Hot Property portals look similar on the surface and differ a lot underneath. Before comparing scripts, answer three questions about your own plan.
1. How will visitors search?
Most visitors begin with a place, a price range and a type of property. A script should handle those smoothly and add a map view. Test the map with several hundred listings to see whether it stays fast, and check whether the geocoding service it uses has a usage fee.
2. Who posts the listings?
Choose between private owners, agents, agencies or all of them. Agents need profiles, multiple listings and lead notifications. Private owners need a very simple form. Some scripts do both well; many favour one side.
3. Who pays?
Typical models are paid listing packages, monthly subscriptions for agents, featured placements and advertising. Make sure the script supports the model you want without custom work, including invoices and expiry dates.
Features worth testing
- Saved searches with email alerts
- Photo upload limits and automatic resizing
- Contact forms that protect owners from spam
- Admin approval of new listings
- Multi-language and multi-currency support if you serve more than one market
Plan the content too
Neighbourhood guides and buying tips give a portal something to rank for besides listings, and they stay useful when listings expire.