The verdict in three sentences
For a luxury property developer in Frankfurt, a dated website quietly costs credibility with the people who sign: private buyers, family offices, relocating executives and the brokers who shortlist projects for them. A redesign at Kolonell is a fixed price, 4,500 EUR (Growth) or 8,200 EUR (Premium, the multilingual tier for German and English), against roughly 15,000 to 60,000 EUR at Frankfurt agencies for comparable scope. The real risks are elsewhere: lost search visibility, sloppy content migration and unchecked marketing claims, and each of these is manageable with a plan.
Is your current site costing you buyers?
A developer's site is often the first serious document a buyer or broker reads after a listing or an introduction. In the Westend, Sachsenhausen or along the Main riverfront, the people comparing your project against two others will notice:
- renderings that are not labelled as artist's impressions, or that look nothing like the finished building;
- floor plans available only on request, or as heavy PDFs that will not open on a phone;
- an availability list last updated months ago;
- an English version that is a machine translation of the German, or missing altogether;
- an enquiry form that sends data to a generic inbox with no reply within a working day;
- a track record page with vague claims and no completed projects shown.
None of these are fatal on their own. Together they tell a buyer committing seven figures that the developer does not pay attention to detail, which is the one thing they are buying.
What does a redesign cost in Frankfurt?
| Option | Typical budget, 2026 ballpark | Timeline | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance designer and developer | 4,000 to 12,000 EUR | 6 to 12 weeks | Template-based site, limited copywriting, single point of failure |
| Frankfurt mid-size agency | 15,000 to 40,000 EUR | 3 to 5 months | Custom design, workshops, German copy, English often extra |
| Brand or real estate marketing agency | 40,000 to 120,000 EUR | 4 to 8 months | Full campaign identity, film, project microsites |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,700 EUR | 3 to 4 weeks | Focused site for a single project or a small developer |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,500 EUR | 3 to 4 weeks | Full developer site: projects, track record, enquiry flow |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,200 EUR | 4 to 6 weeks | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote, richer project pages |
Local ranges come from typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages in the Rhine-Main region; treat them as orders of magnitude. Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, and 3 months of support. Gated areas (a private investor or buyer portal), CRM integrations and custom tools are on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 included months. German copy, if you want it written natively rather than adapted, is scoped in the quote. See the international offer for the detail of each tier.
Risks of a redesign, and how to contain them
| Risk | What goes wrong | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Lost Google visibility | Old project URLs vanish, rankings drop for "Neubau Westend" type searches | Full URL inventory, 301 redirect map, Search Console checked before and after launch |
| Content migration | Floor plans, specifications and images lost or mismatched | Content audit by project, one owner on your side signing off each page |
| Marketing claims | Renderings presented as photos, availability or completion dates overstated | Compliance review of every claim and label before go-live |
| Data protection | Enquiry forms collecting more than needed, unclear consent | Minimal forms, privacy notice reviewed by your counsel |
| Legal notice | Missing or incomplete Impressum | Impressum page checked against current requirements |
| Downtime | Site offline during switch-over in a sales phase | Staging site, switch scheduled outside launch events, rollback plan |
In Germany, the GDPR applies alongside the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), and supervision sits with the state data protection authorities, in Hesse the state commissioner. Commercial websites must carry an Impressum under the Digital Services Act (DDG). Property advertising is also subject to general consumer protection and fair competition rules on misleading claims, particularly for off-plan sales. This is not legal advice: have your lawyer review your legal pages and marketing statements before launch.
Timeline at Kolonell: 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, counted from the moment content (approved renderings, plans, project descriptions) is ready. Content readiness is usually the longest phase, so start collecting it now.
When a local agency is the better choice
Be honest about this. If you need in-person workshops in Frankfurt every week, a full campaign identity with film shoots, hoarding signage and brochures produced by the same team, or a site that must be written natively in German by someone who also handles your press relations, a Frankfurt agency is likely the better fit. Kolonell is the right fit when you want a credible, fast, well-written site at a fixed price, with integrations scoped separately. We built the site of Orven Properties, a real estate company in Dubai, on this model.
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Questions to ask any provider: who owns the domain and code at the end? How are 301 redirects handled? Who checks the labels on renderings? What happens after the support period, and at what cost?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Mainufer Residenz Partners, a developer with three completed buildings and one off-plan project of 24 apartments. A local agency quotes 32,000 EUR for a redesign over 4 months. The Kolonell Premium tier is 8,200 EUR over 4 to 6 weeks, plus an estimated 3,000 EUR for professional German copy and 2,500 EUR for new photography of completed projects, both third-party costs. Total: 8,200 + 3,000 + 2,500 = 13,700 EUR, i.e. 18,300 EUR less than the local quote. The developer decides to put part of the difference into a buyer portal, scoped on quote, rather than into a bigger brand campaign. The figures are illustrative.
FAQ
How long does a redesign take?
At Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, once content is ready. Frankfurt agencies typically plan 3 to 5 months for similar scope, 2026 ballpark.
Will we lose our Google rankings?
Any redesign carries that risk. A complete URL inventory, a 301 redirect map and checks in Search Console in the weeks after launch reduce it substantially, and no serious provider promises a ranking.
Can the site be in German and English?
Yes. Premium is the multilingual tier, and the languages are set in the quote. A Growth site can also be scoped with a second language on quote.
Can we show units and prices for an off-plan project?
Yes, provided the information is current and clearly framed: renderings labelled as artist's impressions, prices and availability dated. Your lawyer should review the wording, particularly for off-plan sales.
What does maintenance cost after the support period?
Three months of support are included. After that, maintenance is on quote; Frankfurt agencies commonly charge 150 to 600 EUR a month, which is a market assumption, not a Kolonell figure.
Let's scope your project. A Growth or Premium redesign for your projects, German and English as set in the quote, live in 3 to 6 weeks once content is ready. 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.
