How design can blow away the competition
After seeing Ryan McCann’s real estate team website, it was instantly seared into our brains and we now equate Edmonton, Alberta real estate with McCann. “We’re a tiny company that’s changing real estate in a big way,” the website proclaims in large, easy to read font. “We’re reworking real estate,” their campaigns say. We believe them.
McCann has a lengthy corporate background that sets him apart as opposed to some real estate agents who defaulted to real estate because they wanted to sleep in, wear what they wanted and tinker with Twitter all day. “We have expertise and experience. you have dreams. we offer perspective,” the site tells visitors.
McCann’s website looks as if it were designed for an iPad by an extremely highly paid graphic designer and web development team. Here is the landing page (click to enlarge):
We found ourselves accidentally clicking on every link possible, not because we set out to, but because we couldn’t help it- we wanted to see what was behind each square that was presented to us on the landing page like a mint on a high thread count pillow. The site has this feeling that it was designed just for you, and no one else, like you are sitting alone in a high rise lobby with McCann himself as he explains in simple terms how he will best serve you.
It’s not just his website, McCann pulls of the unlikely and keeps the image and tone consistent throughout his marketing efforts. Below is his Facebook Page:
Clever. With simple, clean design, large typography and consistently clever but not overly informal copy, McCann’s website and related web campaigns are stunning and even though we are spotlighting them today, he will continue to stand out against the competition that insists that this (below) is somehow acceptable (click to enlarge):
John Carr
November 4, 2011 at 2:48 pm
What a breath of fresh air. Not another me-too site. This is one is a keeper and I will certainly try to emulate the tone, design and concept with my own site. Great Article. Thank you.
jarvisteam
November 4, 2011 at 4:38 pm
I was on the fence about the quality of content from AGBeat. I can only hear "offer value" so often. However, this feature, just made me a fan, I signed up, I'm liking it all now. I've even got the koolaid mustache to prove it.
This line did it: "competition that insists that this (below) is somehow acceptable."
Thanks!
Ryan McCann
November 10, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Hello all! Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on our site! At the beginning of this year we decided that we needed a major change to separate us from other Agents in our marketplace. We went through a full re-brand – business cards (which are oversized with QR codes), main page, several landing pages and our Facebook page. Templates didn't work for us. They failed to accurately represent who we were and more importantly didn't relate to the market. Design has definitely made the difference – our listing inventory has doubled and our builder business has picked up significantly. We're on pace to sell 90-100 homes next year! Thanks again! R.M.
Roland Estrada
November 12, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Ryan got it right. I've been experimenting in iWeb using an icon based front page because I can't stand the boring formatted agent sites that are out there. Even the real estate site vendors that claim to be cutting edge don't cut it. Bravo!!!!