HA Real Estate, Website Revamp
HA Real Estate is a Toronto-based property platform. I conducted a full website revamp to improve usability, visual consistency, and the overall user journey. The goal was to modernize the interface, clarify property listings, and create a more intuitive experience for home seekers. An expansive filtering system was designed and introduced to simplify property searches and enhance discoverability.
Client
HA REal Estate
tools
Figma, Adobe XD, Maze, Google Forms
Timeline
6 months
Role
UX/UI designer
The Problem
The original website presented users with a cluttered layout, inconsistent branding, and limited search functionality.
Users struggled to find properties relevant to their needs. The website also and lacked mobile responsiveness, resulting in high bounce rates.
Before Redesign:
After Redesign:
Design Challenges
Through an initial audit and internal discovery, I uncovered several usability and accessibility challenges on HA Real Estate’s platform that hindered user trust, clarity, and decision-making.
Business Goals
These goals were evaluated through user feedback, click-through tracking, and comparison of lead generation before and after the redesign.
User Research
I began the user research phase by defining key questions to guide our understanding of user pain points and needs throughout the property buying and renting journey. These initial questions helped frame my discovery process and helped with my design decisions.
To better understand user needs and frustrations in the real estate experience, I conducted qualitative research through exploratory interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders, including:
Potential and current homeowners
Tenants
Investors and sellers
Real estate agents
Interview insights:
Users want powerful filtering tools to narrow down results quickly
Many feel frustrated by the overload of options with poor descriptions and confusing layouts
Users seek emotional reassurance and clarity at key decision points
Current listings lacked trust-building signals (clear agent info, contact flow, or verified tags)
Information Architecture Redesign
To improve user flow and findability, I restructured the website’s information architecture based on user research. The previous layout lacked clarity and didn’t support different user goals (buying, selling, renting). I reorganized content into intuitive categories, prioritizing key actions like “Property Search” and “List Your Property,” while grouping support content logically. The new IA enables purposeful navigation, easier access to relevant content, and a smoother user experience.
Final Designs & Outcome
Design Goals Achieved:
The redesigned interface for HA Real Estate focuses on enhancing user clarity, emotional support, and search personalization.
Advanced Filtering System
A key addition in the final design was the introduction of an expansive and user-friendly filtering system that empowers users to personalize their property search based on lifestyle needs and priorities, such as proximity to schools, grocery stores, parks, cafés, gyms, transit options, and more.
Final Designs & Outcome
Design Decisions:
Visual Simplicity: Each filter is represented by a clean icon and label, providing scannability and immediate comprehension.
Pinned Filters: Commonly used filters (e.g., schools, public transit) are “pinned” to the top for quick access, reducing cognitive load.
Lifestyle Tags: Icons like “Pet-Friendly” or “Cycling-Friendly” go beyond generic property filters, tapping into emotional and practical needs.
Neighborhood Intelligence: By integrating filters tied to local amenities and community makeup, the system supports decision-making at both functional and emotional levels.
Outcome & Impact
1. Improved Property Discovery Experience
The introduction of the advanced filtering system drastically improved the ability for users to tailor searches based on lifestyle needs (e.g., school proximity, transit, pet-friendliness). This helped reduce time spent browsing irrelevant listings and increased the feeling of control and personalization during the home search journey.
Before: Users struggled to locate relevant properties and lacked filters for nuanced needs.
After: Enhanced filters and visual indicators allowed users to discover homes aligned with their lifestyle and values.
2. Increased Clarity and Trust in the Process
Redesigned property pages now included transparent information such as price history, area safety, neighborhood demographics, and virtual tours. These additions empowered users to make better-informed decisions and reduced the need to seek information from multiple external sources.
"I had to search school information elsewhere" → Solved through embedded local map filters.
"I wish agents were more proactive" → Addressed with clearer agent profiles and easier contact mechanisms.
3. More Human-Centered UI
The overall aesthetic was refined to be modern, calm, and emotionally supportive, recognizing that buying or selling a home is a major life decision. Thoughtful use of whitespace, soft neutral colors, accessible icons, and structured layout led to a more enjoyable and emotionally balanced experience.
Metrics & Feedback
Since the design is a concept and solo project, direct analytics were not available. However, through usability feedback sessions and peer reviews:
Participants noted ease of navigation, greater sense of clarity, and emotional connection with the interface.
Users appreciated the “Explore the neighborhood” section as a valuable tool for assessing life beyond the property itself.
The design system introduced during this project improved design consistency and could significantly reduce development time when implemented.
