The verdict in three sentences
A luxury real estate agency in Montreux redesigns its website when it no longer matches the standard of its properties, penthouses in Clarens or apartments overlooking Lake Geneva, and when the English version has been left behind. The job costs CHF 4,500 (Growth) or CHF 8,200 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) with Kolonell, against roughly CHF 18,000 to 40,000 at a Riviera or Lausanne agency, with the listings feed on quote. The risk few agencies anticipate is regulatory: membership, fee and price wording must be reviewed by your adviser before go-live.
When does a redesign become necessary on the Riviera?
Buyers in Montreux, Vevey, La Tour-de-Peilz, Blonay and the Lavaux vineyards include Swiss residents, international residents and second-home owners. The site has to speak to all of them, in French and English, without ever looking approximate. The usual triggers: a refreshed brand the site does not follow, property pages that take more than 4 seconds to load on mobile, machine-translated English pages, a legal notice that predates the nLPD (in force since 1 September 2023), and sold properties ending up as 404 errors.
What budget should you plan over three years?
2026 ballpark based on typical quotes and public agency rate pages. Market maintenance figures are a market assumption, not a Kolonell price.
| Option | Redesign | Maintenance (market assumption) | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera or Lausanne freelancer | CHF 6,000 to 15,000 | CHF 100 to 250/month, so CHF 3,600 to 9,000 | CHF 9,600 to 24,000 |
| Vevey, Montreux or Lausanne agency | CHF 18,000 to 40,000 | CHF 200 to 500/month, so CHF 7,200 to 18,000 | CHF 25,200 to 58,000 |
| High-end Geneva agency | CHF 35,000 to 80,000 | CHF 400 to 900/month, so CHF 14,400 to 32,400 | CHF 49,400 to 112,400 |
| Kolonell Growth | CHF 4,500 | 3 months included, then on quote | CHF 4,500 + maintenance on quote |
| Kolonell Premium | CHF 8,200 | 3 months included, then on quote | CHF 8,200 + maintenance on quote |
Starter at CHF 2,700 rarely suits a prestige agency, as it leaves little room for property and area pages. On quote in every case: the feed from your property CRM, exports to Homegate or ImmoScout24, a private area for off-market properties and search work. Photos, video tours, drone footage and floor plans are third-party costs billed by a local photographer. The fixed price is detailed on the Kolonell international offer page.
Which wording should be reviewed before go-live?
In Switzerland, estate agency is not a federally licensed profession. There is no licence number to display: what matters is that every statement is accurate.
| Item on the site | Risk if badly worded | Who signs off |
|---|---|---|
| USPI or SVIT membership | Presented as an official accreditation | Agency management |
| UID number (CHE) and company name | Missing or inconsistent with the commercial register | Management |
| Brokerage fees | Ambiguous percentage or contradicted by the mandate | Your adviser |
| Property prices or Price on request | Outdated price still online | Broker in charge of the mandate |
| Superlatives (best lake view) | Misleading advertising under the Unfair Competition Act | Your adviser |
| Box for foreign buyers | Implied legal advice on Lex Koller | Specialist lawyer |
| 3D renders and retouched photos | Image that does not match the property | Broker in charge |
Lex Koller restricts purchases of residential property by persons abroad: the site can flag it and point to a specialist, nothing more. On data, the nLPD applies under FDPIC supervision, and the GDPR comes into play if you target EU residents. This is not legal advice.
What timeline, and which technical risks?
Once copy and visuals are ready, Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks: week 1 for the URL inventory and 301 redirect map, weeks 1 and 2 for templates (property page, area page, broker profile), weeks 2 and 3 for build and migration, week 3 for your adviser's wording review, week 4 for launch and Search Console monitoring. A regional agency usually plans 10 to 14 weeks.
Risks to scope:
- Sold properties: a 301 to the area page (Lavaux, Clarens, La Tour-de-Peilz) or a Track record page, never a random 404.
- English pages: every French page has its counterpart, with hreflang tags.
- Listings feed: separate scope, tested on staging before the switch.
- Downtime: DNS TTL lowered 48 hours ahead, no weekend switch.
- Forms: name, contact details, property reference, optional budget range. No ID or bank statements; anti-money-laundering checks stay within the agency's own process.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
When is a local agency still the better choice?
If your redesign comes with a full repositioning, printed brochures and an art-directed shoot on site, if your CRM is a locally built tool, or if you want weekly face-to-face meetings in Montreux, a Riviera agency will be more comfortable. Questions to ask any provider: who produces the 301 map? Is the feed priced separately? Who proofreads the English? What does maintenance cost after delivery? What is the rollback plan?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Belvédère Riviera Immobilier specialises in penthouses and prime apartments between Montreux and Vevey. Its site has 140 URLs in French and 55 in English. Budget: Premium at CHF 8,200 (French and English, languages set in the quote) + a wording review by its lawyer, 2 hours at CHF 350, so CHF 700 of third-party cost + a local photographer for 6 penthouses at CHF 1,100, so CHF 6,600 of third-party cost. Total: 8,200 + 700 + 6,600 = CHF 15,500, listings feed on quote. Against an assumed regional quote of CHF 30,000 for the redesign alone, the gap on that line is CHF 21,800.
FAQ
How much does a prestige real estate website redesign cost in Montreux?
2026 ballpark: CHF 18,000 to 40,000 at a regional agency. With Kolonell, CHF 4,500 for Growth or CHF 8,200 for Premium, listings feed on quote.
Should we display a broker licence number?
No, there is no federal estate agent licence in Switzerland. Show your UID number and accurate memberships instead, reviewed by your adviser before go-live.
How long does the redesign take?
With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. A regional agency often plans 10 to 14 weeks, excluding the feed integration.
Can the site be in French and English?
Yes, Premium at CHF 8,200 is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote. Native copywriting in French or English is included.
What happens to our sold properties after the redesign?
Each sold URL gets a 301 to an area or track record page. Out of 140 URLs, redirecting more than half is common.
Let's scope your project. A bilingual redesign of your prestige site on the Riviera, wording reviewed before the switch, fixed price of CHF 4,500 to 8,200, live in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
