--- title: "Own your real estate website" description: "Check who controls your website address, files, edits, and inquiries. Plan what you can keep before changing your brokerage or website company." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/own-your-site" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Real estate - Real estate - [Real estate](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - Work - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Prepare your six-question brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prepare-your-six-question-brief) - Build - [Site build, content library with SEO, signal desk](https://scalewithsearch.com/work) - For your business - Trades and home services - [Auto body and collision shops](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/auto-body-and-collision-shops) - [Foundation and home repair contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/foundation-and-home-repair) - [Garage door and fencing contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/garage-door-and-fencing-contractors) - [HVAC contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/hvac-contractors) - 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[The Complete Guide to Leaving Vendor AI Memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles by cluster - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - For machines - [llms.txt](https://scalewithsearch.com/llms.txt) - [llms-full.txt](https://scalewithsearch.com/llms-full.txt) - [Machine view](https://scalewithsearch.com/?view=machine) - Company - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Company - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) # Own your real estate website: domain, hosting, editing, and leads Before paying for a website, ask what you can keep when your business changes. Think about your address, local pages, photographs, editing access, and incoming inquiries. Ask for a written answer for each item before approving the work. Judge a brokerage page or website platform by those answers. Check its exit terms alongside its design and monthly charge. If the page stays behind when you leave, plan a separate home for your business. Keep any useful brokerage tools while defining what your own website must control. Choose an owned website when you need an address and content you can retain. Plan around your next brokerage move or change of website company. Ask whether you could keep your address, update your biography, and receive inquiries. Require those permissions in writing before committing more work to the site. Treat ownership as a practical handoff requirement. Ask who holds each account, who can change it, and what you can export. Then test those answers before accepting a new website. Start with the address people use to find you. ## Control the domain account and renewal A domain name gives your website a readable address. Registration grants a renewable right to use that name, rather than permanent ownership. Read [MDN's domain guide](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Howto/Web_mechanics/What_is_a_domain_name). For this decision, treat domain ownership as control over registration and renewal. Put the registration account under your business's control. Use an account recovery address you expect to retain after a brokerage change. Check the named account holder, renewal date, billing method, and recovery options. Store those details where your business can retrieve them. Ask your website company to show you the account access arrangement. Confirm who can approve changes and who receives renewal notices. Ask how another website company would take over technical work. Keep passwords out of project briefs and ordinary email threads. If your current page uses someone else's domain, ask about a separate address you control. If you already control your domain, include keeping it in the project scope. Do this before choosing a replacement design or announcing a new website. ## Define hosting access and the exit package Hosting supplies the web server that stores and delivers your website's files. MDN describes that role in its [web server guide](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Howto/Web_mechanics/What_is_a_web_server). Ask where your site runs and who controls its hosting account. Decide whether your business holds the account or receives hosting through the website company. For either arrangement, require a written handoff process. Name the files, access, and support included when you change companies. Ask for separate prices for building, hosting, maintenance, and future edits. Identify any outside subscriptions and the person responsible for renewing them. Write down what ends when a subscription stops. Set an agreed handoff period before anyone closes the old service. For a typical WordPress site, a complete restore needs files and the database. Its official [backup guide](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/backup/) explains why both matter. Request a dated backup and an agreed restoration check on a separate test site. For another website system, ask what its equivalent complete handoff includes. Require the next company to review that package before relying on it. Choose an arrangement you can understand, maintain, and leave. ## Get editing access that matches your daily work Decide which changes you want to make without commissioning another build. Include your biography, contact details, service area, local guides, and approved photographs. Ask the builder to demonstrate each agreed edit on a test copy. Make an edit yourself and check how you would undo it. WordPress assigns permissions through user roles. Its Editor role covers publishing and managing posts. Its Administrator role includes broader administration within a single site. The official [roles guide](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/roles-and-capabilities/) describes those differences. For any editing system, ask which permissions your login includes. Decide who can create accounts, change integrations, and approve public content. Separate everyday editing access from the access needed for a complete handoff. Include both requirements in your scope if your business needs both. Ask for a short guide covering the changes you expect to make. Have the builder use your actual page types during the walkthrough. Include a local guide, contact page, and biography where relevant. Agree who handles changes beyond your editing permissions. Before accepting the site, confirm you can perform the agreed tasks. ## Check what a content export contains Ask for a sample export before choosing a website platform. Open it and identify the pages, text, images, and settings you expect to retain. Have your prospective builder explain what they could reuse. Ask them to identify anything they would need to recreate. WordPress's content export includes posts, pages, and other listed content in an XML file. That file can be imported into another WordPress site. See the official [export instructions](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/tools-export-screen/). Treat that content export separately from the complete backup described above. Make your required handoff explicit before signing. Ask for editable text, permitted image files, and an inventory of existing page addresses. Include design and code files where the agreement grants you access. Ask which paid components require separate accounts or continued subscriptions. Keep a copy of your approved material outside the editing account. Write down any restrictions supplied with photography, templates, or listing tools. Before moving, confirm what you have permission to reuse. Resolve gaps while you can still reach the current company. ## Follow an inquiry from submission to receipt Specify where each website form should deliver its inquiries. Name the receiving inbox or contact system and the person responsible for responding. Include that destination in the website scope. Arrange a test using agreed sample details, rather than private client information. Submit the form from a phone and a desktop computer. Confirm arrival in the intended destination after each submission. Check the reply address and the fields the recipient receives. Include the result in your acceptance record. If you use a contact system, check its export permissions and contents separately. For example, HubSpot requires Export permission for its standard contact export. That export contains property values and associations. Its guidance treats activities, such as notes, as a separate export task. See HubSpot's official [export documentation](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/import-and-export/export-records). Ask which contact details and histories your own system can export. Request a sample using test data and inspect it. Decide who has access and how you will retain permitted information. Confirm any brokerage requirements before moving real contact data. Require the receiving system to be checked before ending the old arrangement. - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) ## Plan the move before ending the old website Make a list of the pages you want to keep. Include local guides, service pages, your biography, and the contact page. For each existing address, choose a destination or a deliberate retirement. Give that list to the person handling the move. If page addresses change, include permanent redirects from retained pages to their new equivalents. Google recommends an address mapping and redirects for a website move. Search positions can fluctuate while Google recrawls and reindexes the moved pages. Read Google's [website move guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes). Ask the builder to verify those redirects and the links within your pages. Repeat the inquiry tests on the replacement site. Check the contact details, brokerage identification, photographs, and listing tools before approval. Resolve any required permissions with the appropriate brokerage or service company. Agree on the conditions for switching and retiring the previous website. Keep the domain, hosting, content, and inquiry decisions together in that plan. Assign someone to check the site after the switch. Ask for the completed checks before closing the project. - [How MLS listings appear on your website, and what search can miss.](/articles/idx-mls) ## Compare the ownership answers before choosing a build Use this checklist with your brokerage, current website company, or prospective builder. Ask for evidence against each row before making your decision. | Area | Evidence to request | | --- | --- | | Domain | Account holder, recovery access, renewal responsibility, and permission to change the website destination. | | Hosting | Named account, maintenance responsibility, costs, complete backup, and an agreed handoff process. | | Editing | Your permissions, demonstrated edits, instructions, and a named person for wider changes. | | Content | A sample export, reusable files, permission restrictions, and an inventory of page addresses. | | Inquiries | Destination, delivery checks, export access, and a tested sample of retained contact information. | Mark any unanswered item as unresolved. Ask the responsible company to explain the gap in writing. Commission a build around the ownership and website problems you need to solve. - [Check your real estate website in 30 minutes](/articles/real-estate-website-audit) - [Who builds websites for real estate agents.](/articles/who-builds-websites-for-real-estate-agents) ## Bring your website and ownership gaps Open the [real estate website page](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate). Use its brief instructions to prepare your current website, market, and requested changes. Include the accounts you control and the ownership questions still unanswered. Name the person who can approve the website and public wording. Keep private contact histories out of the initial brief. Ask for a written website scope covering the pages, inquiry path, and handoff you need. Bring the checklist so each requirement has an acceptance check. ## Related: Real estate - [Check your real estate website in 30 minutes](/articles/real-estate-website-audit) - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) - [How MLS listings appear on your website, and what search can miss.](/articles/idx-mls) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. Scale With Search 2026 [scalewithsearch.com](https://scalewithsearch.com) ```