Sotheby's International Realty New digital architecture for heritage property brand
When a brand carries nearly five decades of luxury real estate authority across 84 countries, the challenge lies not in establishing credibility but in ensuring digital experience matches physical reputation. Sotheby's International Realty approached Felix&Friends with precisely this understanding, seeking user experience design, new information architecture and a headless CMS development that would honour their position amongst the world's finest property brands whilst addressing the demands of contemporary luxury property markets and client discretion.
The initial website brief for Sotheby's International Realty UK partnership began with a launch across London.
The specifications and requirements of platform expanded into all of the United Kingdom. Further to the success of this launch, the Dubai and Spain websites were delivered by Felix&Friends, each different and requiring sophisticated property display capabilities and intuitive navigation frameworks.
Felix&Friends recognised that potential buyers of super-prime real estate engage digitally in specific patterns. They arrive with established wealth, often maintain residences across multiple continents, and expect technology to facilitate as well as impress.
Our information architecture prioritised immediate access to property details whilst maintaining the visual breathing room such listings deserve. When showcasing London townhouses, Dubai penthouses, or Mediterranean villas, each property required sufficient digital space to communicate character without overwhelming potential buyers with excessive categorisation or filtering mechanisms. The framework we developed allows Sotheby's International Realty teams across territories to present inventory effectively whilst maintaining brand consistency.
The headless CMS implementation proved particularly crucial.
Traditional content management systems often impose structural limitations that luxury brands find constraining. By decoupling content management from the presentation layer, Felix&Friends enabled Sotheby's International Realty to maintain editorial control whilst ensuring seamless performance across devices. This matters significantly when property details, high-resolution imagery, and agent information must update efficiently across international markets.
The design language evolved to feel fresher and more contemporary whilst preserving the resonance of an established global brand. This balance requires understanding what ultra-high-net-worth individuals seek from luxury property platforms. They require sophisticated property search functionality, comprehensive neighbourhood intelligence, and discreet contact mechanisms. They do not require animated transitions, persuasive copy, or features that prioritise visual spectacle over functional clarity.
SEO for Sotheby's International Realty were highly considered.
Those searching for prime London residences or exclusive Dubai addresses often use specific terminology reflecting their level of market knowledge. Felix&Friends integrated strategic keywords naturally throughout the platform, ensuring visibility amongst discerning searchers whilst avoiding the formulaic language typical of property portals.
Following successful launches in the UK and UAE, the Spain Sotheby's International Realty demonstrated the framework's adaptability. Each territory maintains distinct property market characteristics, yet the underlying user experience architecture accommodates these variations without requiring fundamental redesign. This scalability reflects strategic digital planning rather than merely aesthetic achievement.
The relationship between Sotheby's auction house heritage and their property division creates unique positioning opportunities. Felix&Friends understood that potential buyers value this connection to centuries of expertise in valuing exceptional objects. The digital experience subtly reinforces this authority through refined design choices and editorial content approach, suggesting understanding of value that extends beyond mere square footage.
Luxury real estate platforms succeed when they facilitate, showcase and covert browsing into buyers.
The Sotheby's International Realty website Felix&Friends delivered, achieves this through considered information hierarchy, intuitive property navigation, and technical infrastructure that performs reliably across global markets. In super-prime property sectors, where transactions occur through established relationships and discretion remains paramount, digital presence serves as confirmation of standards, brand and service capability rather than simply a sales channel.
We Build Successful Property Brands
We thrive on building lasting relationships based on trust, reliability and delivering tangible results for our clients. We can craft a strategy for your business or project to transform your brand into a long term strategic and valuable asset like we delivered for Sotheby's International Realty in Dubai, United Kingdom and Spain
We are a strategic luxury brand, narrative and digital design agency.
We work with luxury, lifestyle, property and commercial brands.
We solve business challenges to strengthen commercial performance.
We build brand authority for clients that establishes market distinction.
If you would like to meet Felix&Friends and discuss a potential new launch or existing project together, we would be happy to talk and hear more.
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View AllOnce a niche offering, these luxury properties, infused with the design and quality hallmarks of prestige brands, have exploded in popularity over the past decade, and now represent the fastest growing market in global luxury real estate.
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