Let’s face it, the digital age has revolutionized the commercial real estate industry.

Brokers, property managers and real estate recruiters now rely on websites as a primary source of business development.

And yes, many of these websites are hampered by poor user experience (UX) design, which can cause potential customers to abandon the site. To ensure a website is effective at gaining and retaining visitors and clients, commercial real estate professionals must address the common UX problems that plague their industry’s websites.

For starters, many commercial real estate websites lack an intuitive navigation system. So don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Without clear and straightforward navigation, users may become lost or frustrated and leave the site. To prevent visitors from abandoning their websites, brokers and other commercial real estate professionals should provide a clear path to the important information on their site. This includes providing a search function, prominently displaying navigation menus, and organizing content into easy-to-navigate categories.

I’ve also noticed another common UX problem that plagues commercial real estate websites is slow loading times. As most commercial real estate websites contain high-resolution images and videos, pages can take an excessive amount of time to load. To ensure visitors don’t give up in frustration, brokers and other professionals should ensure their hosting service is fast and reliable. Additionally, they should optimize the size of their images and videos to ensure pages load quickly.

Consider that many commercial real estate websites are hampered by outdated design. Outdated design can make a website look unprofessional and unappealing, which can cause visitors to leave. To ensure their website is attractive and modern, brokers and other professionals should regularly update their design with new features and styles. Additionally, they should ensure their website is mobile-friendly, as many visitors use mobile devices to browse commercial real estate websites.

These are just a few of the UX problems that plague commercial real estate websites. To ensure their website is effective at gaining and retaining visitors and clients, brokers and other professionals must take the time to address these common UX problems. By improving their website’s navigation, loading times, and design, commercial real estate professionals can ensure their website is effective at drawing in new business.