Problem

Process

Solution

Impact

Bringing an Old-School Realtor into the Digital Age

Role

Product Designer

Client

Hector, Real Estate Agent in South Florida

Skills

Responsive Web Design · End-to-End · User Interviews · Persona Development · Affinity Mapping · Wireframing · Usability Testing · Prototyping · Figma

Duration

4 Weeks

Team

Design Manager

Outcome

Users shifted from "I'm not ready to contact him" to "If he's sold in my area, that changes everything" after seeing proof before being asked to reach out

Prototype:

Desktop

SUMMARY

Hector (the Client), a South Florida real estate agent, built his successful career entirely through in-person connections. His methods worked, but anyone searching online couldn't find him because he didn't exist. The challange was translating what made Hector successful in person, into a digital experience. I designed a website that mirrored his real-world approach (proof, process, personality before contact) and validated it through three rounds of testing. The result: people online could now experience the same trust-building, and Hector saw digital as untapped value rather than unnecessary overhead.

PROBLEM

How can a website deliver the same trust and connection as Hector's face-to-face client relationships?

PROCESS

From User Insights to Tested Prototype Through Three Rounds of Iteration

The design challenge wasn't about flashy features or modern templates. It was about translation: capturing what makes Hector successful face-to-face (his warmth, credibility, personal connection) and recreating that experience online. Rather than push users toward contact forms immediately, I needed to design a digital version of the trust-building Hector does naturally in person.

Research

People Wanted Proof Before They'd Even Consider Reaching Out

Through 5 interviews with Hector's past clients and other homeowners, I found trust through credibility and reliability had to come first. Sellers and buyers alike wanted to see proof before they even thought about reaching out: who Hector was, how he worked, testimonials from real people, and most importantly, homes he had actually sold in their neighborhood.

"I have to be 100% comfortable with my realtor, otherwise I'm going to regret hiring them and I definitely don't want that."

-Dwight, moved from Boston, MA to Miami, FL

Affinity Map of people who have bought or sold a home

Common Pain Points

Trust must exist before commitment

Overwhelming process with high-stakes consequences

Needs to confirm realtors neighborhood expertise

Hypothesis

If Users See Credibility First, They'll Build Trust Organically

Method

Translating Insights Into Design Opportunities

Rather than jump straight into wireframes, I took time to understand where user needs and business needs overlapped.

The center overlap revealed shared priorities: building trust quickly, ensuring smooth transactions, and valuing human relationships over automated systems.

After that, I created user flows to understand how people would interact with the site. These flows helped me identify where trust-building moments needed to happen and where users might drop off if proof came too late.

Affinity Map of people who have bought or sold a home

Working within a critical constraint:

Hector (the client) was unwilling to pay for the MLS (Mulitple Listing Service) integration, MLS is a service that allows users to search any home on the market, regardless of which realtor represented it. This meant I couldn't offer a full home search feature like most real estate sites (Zillow, Realtor.com etc)

Testing

Three Rounds Of Iteration With 5 Home Owners

What users revealed:

It wasn't the need to look at houses in general that built confidence. It was knowing who Hector was, learning about his experience, and seeing houses he represented in the area that people were interested in.

What I changed: I reframed the hero CTA to "Ready to Buy" or "Ready to Sell" for existing clients, rewrote the About section in Hector's voice to highlight his experience, turned the buyer/seller journey into his actual process, and added filters, prices, and context to the Sold Homes section.

Except, The Design Still Wasn't Building Enough Connection

Participants wanted testimonials moved higher on the page (trust first, listings later).
The map confused users when it mixed sold and available homes.
Dwight summed it up: "Am I looking at houses for sale in general, or what he specifically sold?"

SOLUTION

Credibility Front and Center, Contact When Ready

Based on what testing revealed, I refined the design with three focused changes:

Testimonials at the top: Multiple testimonials displayed together so users could find stories that felt like theirs

Clear process explanation: Hector's real approach laid out in his actual steps, structured and calm
Split map views: "Represented Buyers" and "Represented Sellers" with filters for city, price, and property type (no confusion about what was for sale vs. what he'd sold)
About section in his voice: Written to reflect his decades of experience and personal approach
Hero CTA reframed: "Ready to Buy" or "Ready to Sell" for people already in his network, not a generic "Contact Me"
Responsive design: Optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile to reach users however they search

Turning the MLS constraint into a strategic advantage:

Without MLS integration, I couldn't show all homes on the market. Instead, I focused exclusively on Hectors inventory: homes he currently represented and homes he'd successfully sold. Rather than positioning him as a generic search portal, the site positioned him as a proven agent with a demonstrated history in their neighborhood. Testing confirmed this approach actually built more trust than a generic listing search would have.