The verdict in three sentences
A regional developer selling 3 to 5 projects a year can no longer rely on a corporate site plus paid portals: buyers want to see the available unit, its price and its view before they call. A website with a live, synced unit availability grid and a 3D tour costs USD 30,000 to 65,000 with a Miami agency, delivered in 3 to 5 months, plus USD 4,000 to 10,000 per project microsite. A direct lead costs USD 20 to 55 against USD 60 to 180 on portals, and that gap funds the build by the second project.
Modules that sell new-build condos
In Miami, from Brickell and Edgewater to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, competition between national and local developers is intense. Buyers, whether end users, domestic investors or Latin American and European pre-construction buyers, compare online long before they visit a sales gallery.
| Module | Sales benefit | 2026 order of magnitude (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate site and developer brand | Trust, delivered projects, track record | 12,000 to 22,000 |
| Live unit availability grid | Availability, price, status, deposits | 7,000 to 17,000 |
| 3D tour and interactive floor plans | Projection, fewer wasted showings | 4,000 to 13,000 per project |
| Project microsite | Local SEO, dedicated campaigns, Ads landing | 4,000 to 10,000 per project |
| Sales CRM integration | One source of truth on units | 3,500 to 9,000 |
| Buyer portal (deposit schedule, construction updates) | Fewer customer service calls | 6,000 to 14,000 |
The availability grid is the highest-return module. It shows each unit with floor, exposure, square footage, extras (balcony, parking, storage) and price, colour-coded as available, on hold or under contract. It must be fed automatically from your sales system, otherwise your brokers stop trusting it the first time a sold unit shows as available.
The 3D tour does not need to be spectacular. A navigable massing model with unit selection, plus two or three model units in 360 degrees, is enough. Developers using it report 20 to 35 % fewer dead-end appointments at the sales gallery.
Owned website vs real estate portals
Portals stay essential at launch, but cost per lead climbs as a project ages and the remaining units get harder to sell.
| Criterion | New-construction portals | Developer site with live grid |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per buyer lead | USD 60 to 180 | USD 20 to 55 (SEO, Ads, social) |
| Exclusivity | Competitors shown next to you | Your brand only |
| Unit information | Often static or incomplete | Synced availability |
| Buyer data | Partial, owned by the portal | Complete, in your CRM |
| Fixed cost | USD 1,200 to 3,500 per month per project | Upfront build then maintenance |
| Lifespan | As long as you pay | Asset reused on every project |
On a 60-unit project needing 25 leads per sale, so 1,500 leads, the difference between USD 110 and USD 35 per lead is USD 112,500. Even keeping a third of leads on portals, savings exceed USD 70,000 per project.
Timeline, compliance and governance
Plan for 3 to 5 months: one month of scoping and data connection, one to two months of design and 3D, one to two months of build and QA. Required disclaimers belong in the first mockups: renderings are artist conceptions, oral representations cannot be relied upon, Florida condominium disclosure language, Fair Housing statements, and clear wording that pricing and availability are subject to change. Any mortgage estimator must be labelled indicative.
At Kolonell, a site at this level with a buyer portal and business integrations is a medium custom application (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) or a complex one (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on the number of projects and integrations. Microsites, 3D and languages are set in the quote. See our web application and online advertising services.
Mini case study
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Daniela, marketing director of a regional developer in Miami, launches 4 projects a year averaging 50 units, so 200 sales. At 25 leads per sale she buys about 5,000 leads a year, 80 % from portals at USD 110 on average: USD 440,000.
After launching a site with a live grid and 3D, a total investment of USD 55,000 plus 4 microsites at USD 7,000, so USD 83,000, the share of direct leads rises from 20 % to 55 %. The 1,750 shifted leads cost USD 40 instead of USD 110, saving USD 122,500 a year. The project pays back in under nine months, before counting the value of buyer data kept for future projects.
FAQ
Should the grid show prices?
In most cases yes: projects showing a starting-from price per unit generate 25 to 40 % more enquiries. You can hide the last premium units and show price on request instead.
How much does a 3D tour cost per project?
Expect USD 4,000 to 13,000 depending on the number of floor plans and rendering quality. Reusing the architect's files often cuts the bill by 30 %.
Is a microsite per project essential?
For projects above 30 units, yes: a dedicated URL improves local SEO and campaign conversion. Below that, a rich project page on the main site is enough.
How do we stop sold units showing as available?
Sync the grid with your sales system every 5 to 15 minutes, or by webhook on every reservation. Manual updates create errors within the first week of a launch.
How early before launch should the site go live?
Aim for 4 to 6 weeks before the sales gallery opens, to collect VIP pre-launch registrations. A full developer site therefore starts 4 to 7 months before the first launch.
Let's scope your project. Share your project pipeline and your sales system, and we will scope the grid, the 3D and the timeline before your next launch. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
