Miklaborg website relaunch with Drupal 9

Who is Miklaborg?

Miklaborg is a leading real estate agency in Iceland that has been operating since 2007 and currently employs a team of approximately 30 professionals. In recognition of its exceptional performance, Miklaborg was awarded the "Outstanding Company" designation by Creditinfo in 2015, and has consistently maintained this distinction since then.

Miklaborg's website plays a critical role in the company's business model, serving as a primary platform for potential buyers to access extensive information about properties for sale and communicate with real estate agents directly. To provide a seamless user experience and ensure up-to-date information, the website retrieves the majority of its data from Miklaborg's proprietary real estate management system, Homemaker, which was also developed and is maintained by 1xINTERNET.

What were the main the goals of the project?

The main objective of the project was to enhance Miklaborg's website, which was in need of improvement. The aim was to create a visually appealing, user-friendly platform that would allow editors to manage content effortlessly and visitors to navigate with ease. A critical aspect of this project highlighted by Miklaborg, was to enhance the images in property listings as they play an important role in property listings.

To help Miklaborg achieve their goals, we implemented a new CMS system that enabled editors to produce landing pages, an essential aspect of marketing campaigns. The primary objective was to increase traffic to the website and generate leads, which would ultimately support Miklaborg's continued growth and success in the competitive real estate market.

How did 1xINTERNET help Miklaborg upgrade their web presence?

The new Miklaborg website was developed with the latest version of Drupal 9, and our 1xDXP solution formed the foundation for this upgrade. To facilitate content creation and management, we implemented our user-friendly 1xCMS system, which allows website editors to create landing pages, contact forms, and other content with ease.

As a real estate agency, Miklaborg relies on its real estate management system, Homemaker, which was developed by 1xINTERNET. Homemaker serves as a central database for all property listings and provides data for the Miklaborg website. By integrating with Homemaker APIs, the website can retrieve data from the system and display it on the site through a lightweight React application. As a result, any property listed in Homemaker automatically appears on the Miklaborg website and other third-party real estate platforms. This seamless integration enhances Miklaborg's online presence and reinforces its position as a leading player in the Icelandic real estate market.

The 1x design team created a visually attractive and modern design for Miklaborg, with a primary focus on showcasing property images on each individual property listing page. Users can easily contact the real estate agents directly from the property page, and a "wishlist" function allows prospective buyers to save their preferred properties for easy access on future visits to the website.

The improvement of the property search function in the  property overview (Söluskrá) was a key requirement for the project. Our team implemented ElasticSearch to create a robust search engine with various filters to simplify the user experience. The search is both fast and responsive, enhancing the overall functionality of the website.

Our collaboration with Miklaborg is ongoing, and we are currently working on Homemaker 2.0, an enhanced version of their real estate management system. We have also provided assistance with content creation for the website and integration with Google Analytics to optimise their marketing campaigns. Our continued partnership with Miklaborg underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions and support to our clients.

Main features of the project

Powerful Search Engine
Implementation of ElasticSearch resulted in a highly efficient, fast and powerful search engine. With the use of filters, visitors can effortlessly browse through the property listings available on the website. Filters such as area, property type, number of rooms, price and size, allow for a streamlined search experience.

Modern UX design
The 1x design team created a modern and visually appealing website that focuses on showcasing the properties through the use of high-quality images. The website is user-friendly, enabling visitors to contact estate agents easily and access information about the properties for sale. Editors can create landing pages, which are crucial for marketing campaigns, increasing traffic to the site and generating leads.

API Integrations
The integration of Homemaker's APIs is a standout feature of the new website. Editors no longer need to manually input property listing information as it is directly retrieved from the real estate management system and displayed via a lightweight React application. This integration not only saves time and effort but also ensures that property listings are accurate and up-to-date.