Real estate agency website redesign checklist
A new visual identity is one part of a redesign. Start with what you need to retain: your domain, useful content and the paths visitors use.
The short answer
Before redesigning, inventory access, pages, listings and publication rights. Map old URLs to their intended destinations, check the preview and verify responses and contact journeys after cutover. An organised migration reduces omissions; it cannot guarantee unchanged search rankings.
Define what needs to change
Write down three observable problems on the existing website: a listing is hard to read on mobile, statuses remain outdated or visitors cannot identify the right contact. This keeps assessment grounded in use, alongside visual design. It also gives you preview acceptance criteria.
Keep what already serves visitors. A useful area page, an accurate introduction or a structured listing should not disappear simply because the design changes. Use traffic and enquiry data, if available, to select priority pages. If those data are missing, acknowledge the limit instead of inventing a baseline.
Gather access, content and responsibilities
Identify the domain holder, the person able to change its settings and necessary access to the existing website. Check related services, especially email. Changing the website without these dependencies can cause disruption beyond browsing. Share access through an appropriate channel, not a public document.
Export content in a readable format and retain a reference copy. Separate active properties, withdrawn properties, editorial pages, images and downloads. Record sources, publication rights and the person confirming the facts. An external integration is not assumed available: check its format, compatibility and launch preparation.
- Identify domain access and the cutover contact.
- Inventory domain-related services and email.
- Retain an export of pages, listings, images and files.
- Exclude outdated or private material from public migration.
- Name an available approval owner.
- Identify included or separately quoted migration, cleaning and connections.
Prepare the URL map
A URL is a page address, not just its menu title. List current paths and expected destinations. Keep an existing address when it remains relevant; when it changes, map it to a page serving the same need. A withdrawn property should not be represented as still available.
Google recommends preparing this mapping and using permanent redirects to appropriate destinations for moved pages. Avoid sending every old page to an unrelated homepage. This checklist covers preparation; implementation and checks remain the website operator’s responsibility.
| Old path | Decision | Check |
|---|---|---|
| /our-agency | Keep the agency introduction | Current text, team and contact |
| /properties/example-flat | Import if still public | Matching identifier, status and images |
| /advice/buying | Keep or merge into a relevant guide | Useful destination and updated links |
| /outdated-document.pdf | Remove if no longer published | Appropriate response, no fictional availability |
Review the preview as a client
Open the preview on a phone and a computer. Find a property, read its facts, return to the catalogue and locate the contact route. Check French and English separately: statuses, sizes and contact details must agree. Test file links and important old pages, alongside the homepage.
Collect corrections in one list with page, issue and expected outcome. With VITRIMO, you approve the exact version intended for publication. If it changes after review, read the updated preview. General approval of the design does not replace approval of real content or pre-launch domain checks.
Plan cutover and follow-up
Agree who authorises launch, who performs cutover and what to do when a check fails. Keep exports and recovery information before closing the old service. Migrating a website and opening extra modules are separate decisions. Rental workspaces or business integrations need their own checks.
After cutover, check selected old and new addresses, mobile navigation and the contact journey with the responsible person. Arrange receipt tests with their authorisation. Then monitor errors and available search data. Google explains that significant changes can cause ranking fluctuations while pages are recrawled. A redesign should not promise zero SEO loss.
Sources and scope
An operational migration preparation checklist. URL-change guidance comes from Google Search Central; VITRIMO approval steps are described in our process. This guide is not an audit of your website.
Prepare your website migration
Your current address and a simple content inventory are enough to start discussing migration. Do not send passwords in an initial enquiry.