The verdict in three sentences
A Montreal luxury real estate agency that sends a vague brief gets quotes from about CAD 8,000 to 45,000 (roughly USD 5,800 to 33,000) that cannot be compared. A two or three page requirements checklist, with each integration (Centris, CRM, appointment booking) on its own line, usually narrows the spread to less than double. Kolonell answers it with a fixed grid of USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900, complex integrations staying on quote.
What should the requirements document contain?
Copy this list into a shared document and fill in every item before the first call.
- Goals and audiences: listings to win, local buyers, international and diaspora buyers, investors. One measurable goal per audience.
- Pages and templates: home, properties, property page, neighborhoods (Westmount, Outremont, Mount Royal, Golden Square Mile, Griffintown), sell, buy, team, journal, contact.
- Content ownership: who writes, who approves, and who checks advertising content against the rules of the OACIQ, which regulates brokers' advertising.
- Languages: French must be available under the Charter of the French language; state whether English is planned at launch.
- Integrations, one line each: Centris listing feed, CRM, viewing appointment booking, newsletter. Complex integrations are priced separately.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA target, contrast and alt text on photos.
- Data protection: forms limited to what is necessary, a privacy policy aligned with Law 25, explicit newsletter consent under CASL, a designated person in charge. The Commission d'accès à l'information is the Quebec regulator.
- Domain and hosting in the agency's name, admin access handed over at delivery.
- SEO migration if a site exists: URL inventory, 301 redirect map, Search Console.
- Acceptance criteria: mobile speed, tested forms, checked links, French and English proofreading.
- Timeline and budget: target date, period to avoid (spring peak), budget range.
This is not legal advice: have your statements reviewed by your adviser or agency executive officer.
How does a precise brief change the quotes?
| Item | Vague brief | Precise brief |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | A sleek, luxury-style site | 11 templates listed, 5 neighborhood pages |
| Listings | Show our properties | Manual entry at launch, Centris feed as a separate line |
| Languages | Bilingual if possible | French and English at launch, native proofreading |
| Content | Not specified | Copy supplied by the agency, edited by the provider |
| Data | Not specified | Minimal forms, Law 25 policy, newsletter consent |
| Quotes received (Montreal agencies, 2026 ballpark) | CAD 8,000 to 45,000, about USD 5,800 to 33,000 | CAD 15,000 to 28,000, about USD 11,000 to 20,500 |
| Spread between lowest and highest quote | About 5.5 times | About 1.9 times |
A vague brief does not lower prices: it lets each agency make its own assumptions, and so changes what you are actually buying.
How do you compare three quotes with a scoring grid?
Score each quote from 1 to 5 per criterion, multiply by the weight, then add up.
| Criterion | Weight | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage of the requirements | 30% | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| SEO migration and redirects | 20% | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Domain and hosting in the agency's name | 10% | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Delivery time | 15% | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Three-year total cost | 25% | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Weighted score out of 5 | 100% | 3.25 | 3.20 | 4.15 |
Quote C: 5 x 0.30 + 4 x 0.20 + 5 x 0.10 + 4 x 0.15 + 3 x 0.25 = 1.50 + 0.80 + 0.50 + 0.60 + 0.75 = 4.15.
How does the Kolonell grid map to the checklist?
| Checklist item | Starter USD 2,900 | Growth USD 4,900 | Premium USD 8,900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages and templates | Focused site | Properties, neighborhoods, team, journal | Full structure, advanced animation |
| Languages | One language | One language | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| Property pages | Manual entry | Manual entry, filters | Manual entry, advanced filters |
| Centris feed, CRM, booking | On quote | On quote | On quote |
| WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility | Target included | Target included | Target included |
| Domain and hosting in your name | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Support | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in Eastern time, native English or French copywriting and delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. Kolonell built the site of Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), a real estate agency in Dubai. Details are on the international offer page.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Mathilde, managing broker at Maison Vigneault Real Estate, a fictional six-broker agency in Westmount. She spends about 6 hours writing her requirements, then picks Premium at USD 8,900 for French and English. She adds an independent real estate photographer for 8 featured properties at CAD 250 each, a third-party cost of CAD 2,000, about USD 1,460. Total: about USD 10,360, excluding the Centris feed priced on quote, against the USD 11,000 to 20,500 range she got locally with the same brief. Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months: on quote.
FAQ
How long does it take to write the requirements?
Plan on 4 to 8 hours for an agency with fewer than 10 brokers. That time often prevents a 5-fold spread between quotes.
Is the Centris feed included in the Kolonell tiers?
No, it stays a separate line on quote in all 3 tiers, because access depends on your broker agreements. Listings can be entered manually at launch.
Does a Montreal site have to be in French?
French must be available under the Charter of the French language. For French and English, Premium at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.
What data can a contact form ask for?
Only what is necessary: name, email, phone and subject, usually 4 fields. Law 25 requires, among other things, a privacy policy and a designated person in charge.
How many quotes should I request?
Three quotes are usually enough for a reliable scoring grid. Beyond 5, the analysis time often outweighs the benefit.
Let's scope your project. Send your requirements and get a priced reply between USD 2,900 and 8,900, integrations listed separately, delivery 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.
