The verdict in three sentences
For a Miami luxury real estate agency, a local agency is worth its premium when your listings need on-site photography, drone and video, when you want Spanish and Portuguese pages written in-house, or when the project includes a full MLS/IDX search with a custom CRM. A remote studio such as Kolonell fits a boutique brokerage or a team that needs a refined brand site, featured property pages and neighborhood guides in English and French, at a fixed price with a weekly call in Eastern Time. In 2026 ballpark terms, Miami agencies commonly quote 12 000 to 50 000+ USD, freelancers 3 000 to 12 000 USD, and Kolonell 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
This guide is only about choosing who builds the site. CRM software and brokerage tools are covered in other articles on this blog.
When is a local Miami agency the better choice?
- Listing media on site. In luxury real estate the photos, twilight shots, drone footage and video tours sell the property. A local agency in Brickell, Wynwood or Coral Gables can coordinate shoots across Miami Beach, Coconut Grove or Key Biscayne. A remote studio cannot send a crew.
- Spanish and Portuguese. Much of the Miami buyer base reads Spanish or Portuguese first. An agency with native writers in-house will produce better copy than any translation workflow.
- Full search and data projects. A complete IDX search, a custom CRM connection, agent sub-sites for a large team and automated listing syndication are big builds that justify a local team and a bigger budget.
- In-person brand work. If the founding broker wants workshops in the office and a launch event, local wins.
When does a remote studio fit a luxury brokerage?
When the scope is clear: a brand site that positions the brokerage, a handful of featured listings and developments updated by hand, neighborhood guides, agent profiles and a lead form that reaches the team fast. Kolonell writes natively in English and French (useful for buyers from France, Belgium, Switzerland or Quebec), works on a fixed price and gives you a project manager reachable in your time zone: the team is based in Senegal (GMT), 4 to 5 hours ahead of Miami, so a morning Miami call lands in our afternoon. Google Meet at a time that suits you, plus a written weekly update.
A real reference in the same sector: Kolonell built Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), an off-plan real estate advisory in Dubai, with a trilingual FR/EN/AR site, project pages, investor guides and WhatsApp enquiries. Arabic copy came from the client side; English and French are our native languages. See our international website offer for the full grid.
Local agency, freelancer or remote studio: the criteria
| Criterion | Local Miami agency | Miami freelancer | Kolonell (remote) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price (2026 ballpark) | 12 000 to 50 000+ USD | 3 000 to 12 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD |
| Hourly rate for changes | often 100 to 200 USD | varies widely | quoted per request |
| Listing photo, drone, video | often coordinated in-house | rarely | not included: your photographer supplies the media |
| Spanish / Portuguese copy | often native in-house | varies | supplied by you or quoted separately |
| MLS/IDX search | often part of the offer | sometimes via plugin | quoted on request |
| Typical delivery | often 6 to 12+ weeks | depends on availability | 3 to 4 weeks (Premium 4 to 6) |
| Support after launch | usually a monthly retainer | varies | 3 months included (6 on Premium) |
| Domain and access | check the contract | check the contract | domain in your name, all access handed over |
The local ranges are wide orders of magnitude based on public agency rate cards, Clutch.co agency profiles listing minimum project sizes and freelance platform rates such as Upwork. They move a lot with scope.
What does each Kolonell tier cover for a brokerage?
| Item | Starter | Growth | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 2 900 USD | 4 900 USD | 8 900 USD |
| Delivery | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support after launch | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
| Bilingual EN/FR site | no | no | yes |
| Native copywriting | English or French | English or French | English and French |
| Project manager in Eastern Time overlap | yes | yes | yes |
| IDX feed, CRM sync, client portal | quoted on request | quoted on request | quoted on request |
Page counts and features per tier are listed on the /websites page and confirmed in your written quote. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at start and 50 % at delivery.
What a Miami luxury real estate site needs
- Featured listing and development pages with large, fast-loading galleries, floor plans and a clear enquiry button. Full MLS/IDX search is quoted on request; many boutique brokerages start with curated listings.
- Neighborhood guides (Brickell, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne) written factually, without promises on prices or returns.
- Agent profiles with license information and languages spoken.
- Lead forms routed to the right agent, connected to the CRM you already use when a simple connection is possible; deeper sync is quoted.
- Rules to check: Florida real estate licensing and advertising rules for brokerages, federal Fair Housing advertising rules, FTC rules on testimonials, and MLS rules on how listing data may be displayed. Your broker of record validates the content; this is not legal advice.
- Accessibility: Americans with Disabilities Act website litigation is common in Florida, and WCAG 2.1 AA is the usual reference.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
How to run a remote project well, and red flags
Have your photographer deliver the listing media before the build starts, name one person to approve copy, and review the staging site at each milestone. Red flags with a local agency: the domain or the IDX account in the agency's name, a closed platform, a retainer that cannot be cancelled. Red flags with a remote studio: no named project manager, no written schedule, no live projects to inspect, full payment upfront. Then request a free quote and compare it line by line.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Carolina runs a six-agent luxury brokerage in Coral Gables. A local agency quotes 30 000 USD with IDX and a 400 USD monthly retainer: 30 000 + 36 x 400 = 44 400 USD over 3 years. Option B: Kolonell Premium at 8 900 USD for an EN/FR brand site with curated listings, her existing photographer for media, Spanish copy from a translator she budgets at 2 000 USD, and the same 400 USD a month after the 6 included months (maintenance quoted separately): 8 900 + 2 000 + 30 x 400 = 22 900 USD. She saves about 21 500 USD but gives up full IDX search for now.
FAQ
Is a remote studio credible for luxury real estate?
Yes when the scope is a brand site with curated listings, as with Orven Properties in Dubai. For a full IDX portal with 20+ agent sub-sites, a local agency at 30 000 USD or more is often the better fit.
Who shoots the property photos?
Your usual listing photographer. Kolonell does not provide on-site shoots, so keep that budget outside the 2 900 to 8 900 USD build.
Can we add MLS/IDX search later?
Yes, it is quoted on request after launch. Many brokerages start with 5 to 15 curated listings updated by hand.
Do you write in Spanish?
No. Kolonell writes natively in English and French; Spanish or Portuguese copy is supplied by you or quoted separately.
What if we work outside office hours?
Calls are set on Google Meet at a time that suits you, with a 4 to 5 hour difference between Miami and our team.
Let's scope your project. Share your listings volume, languages and agents, and we will propose Growth or Premium with a written 3 to 6 week plan. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
