The verdict in three sentences
For a developer selling 280 units a year, the website is no longer a brochure: it is the main sales tool, provided it shows a live unit availability grid synced with the sales management software. Budget USD 22,000 to 41,000 (about 20,000 to 38,000 EUR) and 10 weeks for a custom site with 3D plans and sales-office booking. The payback is fast: a direct contact costs USD 22 to 43 versus USD 65 to 130 on portals, so cost per lead drops by a factor of 3.
What the website must do to sell units
A buyer of a pre-construction condo in Miami compares three or four projects in Brickell, Edgewater or Coconut Grove before calling. They want to know right away what is still available, at what price, on which floor and with which view. A site that says "contact us for pricing" loses that visitor to the portal that shows an up-to-date list.
The essential building blocks in 2026:
- Project page: location, construction progress, delivery date, amenities, deposit schedule, HOA estimates.
- Unit grid filterable by type (1 to 4 bedrooms), floor, size, price and status (available, on hold, reserved, sold), synced every 15 minutes or in real time through an API.
- Downloadable 2D plans in exchange for an email, 3D tour or interactive model for flagship projects.
- Appointment booking at the sales gallery or by video call, connected to the sales team's calendars.
- Financing calculator (monthly payment, deposit schedule, foreign buyer scenarios).
- Lead tracking pushed directly into the CRM or sales software, with the visit source.
2026 budget by website level
| Item | Essential site | Complete site | Premium site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design (6 projects) | USD 5,500 | USD 8,700 | USD 12,000 |
| Project pages and CMS | USD 3,800 | USD 5,400 | USD 7,000 |
| Unit grid | Weekly CSV import, USD 2,700 | Real-time API, USD 6,500 | API + interactive site map, USD 9,200 |
| 3D plans and tours | Supplied visuals, USD 1,600 | 3D tours on 2 projects, USD 3,800 | Interactive 3D model, USD 6,500 |
| Booking and CRM | USD 2,200 | USD 3,300 | USD 3,800 |
| Local SEO and performance | USD 1,600 | USD 2,700 | USD 2,700 |
| Indicative total | USD 17,400 | USD 30,400 | USD 41,200 |
Most developers of this size land between USD 22,000 and 41,000. The item that swings the budget is synchronization: a manual import is cheap but shows units already sold, which triggers frustrated calls and a loss of trust.
Portals or direct site: the cost-per-contact math
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | New-home listing portals | Developer website |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | USD 65 to 130 | USD 22 to 43 (SEO + Ads) |
| Lead exclusivity | Often shared with competing projects | Exclusive |
| Lead to reservation conversion | 2 to 3% | 4 to 6% |
| Time to publish a new unit | 24 to 72 h | Instant via API |
| Visitor journey data | Limited | Full (units viewed, plans downloaded) |
| Annual fixed cost | Subscription USD 6,500 to 16,000 | Maintenance USD 2,600 to 5,200 |
The website does not replace portals overnight. The winning strategy is to grow the share of direct leads from 15% to 50% within 12 months, through local SEO ("new condos Brickell 2 bedroom", "pre-construction Edgewater") and Google Ads campaigns that point to the project page rather than to a portal.
10-week schedule
| Weeks | Deliverable |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Scoping, sitemap, API access to the sales software |
| 3 to 4 | Mockups of the project page and unit grid |
| 5 to 7 | Development, unit connector, appointment booking |
| 8 | Loading the 6 projects, plans and 3D visuals |
| 9 | Testing, sales team acceptance, mobile performance |
| 10 | Go-live, conversion tracking, team training |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Claire, sales director at a Miami developer, buys 1,200 leads a year on portals at USD 92 on average, or USD 110,400. After launching a complete site at USD 30,400, 45% of leads come in directly after one year, at USD 32 per contact. She now buys only 660 portal leads (USD 60,700) and gets 540 direct leads (USD 17,300). Total: USD 78,000, a saving of USD 32,400 in year one, which pays for the site. With a higher conversion rate on direct leads (5% versus 2.5%), she also gains about 13 additional reservations.
FAQ
Can the website connect to our sales management software?
Yes, most market tools expose an API or an automated export. A real-time connection costs USD 4,300 to 6,500 in development and prevents showing units already reserved.
One website per project or a single site?
A single site with one page per project concentrates SEO authority and costs 30 to 40% less than 6 micro-sites. Micro-sites remain useful for a tower of more than 150 units with a dedicated campaign.
Are 3D tours worth the investment?
On premium projects, visitors who view a 3D tour request an appointment twice as often. Budget USD 1,600 to 3,300 per project if the developer already has the 3D models.
How much does maintenance cost?
Between USD 220 and 430 per month for hosting, updates, adding new projects and monitoring the unit connector.
How quickly does the site generate direct leads?
With Google Ads, from the first week. Local organic search produces significant results between month 4 and month 8.
Let's scope your project. Send us your project list and the name of your sales software: we will price a site between USD 22,000 and 41,000, delivered in 10 weeks. 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.
