Project details
Client: Property search agency
Region: DACH
Industry: Real Estate Consulting
This real estate services agency helps individuals and families find rental homes, vacation properties, and purchase-ready residences across major European cities. Their team assists with everything from local market insights to trusted agent matching. Known for tailored support and cross-border property guidance, the agency serves both first-time renters and international buyers with a focus on trust, speed, and user comfort.
Services Provided:
Search intent SEO strategy and city-specific “money page” rollout
Technical website overhaul and funnel redesign
Long-form neighborhood and property market content
Referral program design, automation, and rollout
PPC campaign setup synced with organic peaks
Tracking, reporting, and iterative performance tuning
Solutions Implemented
Website Development
We build fast and user-friendly websites by carefully planning the tech stack, architecture, organic growth strategy and profitability
Marketplace SEO Services
SEO built to scale listings, categories, and location-based pages while controlling crawl efficiency and duplicate URLs.
Lead Generation Systems
We build automated lead generative systems that target and engage potential customers, streamline prospecting, and optimize conversion rates
Referral Programs
We set up and advertise a referral campaign that makes active customers your brand advocates.
134% More Bookings and 183% SEO Growth for a Property Search Agency
- Last time updated: 30th of January, 2026
In this case study, you’ll learn how aboveA helped a fast-growing property search agency revamp its SEO, streamline user experience, and launch a referral initiative. The result? An influx of qualified inquiries and a referral engine that sustained momentum. If you’re struggling to reach property seekers efficiently and scale word-of-mouth, this playbook will show you how.
The Challenge
The agency offered personalized property search services – helping users find rentals, purchase-ready homes, and vacation properties, but struggled to gain organic traction and reliable client inquiries:
Website SEO wasn’t ranking for city-specific searches like “buy 2-bedroom flat in Berlin”
Paid ads felt like ongoing costs without clear ROI
Most inquiries came from third-party platforms—direct acquisition was stagnant
No referral incentives, despite strong satisfaction among early clients
The agency needed a self-sustaining acquisition system driven by SEO, UX clarity, and peer recommendations.
Our Strategy
To address both acquisition and retention gaps, we pursued a unified strategy centered on visibility, conversion, and referral.
1. SEO-Driven Web Audits & Rebuild
To grow visibility where it mattered most, we focused on building SEO pages that mapped directly to high-intent property search behavior.
Conducted a full SEO audit, identifying thin content and low-performing service pages
Prioritized creation of “money pages” that aligned with high-converting search intents like “apartments for rent in Limburg” or “buy a house near Ultrecht”
Built 60+ landing pages and sorting pages for top-converting property types and cities, based on search volume and user behavior
Implemented technical fixes – sitemap improvements, structured data, fast mobile loads
2. Website Funnel Optimization
A smoother, trust-filled user journey was crucial for converting new traffic into genuine inquiries.
Redesigned filters (budget, location, amenities) with clear CTAs
Added trust signals: verified agent ratings, client testimonials
Streamlined contact forms and property inquiry journeys
3. Launch Referral Program
With high user satisfaction, we introduced a referral mechanism to scale trust through word of mouth.
Designed a two-sided incentive: €50 credit for both referrer and referee
Embedded referral banners on dashboard, confirmation emails, and post-appointment pages
Automated tracking and payouts through referral link management
4. Performance Marketing Integration
Organic growth required a short-term boost, so we selectively utilized PPC during periods of high demand.
Paired SEO content with short-term PPC campaigns during seasonal demand peaks (e.g., “relocate to Munich”)
Measured ROI by comparing organic vs paid inquiries and adjusted the budget accordingly
Results After 5 Months
Within under six months, the agency transitioned from a low-visibility to a high-growth operation, combining organic reach with community-powered referrals.
Customer Acquisition & SEO Growth
| Metric | Before | After 4 Months | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Monthly Sessions | ~1,200 | 3,400 | +183% |
| City-Page Rankings (Top 5) | 5 | 28 | +460% |
| Inquiry Conversion Rate | 1.8% | 2.9% | +61% |
Customer Acquisition & SEO Growth
These numbers tell a clear story: the referral program didn’t just add a new acquisition channel; it brought in qualified leads at a lower cost. With 11.5% of inquiries coming from referrals, the program quickly became one of the most efficient acquisition drivers.
Furthermore, a 19% adoption rate within two weeks indicates high user engagement and trust. Even better, referred customers had higher transaction values (+9.4%), proving that peer-recommended users are more likely to convert and spend more.
11.5% of total inquiries now come from referrals
Referral program adoption rate: 19% of users shared within 2 weeks of using the service
Average transaction value from referred users rose from €530 to €580 (+9.4%)
Overall Growth Snapshot
This growth snapshot highlights the compounding value of a multi-channel acquisition engine. By pairing organic traffic boosts with conversion improvements and referral momentum, the agency built a sustainable pipeline that didn’t rely solely on ads.
Inquiries rose dramatically (+134%) – not just because of more traffic, but due to better content, stronger UX, and intentional funnel planning. Simultaneously, ad costs dropped by 12%, while lead quality remained steady, indicating improved marketing efficiency.
Client inquiries rose by 134%
Paid ad spend dropped 12%, while qualified leads held steady
Inquiry-to-referral cycle shortened – inquiries became repeatable and scalable
Why It Worked?
The combined strategy delivered visible, compounding results:
Search-intent-driven content attracted ready-to-act property seekers
Location-based and service-specific landing pages improved findability and funnel depth
Referral program turned happy users into active promoters
This cohesive effort shifted acquisition from paid dependency to organic momentum and network-driven growth.
Looking to grow your property agency’s inbound pipeline and referral network?
Project Heroes:
Nusta Berdzenishvili
Market Development Specialist
Austeja Norvaisaite
Strategic Relations Coordinator
Karina Kavaleuskaya
COO & Co-Founder
Amber Maritz
SEO Manager
Frequently Asked Questions for Real Estate SEO and Booking Growth
How do property search agencies rank for city-specific real estate keywords?
You build city and service “money pages” that match buyer intent, then support them with neighborhood guides and internal linking. Queries like apartments for rent in [city] or buy a house near [area] convert when pages are structured for action.
What are “money pages” in real estate SEO?
They are high-intent landing pages designed to generate inquiries. Examples include rental search services in Berlin, relocation help in Munich, or property consultant in Amsterdam, with clear CTAs and trust blocks.
How do you increase booking conversions on a real estate website?
Improve funnel clarity: filters, forms, and CTAs should reduce friction. Add trust signals like testimonials, agent ratings, and a clear process so visitors feel safe enough to submit an inquiry.
How does a referral program help a real estate consulting agency grow?
Referrals reduce acquisition cost and increase trust. A two-sided reward encourages sharing, and automated tracking makes it scalable. Referred users typically convert faster because social proof is already built in.
When should PPC be used for real estate lead generation?
Use PPC during seasonal demand peaks or when entering new cities. It works best when ads land on dedicated city pages, and when you track ROI by comparing paid inquiries versus organic conversions.
