Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
Bldr is a website creation and management tool made by KoaWare for real estate agents.
Platforms: Browser; mobile-optimized
Ideal for: Current KoaWare users; new agents; any team or office looking to build a new website.
Top selling points
- Minimized, on-screen content builder
- Drag and drop content editing
- Contemporary designs
- Instant integration of personal listings
Top concerns
Agent-designers will still need a basic understanding of good graphic design to know which bldr content elements will make a compelling website.
What you should know
Self-directed website design doesn’t get much easier than bldr. It’s a new full-site design tool by KoaWare, a company best known as a single-property page builder.
If you still don’t have the time or an assistant with opposable thumbs, bldr has a developer tool that opens the site up for more professional intervention.
I doubt you’d need that feature though, given the intuitive on-screen WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor.
What I dig about this software is that you’re not held captive by restrictive templates that constrain your content needs.
Instead, bldr starts you from scratch.
Users can drag and drop an array of page elements — such as a two-column text area, video player, parallax scroll window, property search map, etc. — to assemble a totally customized web experience.
Videos are embedded in player windows by copying and pasting a url.
I really dig the “timeline” graphic, a visual aid that can be used to describe the listing process, closing calendar or history of your company.
Images can be uploaded and text edited by clicking the appropriate content holder and inserting anything needed.
Bldr minimizes workspace by displaying only two icons, an edit gear and save button.
Your listings are displayed by dragging the property page design of your choosing into place. An MLS ID automatically links your bldr site so listings are quick to publish.
Pages are added in moments, as are footers, logos and brand themes. There are no overly-complex IDX integrations or half-hearted customer relationship management tools (CRMs) or burdensome bolt-ons. This is a website builder for agents who want a cool, effective website that won’t break the bank.
It’s also important to note the included developer tools, which can be used to give control to professional programmers when a few extra technical touches might be needed.
Once a week or so, I get an email from an agent wanting me to tell them who to use to build a website. I don’t know how to respond. I remain objective by mentioning the search tool on Inman.com.
Agents: please know that you are wallowing in an embarrassment of technological riches when it comes to creating and managing an internet presence.
And as more tools like bldr emerge, the rich continue getting richer.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
