With over 800 locations and annual revenue of nearly $780 million, Engel & Völkers is a titan of the high-end real estate market. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, homebuyers turn to Engel & Völkers for a truly premium experience, not to mention a dazzling catalog of homes, apartments, and properties from Midtown to Monaco.
When Engel & Völkers engaged BFM, the company needed to refresh their New York website to reflect the luxe lifestyle and culture of their clientele. What’s more, the website would have to showcase Engel & Völkers’ services, distinguishing the company in one of the world’s most desirable — and competitive — real estate markets.
There are few real estate markets tougher than New York’s, and not even Engel & Völkers can coast on size and reputation. Potential clients would have their pick of real estate partners – and unrelentingly high expectations. We were tasked with providing a consistently superior onsite experience, and ensuring it looked beautiful every step of the way.
In a swift 3.5 month project cycle, the BFM team isolated the defining aspects of the Engel & Völkers brand, led a holistic design initiative, and mapped out a more user-friendly website that was as enjoyable to browse as it was to look at. Throughout the project, we kept an open dialogue with the Engel & Völkers team, encouraging creative collaboration every step of the way.
increase in time onsite
increase in overall users
Mindful Design
After a comprehensive audit of the old Engel & Völkers website, our designers pinpointed a few key design hang-ups: confusing layouts, lack of imagery, tiny text, and crowded content.
Leveraging these findings, we designed a website that showcased beautiful properties, made listings easier to navigate, and put essential website features front-and center.
Built to Perform
We’re always thinking about the user, and this site was no exception. After a strategic phase to establish user personas and pathways, our information architects mapped out a website that ensured customers had clear pathways to meet their needs, and was easy to use across all devices.
Content that Engages
Engels & Völkers wasn’t just selling real estate – they were enabling a lifestyle. Our content team took this notion to heart, crafting cohesive messaging that motivated users to reach out not just for a new home, but for a whole new way of living.
As messaging turned new users into brand loyalists, the BFM team populated a new, dedicated resource center, putting informative pieces of thought leadership at arm’s reach and bolstering Engel & Völkers’ reputation as a global real estate authority.
Systems for Success
We set up a custom content management system that met Engel & Völkers’ unique needs. Our team mapped out each field of a custom OLR system, creating three user permission levels that gave certain team members advanced content privileges, including permission to overwrite certain fields, update specific properties, and edit onsite content.
Results
After the launch of their refreshed New York website, Engel & Völkers saw a 50 percent increase in the average time users spent on their site. This, along with a reduced bounce rate, indicated users were engaging more than they ever had before. And with a 33 percent increase in new users as well, the Engel & Völkers team had more opportunities to win new clients and grow the business.
