conversely, a real estate website powered by Jekyll would be mainly impervious to such an attack. Even if an attacker were to access the site’s files, the static nature of Jekyll means there’s no active server-side code to manipulate. With Jekyll’s setup, the odds of malware getting a foothold and causing trouble are seriously slashed.

Enhanced Security Practices with Jekyll

Jekyll’s approach to security is not just about its static nature; it also involves best practices:

Regular Security Audits: While Jekyll inherently reduces the risk of malware, regular security audits of the website’s code and dependencies can further enhance security. Regular check-ups catch weak spots in static pages and scripts before they become problematic.
Robust Deployment Protocols: Implementing secure deployment protocols can prevent unauthorized access to the website’s files. To keep your site safe, start with secure FTP methods (or avoid FTP altogether), add CI/CD pipelines that check for security issues, and stay on top of the website’s health through consistent monitoring.
Version Control for Security: Leveraging version control systems allows real estate professionals to track website changes, quickly identifying any unauthorized modifications that could indicate a security breach.

Securing a real estate website with Jekyll wards off malware and builds trust with clients, letting agents concentrate on sealing deals and nurturing relationships.

Keeping your website safe is crucial when you’re in real estate. Jekyll’s static setup is like a fortress, locking down against malware attacks - a big headache you often see with WordPress and other dynamic sites. When real estate professionals pick Jekyll, they’re beefing up their defenses against hackers, giving clients a safe spot to land online. With this reassurance, they can zero in on their expertise: nurturing client relationships and smoothing the way for property deals.

Version Control and Collaboration

In the hectic real estate world, where agents often team up on many deals, quickly updating and keeping your website fresh is vital. Jekyll, when teamed up with Git and solid CI/CD workflows, becomes a powerhouse for real estate teams to streamline their site management while keeping it locked down tight. Jekyll, paired with Git, streamlines how real estate teams collaborate and manage updates - truly a game-changer for the industry.

Git Integration for Streamlined Collaboration

Jekyll’s compatibility with Git, a widely used version control system, is a significant asset for real estate teams:

Collaborative Content Management: With Git, multiple agents can work on different parts of the site simultaneously. For instance, while one agent updates property listings, another can work on blog posts or market analysis reports. Git streamlines the process, letting us merge updates and push them live without a hitch, keeping our website on point and up-to-date.
Change Tracking and Accountability: Git tracks every change made to the website’s content. Tracking every edit on a site down to the minute helps improve accuracy and keep all listings straight. Accountability helps keep listings honest.
Branching and Merging for Organized Updates: Git’s branching and merging capabilities allow teams to work on updates or new features in isolation (in branches) and then merge these changes into the main site (master branch) when ready. When rolling out cool new features or exclusive deals on your site, this method is a lifesaver because it lets you build and test everything separately before going live, keeping the main site smooth and uninterrupted.

CI/CD Processes for Efficient Deployment

The integration of Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes with Jekyll further streamlines content updates and site maintenance:

Automated Testing and Deployment: CI/CD pipelines can automatically test and deploy changes made to a Jekyll site. For instance, when an agent pushes updates to a property listing, the CI/CD process can automatically run tests to ensure no errors and then deploy the changes to the live site. This nifty automation slashes the chances of slip-ups and makes updating a site a breeze.
Smooth and Secure Content Updates: With CI/CD, the deployment of content updates is automated and secure. CI/CD pipelines can securely check content updates to prevent vulnerabilities.

Real-World Application in Real Estate

In a typical real estate agency, team members must update various aspects of the website regularly. For example:

Property Listings: Agents update and add new listings, including details like price, location, and property features.
Market Insights: Analysts contribute blog posts or reports on market trends and analyses.
Client Testimonials and Success Stories: The marketing team improves the website’s trust factor by sharing fresh stories and glowing reviews from happy clients.

Using Jekyll with Git and CI/CD processes, an agency can manage these updates efficiently, collaboratively, and securely. The version control system tracks and manages all changes appropriately. At the same time, the CI/CD pipeline automates the testing and deployment of these updates, ensuring that the website is always up-to-date and functioning correctly.

In the competitive realty world, a lively website with helpful information draws in clients like a magnet. When you mix Jekyll with Git and automated workflows, you get a robust setup that’s great for keeping track of changes and ensuring everyone on the team is on the same page. With this setup, you get a smoother site update routine that’s safe and fast and great for the team to work together. Real estate professionals can zero in on delivering top-notch services without skimping on a dynamic and team-oriented web presence using these tools.

Flexibility and Customization: Jekyll’s Versatility in Real Estate Web Development

A dynamic website in the bustling real estate market is your ace, setting you apart and meeting client demands with finesse. Real estate websites need to stand out and serve clients efficiently.

Integration with Essential Real Estate Tools

Jekyll’s adaptable nature allows for seamless integration with crucial real estate tools and platforms:

HubSpot Integration: Integrating a Jekyll website with HubSpot can significantly enhance lead management and marketing efforts. With HubSpot’s CRM, agents get a sharp edge in tracking customer interactions, refining lead management, and crafting precise marketing drives. Real estate pros can seriously boost their game by plugging in HubSpot’s forms and digging into the analytics; this lets them get a clear picture of who’s interested, ramping up the chances of turning curious browsers into solid clients.
IDX Integration for Property Listings: IDX systems are vital for real estate websites as they allow the display of up-to-date property listings from MLS. Jekyll can be integrated with IDX plugins or widgets, enabling potential buyers to search and view listings directly on the website. By hooking up Jekyll with IDX tools, clients can easily tap into the newest property listings - a must-have for any top-notch real estate site.
Connecting with MLS for Real-time Data: Integrating Jekyll with MLS systems is a game-changer for real estate websites. With this setup, property listings on the site stay fresh, automatically syncing up with the latest market info. By tapping into APIs or crafting custom code, Jekyll can whip up web pages that showcase the freshest MLS listings, meshing static sites’ speed with real-time updates.

Note: IDX and MLS services are not available in all markets.

Customization for Enhanced User Experience

Beyond integrations, Jekyll’s customization capabilities allow for a tailored user experience:

Custom Plugins and Features: Real estate websites can benefit from custom Jekyll plugins that cater to specific needs, such as mortgage calculators, interactive maps showing property locations, or comparison tools for different properties.
Responsive and Personalized Design: Customizable themes and layouts in Jekyll enable real estate professionals to design their websites to reflect their brand identity while ensuring the site is responsive and accessible across all devices. For real estate experts crafting their online presence, nailing a website design that shines on smartphones is crucial since most clients scroll for homes there.
SEO and Marketing Optimization: With the right plugins and configurations, Jekyll websites can be optimized for search engines, increasing their visibility. Beyond just jazzing up your site’s design, customization steps up to integrate marketing tools that pull in visitors and clinch them as leads.

Scalability and Future-Proofing

Jekyll’s scalable architecture ensures that real estate websites can grow and evolve:

Easy Updates and Maintenance: As the real estate business expands, adding new listings, blog posts, or pages is straightforward with Jekyll. Jekyll’s design lets you spruce up your real estate site quickly with fresh features or listings, dodging the need for a total revamp.
Adaptable to Future Technologies: Jekyll’s simplicity and flexibility mean it can quickly adapt to future web technologies and trends. Keeping real estate sites up-to-date and sharp is critical, especially as the digital scene keeps shifting.

For the real estate industry, a distinctive and highly functional website is not just a luxury but a necessity. Jekyll’s knack for sleek customization, paired with powerhouse tools like HubSpot and real estate databases IDX and MLS, gives pros the edge to craft visually dazzling sites while packing a serious functional punch. Jekyll offers customizable and visually appealing real estate agency websites that integrate with crucial industry tools for maximum functionality.

Cost Efficiency and Scalability: The Economic Edge of Jekyll for Real Estate Websites

In the real estate game, where every penny counts and juggling resources is vital, picking a web platform can make or break your bank. For real estate firms watching their budgets and aiming for growth, Jekyll emerges as a cost-effective champ with seamless scalability. Jekyll shines for real estate professionals, giving you more bang for your buck and scaling up smoothly compared to old-school options like WordPress.

Cost Efficiency: A Key Advantage

Jekyll’s cost efficiency is evident in several aspects:

Low Hosting Costs: Since Jekyll generates static websites, the hosting requirements are minimal. Sites can be hosted on platforms like AWS, often falling into the Free Tier or incurring modest costs of about $2-3 per month for websites with reasonable traffic. WordPress hosting is a different ballgame, usually kicking off at around $20 monthly but can shoot up to $500 or more for sites swamped with visitors needing top-notch uptime.
Reduced Need for Expensive Infrastructure: Jekyll websites, being static, do not require backend processing or database servers, which can be costly components of a web infrastructure. Cutting back on heavy-duty servers saves a bundle and lets you skip the hassle of fancy server upkeep.
Bandwidth Usage as a Primary Cost Factor: The main cost driver for Jekyll sites is bandwidth usage, which, even at high traffic levels, generally keeps the expenses significantly lower than those for WordPress sites. Jekyll’s low bandwidth costs can make it a financially sensible CMS option for real estate agencies of all sizes.

Scalability: Handling Growth Efficiently:

Jekyll’s architecture inherently supports scalability:

Ease of Scaling with Static Sites: Since Jekyll produces static content, scaling up to meet increased traffic demands is relatively straightforward. To handle more visitors, you can use networks that deliver content quickly or cloud services that grow with your site’s traffic. The site’s static nature means scalability largely depends on the underlying hosting technology without the need for complex configurations.
Comparing Scalability with WordPress: Scaling a WordPress site, especially to handle high traffic, often involves setting up a cluster of servers or utilizing scalable cloud solutions like AWS Auto-Scaling Groups. So, this setup gets more complicated and hits your wallet harder. Jekyll, in contrast, simplifies the scaling process, translating to cost savings and less technical overhead.
Reliability During Traffic Surges: Real estate websites may experience sudden spikes in traffic, particularly during high-profile listings or marketing campaigns. Jekyll’s static nature allows it to handle these surges more efficiently than WordPress. Since there’s no need for on-the-fly data pulls or backend gymnastics, the site stays quick and reliable, even when traffic spikes hit hard.

Long-Term Financial Benefits

The financial benefits of choosing Jekyll extend beyond immediate hosting and infrastructure savings:

Reduced Maintenance Costs: Jekyll’s simplicity translates to fewer ongoing maintenance requirements. There’s no need for regular updates or security patches as with WordPress, which can often necessitate professional support.
Longevity and Future-Proofing: The stability and simplicity of a Jekyll website mean that it can remain functional and relevant for a more extended period without significant overhauls. Real estate firms get a real bang for their buck with a Jekyll site; it’s like investing in bricks and mortar that stand the test of time without constant remodeling.

Real estate businesses need to spend money wisely to succeed. Jekyll websites help by being affordable, scalable, and reliable. Jekyll stands out as a top pick for real estate websites, big or small, because it’s affordable, can grow with your business, and won’t disappoint you. Choosing Jekyll lets real estate companies build a solid online footprint without the hefty costs and complex tech hurdles that often come with using WordPress.

Summary: Embracing Jekyll for Future-Ready Real Estate Websites

In today’s fast-paced digital world, snagging the right website platform is critical - it shapes your real estate firm’s virtual vibe and how you reel in clients online. In the ever-changing digital landscape of real estate, Jekyll stands out as a go-to for building websites that are quick and easy to manage, rock-solid secure, and won’t break the bank. Jekyll offers real estate websites simplicity, speed, security, and cost savings. Let’s quickly hit the highlights and peek into what lies ahead for Jekyll and similar static site generators in web development.

Key Points Recap

Simplicity and Ease of Use: Jekyll’s straightforward approach to website creation, focusing on Markdown and minimalistic design, makes it accessible to users of all technical levels, enhancing productivity in content management.
Blazing Fast Performance: The static nature of Jekyll ensures lightning-fast website loading times, improving user experience and SEO performance – crucial factors in the competitive real estate market.
Enhanced Security: With no database interactions and minimal server-side processing, Jekyll significantly reduces the risk of common web vulnerabilities, offering a secure platform for handling sensitive real estate transactions and client data.
Version Control and Collaboration: Working with Git and CI/CD makes our team more in sync and keeps our content fresh - super important when we’ve got to stay on top of the game. Hooking up with Git and weaving in CI/CD practices helps teams sync up smoothly and keep their content fresh, which is a must-have when you’re racing against the clock to dish out hot-off-the-press info.
Flexibility and Customization: Despite its simplicity, Jekyll is highly customizable, allowing real estate professionals to tailor their websites to reflect unique branding and client engagement strategies, including integration with tools like HubSpot, IDX, and MLS.
Cost Efficiency and Scalability: Jekyll shines when looking at your wallet - keeping costs low and growing your business without a hitch. For firms in the property game, Jekyll’s a real gem with its budget-friendly hosting and no-sweat scaling.

Looking Towards the Future

Real estate professionals are all in on tech that delivers quick, adaptable solutions for a market that never stands still. Static site generators like Jekyll are at the forefront of this shift. They are increasingly recognized for their ability to meet the demands of modern web presence – fast, secure, and user-friendly while being cost-effective. As tech races ahead, keep an eye out for static site generators - they’re picking up steam, and soon, they’ll blur the lines between quick-loading pages and the bells and whistles of dynamic websites.

Need Help?

Jekyll’s worth a look if you’re in real estate and aiming to boost your online game. Whether migrating an existing site to Jekyll or building a new one from scratch, the benefits are clear and impactful. In today’s fast-paced digital real estate scene, nailing the right mix of tools and tactics is vital to stand out and clinch the deal. Feel free to call us and schedule a chat – we’re here to steer your real estate business onto the Jekyll path, customized just for you. Our expert crew is on hand to guide your real estate venture through a smooth switch to Jekyll, customizing it just for you. We can craft marketing plans that imaginatively align your goals and budget. Embrace the future of real estate web development with Jekyll – a decision that aligns with efficiency, security, and market competitiveness. Reach out to kick-start a transformative leap into a cutting-edge, secure online real estate space.