Looking for Agent Image reviews to see if their website design package is worth the $$$ price tag?
Agent Image, a subsidiary of The Design People is one of the earliest providers of real estate websites. They’ve been in business since 1999 and are based in California. The sales and customer service that supports the Agent Image websites are in the Philippines though.
Unlike other providers we’ve reviewed, such as Placester and WebsiteBox, Agent Image isn’t a platform to create real estate . They offer website design services.
Related: Placester reviews: Is it worth the hype? What do other agents say about their customer service and web design for real estate agents?
Agent Image Review Breakdown
- Design services and different plans
- IDX integration for WordPress sites they built
- What real estate companies think of the service
- How much should you budget for an Agent Image website?
Agent Image Reviews Part 1: Design Services for Real Estate Websites
It’s true, the real estate websites their web designer comes up with are good.
There are a couple of real estate website templates that come with each plan, but you’ll have to pay for a new one if you want a new web design in the future.
So you’ll need to a lot of money, if you change markets or start a brokerage in a few years.
All Agent Image website are built on WordPress and are available in three pricing options: Agent Pro, Semi-Custom, and Imagine Studio.
Here’s what’s included in each plan, based on the Agent Image reviews online:
Agent Pro – A Template Website
Don’t expect a custom website on this package. For this option, you’ll get an Agent Image website based on the template you choose from their selections.
Unfortunately, the customizations here are severely limited. The menu is already set, and follows their existing structure on the best real estate websites in their portfolio. The placement of certain elements, such as the logo, pictures, or listing images area already set and can’t be changed.
Once you’ve chosen from one of their pre-designed themes, you’re stuck with the given layout and the menu navigation for all the pages. The colors will be customized to your branding but that’s all.
Don’t expect a custom homepage design job here.
The good news is there are several real estate website templates to choose from, so if you don’t like the layout, you can at least choose another template before agreeing to start the design project.
Semi Custom Plan – Get a Custom Homepage
As the name suggests, real estate websites created with this plan will have a custom home page but the rest will have pre designed pages. This is what Agent Image calls a semi custom site.
The exact pricing is not revealed anywhere on their site, but based on the Agent Image reviews I’ve read, these plans cost anywhere from $400 to $1000 more than Agent Pro.
So what’s included with the extra payment? Agent Image pricing is costly yet flexible, so you only pay for the additional customizations you want, such as:
Design options:
- Custom fonts
- Custom layout on the home page
- Custom menu navigation
- Set number of allowable revisions
- Limited layout alterations on the inner pages
As you can see from my highlights, this template website example includes a custom menu listing different neighborhoods, plus 3 custom call to action buttons.
Image: One of the Agent Image websites with a semi custom design.
The rest of the pages are template and not that different than those in the Agent Pro plan.
See if you can spot the difference between the two agent websites.
One is made with the basic Agent Image pricing, while the other is from a semi custom website.
Notice the tiny differences between the two agent websites?
The custom website from the Bitton Group, just has their logo and a “send us a message” call to action on their contact information box. Another difference is the “What’s my home worth” button, which was also used in their home page.
Other than those two, it’s pretty much the same.
None of the other Agent Image reviews went as far to compare the differences in the inner pages of a semi-custom project. But since it’s a $400 to $1000 price difference just for a custom home page, I thought it’s worth paying attention to since that’s a huge blow to your budget for some measly alterations.
Let’s get real: there are freelancers out there that can create custom websites for real estate brokers at the $1000 price range Agent Image bills for just a custom homepage with your choice of colors, fonts, and buttons.
Imagine Studios
Let’s look at the top shelf among Agent Image pricing offers, Imagine Studios.
All agent websites in this category are customized from the home page, down to the property pages. It also comes with “custom add ons” and real estate tools like custom forms, video tours, and an IDX website integration.
That’s why these are the best real estate websites in their portfolio, because these custom forms, IDX website integration, and video tours are the features potential clients want to see in a finished product.
These are still based on pre designed real estate themes, and they’re still built on WordPress. But the agents will have more options when it comes to the font choice, menu navigation, layout, and add ons that will be included.
These custom websites are expensive, that’s why many of the real estate agents in this category are big brokerages and celebrity agents.
Here’s an example of a real estate agent website design created under the Imagine Studios pricing plan:
Looking for a DIY Real Estate Website Builder?
If you want full control of your real estate agent website design, it’s easier to go DIY or use a builder software like Web4Realty’s PageManager tool.
PageManager is a drag and drop real estate website builder that allows agents to create customized designs in 2 hours or less. Just choose from the 30 real estate templates we have and go from there.
With our tool, you’re not limited like in the Agent Pro and Semi Custom plan. You can change the layout of your home page and inner pages using the content boxes we have.
The text formatting, colors, and other elements can also be customized to create a real estate agent website design that suits your personal branding.
What can you customize in a Web4realty real estate agent website design:
- Menu navigation and page groupings
- Font scheme
- Color palette
- Favicon
- Images and sliders
But you don’t have to build everything from scratch. We also have a couple of pre-formatted content blocks, such as:
- FAQ
- Contact forms
- Property search bar
- Community pages
- Testimonials
- Blog content
- Pre construction pages
- Mortgage and insurance calculator
- Home valuation page
The add-ons that are exclusive to Agent Image Imagine Studio pricing are already included in our basic plans without paying extra.
This means you’ll have access to:
- Custom forms
- Video tours
- Custom landing pages
We also have a team of designers available to create real estate website. But they don’t cost anywhere near the Agent Image pricing. Even their cheapest real estate websites cost $1500+ maintenance.
Meanwhile, our design packages start at $200, while a custom websites costs $600.
Does Agent Image Pricing include IDX Website Integration?
Unfortunately, no. Not unless you get the most expensive plan.
As Agent Image is a real estate agent website design company, they have not developed their own IDX. They’ve partnered with two IDX website integration providers, IDXBroker, and iHomeFinder.
This isn’t really part of most Agent Image reviews. However, IDX is essential to an agent’s website because it will affect the user experience of prospects visiting the site.
iHomeFinder Agent Image Pricing
The exact pricing isn’t on any Agent Image reviews or their website. The 3 plans available to Agent Image clients are similar to those listed on iHomeFinder’s website.
The cheapest plan, Pro Agent IDX, only works for one account and has very basic features. While the Pro Agent Team includes two accounts, and the Broker IDX Package includes a property slide show and up to 10 accounts.
All IDX website integrations using iHomeFinder come with:
- Tutorial
- Quick search setup
- Custom design that fits with your real estate agent website design
- Up to 5 hot sheets, and $10 per additional
- 6 months minimum contract
IDX website integration cost ranges from $49.95 to $129.95. There’s also a one time setup fee of $99 but it’s not clear in any of the Agent Image reviews if this fee is waived for their clients.
I hope it is because Agent Image charges its own monthly fee on top of the real estate agent website design cost. Read the Agent Image pricing part of this post for more information.
It’s very customizable but it’s not as user-friendly like other IDX website integrations. The extra customization features takes some getting used to, and you’ll have to spend a few hours with the setup.
IHomeFinder Reviews for a Website Deployed with Agent Image
Some Agent Image reviews of those that got the iHomeFinder plugin say a programer might be needed to really maximize its features.
Yelp reviews show only an average of 2.5 stars for iHomeFinder. One user says their MLS mapping isn’t accurate, while others say the listings take too long.
IDX Broker
The next option for Agent Image clients is IDX Broker, one of the largest real estate agent IDX, and WordPress compatible plugin that costs similar to iHomeFinder.
This IDX website integration provider has two plugin options, Lite and Platinum.
Lite includes the typical features you’d expect, such as map search, advanced search, and address search. It also includes add-on features that make the plugin more effective, such as an SSL certificate and syndication, so agents can add their listings to multiple sites.
The Lite IDX website integration starts at $50 per month for agents, and can go as much as $100 a month for offices or brokers.
The Platinum plan includes the basic features of the Lite plugin, plus a social login feature so visitors can log-in using their social media accounts to save their searches. Unlimited custom map listings and polygon search tools are also included.
This IDX website integration costs $80 per month for a solo agent, $100 for a team, and $130 for offices.
What if You Don’t Want to Pay Extra for IDX Website Integration?
Unlike Agent Image, we at Web4Realty developed our own IDX software.
With a subscription to Web4realty, you don’t need to pay extra for IDX integration. Our software works with over 100 MLS boards — and we’re working on adding more.
Review of Agent Image’s Customer Service
They provide 3 different dedicated experts for each concern that may arise on a real estate agent website design.
A dedicated project manager to answer questions about an agents website, while a marketing coach will guide agents about SEO, PPC, and other marketing concerns. A support consultant is also available for other troubleshooting concerns.
While having the help of 3 customer support experts sound good, it can backfire.
A collection of Agent Image reviews show that some of their customers found it hard to find someone to get a proper response. Some of them have been passed on from customer support to another.
For example, this Agent Image review on Yelp shows how this client talked to customer support from possibly outside the U.S, then contacted the CEO and got passed on from one person outside the U.S. Even after that, their issue was not resolved.
Other Agent Image reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) show this isn’t an isolated case. Ilana posted a negative review on BBB of being passed from one agent to a case manager, who wasn’t able to resolve her billing concerns after 10 months.
Some of the Agent Image reviews on Yelp were great.
Get a Dedicated Project Manager for Your Real Estate Agent Website Design
With Web4realty, you’ll be assigned a dedicated project manager that can answer all the questions you’ll have about agent websites.
All agents can be reached via email or phone.
Other Services and Features of Agent Image
Other Agent Image reviews don’t bother mentioning the extra services they have— and for good reason.
Agent Image specializes in website design. They don’t even have a real estate CRM or SEO tool.
As mentioned in The Made in America Agent Image reviews, the real estate agent website design doesn’t include SEO services. You have to pay extra if you want them to make your website SEO friendly.
This is not beyond expectations. A design company should focus on design, not real estate SEO.
You can avail SEO package and even Pay-per-Click (PPC) packages for an extra price. However, I can’t say for certain how well these services are done as there are no Agent Image Reviews for these add-ons.
Agent Image Pricing
How much do you think an agents website should cost?
Agent Image pricing plans:
Plan – Cost (*always check current prices*)
- Agent Pro – $1500 to $2100
- Semi Custom – $2500 to $3500
- Imagine Studio – $5000 to $10,000
All their agent websites have a one time payment fee, plus a $99 monthly maintenance fee. If you want a redesign, that’s another payment.
If you want an IDX website integration so you can populate your site with MLS listings, you’ll have to pay anywhere from $50 to $130 a month on top.
An Affordable Alternative for Creating Custom Websites
Let’s face it, Agent Image is one of the more expensive options out there for many agents. That’s why they have lots of competitors.
If you want to leave Agent Image, Web4Realty’s real estate website builder platform costs only $29 a month. That already includes customer support and IDX website integration.
If you don’t have time to create the design yourself, it’s just an additional $200 to $600 to get a custom redesign.
Our designers can give you a free consultation so you can get a feel of our diverse selection of templates, branding packages on a budget, and even our real estate CRM.
Summary of Agent Image Review
Overall, Agent Image can give you a good looking template website or customized design if you have the budget.
However, the price is quite steep especially if you take into account the monthly fee for the IDX and the maintenance fee. That’s $200 to $350 a month if you combine both fees — that’s a lot of money.
For a one time payment of $1500, you can already get a tailored real estate agent website design. You don’t need to confine yourself with the layout constraints at Agent Image.
If you go with Agent Image pricing, you’ll have to pay $5000 to get that. Remember, their basic plan worth $1500 only includes a custom home page.
And if having a website built on WordPress isn’t a requirement for you, there are more options out there cost lest money yet still customizable.
