Real estate responsive website design

Real estate responsive website design

Real estate platform for house buyers, renters and sellers which helps users find their dream home or sell a property.

Real estate platform for house buyers, renters and sellers which helps users find their dream home or sell a property.

Project overview

Project overview

Hously is a concept project of a real estate platform for house buyers, renters and sellers which helps users find their dream home or sell a property. The main goal of this project was creating a website which combines easy tools for sellers helping them sell properties quicker, and make a property search intuitive for buyers and renters.

Hously is a concept project of a real estate platform for house buyers, renters and sellers which helps users find their dream home or sell a property. The main goal of this project was creating a website which combines easy tools for sellers helping them sell properties quicker, and make a property search intuitive for buyers and renters.

Client

Concept work

Date

July 2025

Tools used

Problem statement

Problem statement

Potential buyers struggle to find relevant properties quickly and abandon the site due to poor navigation, lack of engaging visuals and too many subcategories.

Buyers are frustrated by outdated listings, limited search filters, and unclear property details, leading to low engagement and high abandonment rates.

For sellers, the biggest challenge is achieving good listing visibility and finding a customer quickly. Few platforms offer listing optimization options, but they often do not provide the ability to monitor user interest in a particular advertisement.

Based on user interviews and my observations, I have identified the following issues:


Navigation and header issues - A hidden menu bar makes it difficult to move around the site


Unclear navigation - It’s not clear how users can navigate back to previous steps or access other parts of the app


Visual design issues – Inconsistent spacing and allingment, poor use of space, cluttered search history section, lack of clear visual hierarchy in headings and subheadings


Accessibility and usability issues – Unclear input fields, inconsistent date format, ambiguous labels, poor button visibility, low contrast (some text and button colors may fail WCAG standards)

Research process and analysis

Research process and analysis

Market research - I researched industry trends, and customer expectations.


User research - I identified common pain points, and usability issues


Comparative analysis - I have made a comparative analysis of popular websites.

Market research - I researched industry trends, and customer expectations.


User research - I identified common pain points, and usability issues


Comparative analysis - I have made a comparative analysis of popular websites.

Comparative analysis

Comparative analysis

I conducted research and a comparative analysis of six popular real estate websites, from the polish and international markets (Domiporta, Nieruchomości-online, Otodom, Trulia, Zillow, Redfin).

I focused on comparing their site structure, search filters, user panel design, listing overview, and individual property pages.

Additionally, I analysed user journeys - one for a user looking to buy or rent a property, and another for a seller aiming to post a listing on the site.

I identified the common features across these platforms and defined the key functionalities, taking into account the previously developed user personas.

I conducted research and a comparative analysis of six popular real estate websites, from the polish and international markets (Domiporta, Nieruchomości-online, Otodom, Trulia, Zillow, Redfin).

I focused on comparing their site structure, search filters, user panel design, listing overview, and individual property pages.

Additionally, I analysed user journeys - one for a user looking to buy or rent a property, and another for a seller aiming to post a listing on the site.

I identified the common features across these platforms and defined the key functionalities, taking into account the previously developed user personas.

Pain points

Pain points

During the research phase of a project, I observed how overwhelming and frustrating the process of finding the perfect apartment can be for users. While conducting research among people searching for apartments, I realised how crucial are search filters.


For buyers, the most important thing is to find a property that meets their expectations in the easiest possible way, and the number of available filters can significantly shorten the search time. Instead of browsing through 200 listings, only 10 of which meet the buyer's criteria, filters allow users to narrow down the results considerably. Of course, it's equally important to ensure that the number of filters isn’t too high, as that could lead to decision paralysis and increase the likelihood that users will abandon the site.


When it comes to sellers/renters whose goal is to sell a property or post a rental offer, the time-consuming nature of the listing process can be overwhelming. In cases where there are many criteria to fill out, users may not always have all the required information at hand. The lack of an option to save a listing before publishing causes significant frustration, as users have to fill out the entire form from the beginning again.

During the research phase of a project, I observed how overwhelming and frustrating the process of finding the perfect apartment can be for users. While conducting research among people searching for apartments, I realised how crucial are search filters.


For buyers, the most important thing is to find a property that meets their expectations in the easiest possible way, and the number of available filters can significantly shorten the search time. Instead of browsing through 200 listings, only 10 of which meet the buyer's criteria, filters allow users to narrow down the results considerably. Of course, it's equally important to ensure that the number of filters isn’t too high, as that could lead to decision paralysis and increase the likelihood that users will abandon the site.


When it comes to sellers/renters whose goal is to sell a property or post a rental offer, the time-consuming nature of the listing process can be overwhelming. In cases where there are many criteria to fill out, users may not always have all the required information at hand. The lack of an option to save a listing before publishing causes significant frustration, as users have to fill out the entire form from the beginning again.

Project goals

Project goals

Create responsive website with easy tools for sellers helping them sell properties quicker

Make a property search easy, fast and intuitive for buyers and renters.


Facilitating contact between the seller and the buyer

Create responsive website with easy tools for sellers helping them sell properties quicker

Make a property search easy, fast and intuitive for buyers and renters.


Facilitating contact between the seller and the buyer

Solution

Solution

For buyers - I ensured easy navigation and appropriate filters to support their search for a dream home, making the process simple and enjoyable. Knowing how frustrating finding the perfect home can be, I included the option to save favorite listings, allowing users to easily return to them at any time without having to browse through their entire history.

For sellers - I designed key features to help them monitor their listings and user engagement, such as a dashboard with all active and inactive listings, an overview of submitted contact forms from interested buyers, and access to statistics for each listing (number of views, number of times added to favorites). Additionally I added the ability to save a draft of the listing for later editing, as well as a progress bar showing the percentage of completion. This informs users how much of the listing has already been filled out. It allows them to return to their incomplete listing at a convenient time without experiencing overstimulation or frustration.

For bussines - Another important design aspect was the business model, ensuring the platform could generate revenue. I introduced listing fees for sellers, divided into three packages. This allows users to choose the option that best suits their needs while supporting the business. Sellers can use these packages to improve the visibility of their listings, which significantly increases exposure to potential buyers and reduces the time needed to sell.

For buyers - I ensured easy navigation and appropriate filters to support their search for a dream home, making the process simple and enjoyable. Knowing how frustrating finding the perfect home can be, I included the option to save favorite listings, allowing users to easily return to them at any time without having to browse through their entire history.

For sellers - I designed key features to help them monitor their listings and user engagement, such as a dashboard with all active and inactive listings, an overview of submitted contact forms from interested buyers, and access to statistics for each listing (number of views, number of times added to favorites). Additionally I added the ability to save a draft of the listing for later editing, as well as a progress bar showing the percentage of completion. This informs users how much of the listing has already been filled out. It allows them to return to their incomplete listing at a convenient time without experiencing overstimulation or frustration.

For bussines - Another important design aspect was the business model, ensuring the platform could generate revenue. I introduced listing fees for sellers, divided into three packages. This allows users to choose the option that best suits their needs while supporting the business. Sellers can use these packages to improve the visibility of their listings, which significantly increases exposure to potential buyers and reduces the time needed to sell.

Design process

Design process

Research & Discovery 🔎

Market research: I analysed competitors websites in terms of industry standards to identify common features, key functionalities, and to compare site structure and user panels.

Comparative analysis - I have made a comparative analysis of popular websites.

User research - I identified target audience,common pain points, and usability issues.

Defining requirements 🎯

User personas: Based on the research I created two user personas for different types of real estate website users (Julia - 37 years old Real estate Seller, and Maria 32 years old marketing specialist looking for her first home) and I defined key features for both of them.

Use cases & user journeys: Mapped how two different type of users will interact with the website

Feature list: Defined the key features and operations for sellers, buyers, and renters, aligning them with business requirements.

Concept 🏠

Gathered all inspirations and created a mood board.

Created a sitemap with low fidelity wireframes focusing on intuitive navigation

UI Design 🚀

High-fidelity mockups: I designed pixel-perfect screens using icons from Material Design Kit

Prototype and testing 🕹

Functional testing: I verified that all features function correctly and behave as expected.

I tested the prototype with 3 users and applied amendments

User personas

User personas

Julia

Julia

Age

37

Ocupation

Real estate seller

Location

Warsaw, Poland

Tech savy

High

About

Julia is an experienced real estate seller based in Warsaw. She manages several residential properties and is looking to streamline the selling process using digital platforms. Julia values efficiency and wants to ensure her listings reach the right buyers quickly. She is proactive about learning new technologies that can help her achieve better sales outcomes.

Goals

Sell her properties quickly and at optimal prices.

Attract serious, qualified buyers with minimal effort.

Present her listings professionally with high-quality visuals.

Motivations

Achieving the best possible sale price for her properties.

Saving time through efficient, user-friendly online tools.

Needs

Easy-to-use platform for listing and managing properties.

Access to real-time market analytics and pricing suggestions.

Frustations

Platforms with complicated or lengthy listing processes.

Lack of feedback or visibility into buyer interest.

Difficulty reaching the right target audience for her listings

Key features for Julia

Key features for Julia

Access to tools for monitoring the interest in ad (overview of how many people have viewed the ad/added the ad to favourites/filled form and viewed contact info)

Access to tools for monitoring the interest in ad (overview of how many people have viewed the ad/added the ad to favourites/filled form and viewed contact info)

Preview of active and inactive ads

Preview of active and inactive ads

Preview of submitted contact forms from potential customers - function integrated into e-mail inbox

Preview of submitted contact forms from potential customers - function integrated into e-mail inbox

Maria

Maria

Age

37

Ocupation

Marketing specialist

Location

Poznań, Poland

Tech savy

Medium

About

Maria is a first-time homebuyer searching for a modern apartment in Poznań’s city center. She balances a busy work schedule with house hunting and relies heavily on online tools. Maria values trustworthy information and visual clarity but feels overwhelmed with a large number of advertisements.

Goals

Find a move-in-ready property within her budget.

Easily compare properties based on location, amenities, and pricing.

Schedule viewings quickly without lengthy back-and-forth.

Motivations

Building long-term stability through homeownership.

Minimizing stress with a streamlined buying process.

Gaining confidence through transparent data (e.g., neighborhood safety, price history)

Needs

Intuitive search with custom filters (price, bedrooms, proximity to public transport).

High-quality visuals

Simple agent contact options

Frustations

Irrelevant listings: Wastes time on properties outside her budget/location.

Poor media: Blurry photos or lack of virtual tours make it hard to evaluate.

Hidden costs: Unexpected fees or unclear pricing breakdowns.

Key features for Maria

Key features for Maria

Advanced search and filtering (location, price, property type, facilities)

Advanced search and filtering (location, price, property type, facilities)

Detailed property descriptions and transparent pricing

Detailed property descriptions and transparent pricing

Favorites list and personalized alerts

Favorites list and personalized alerts

Buyer and seller contact forms

Buyer and seller contact forms

User flows

User flows

Information architecture

Information architecture

What I have learned?

What I have learned?

While working on the Hously project, I realized how frustrating the process can be for users when searching for the perfect apartment, and when posting a property listing for sale or rent. My role as a designer was to simplify this process and make it more supportive for users -especially for those who quickly abandon the listing form. I learned how important it is to identify which moments in the user journey cause frustration and which ones help to minimize it.

While working on the Hously project, I realized how frustrating the process can be for users when searching for the perfect apartment, and when posting a property listing for sale or rent. My role as a designer was to simplify this process and make it more supportive for users -especially for those who quickly abandon the listing form. I learned how important it is to identify which moments in the user journey cause frustration and which ones help to minimize it.

All rights reserved © Marta Kuba 2025

All rights reserved © Marta Kuba 2025

All rights reserved © Marta Kuba 2025