Commercial real estate website ownership gives your brokerage a clearer path to keep its domain, content, and accounts under control when a project ends.
A finished homepage is easy to see, but the ability to renew the domain or recover an account takes a different kind of inspection.
Before you sign, ask what your team will receive and how you will prove that it works.
I recommend treating the handover as a set of small demonstrations rather than a folder labeled final.
You should leave knowing who can make changes, which bills keep coming, and what can move if your needs change.
This checklist focuses on that delivery record, so you can turn broad contract promises into specific questions.
If your next website needs a clear handover plan, bring this checklist to the pricing conversation.
I can help you connect your CRE website needs to the work you are buying through the Get a Price List for Website Design page.
The handover record should name the business owner.
Start with one shared record that your brokerage can keep after the project closes.
I suggest a row for each service, with the business responsible, the provider, the authorized contact, and the evidence still needed.
Include the domain registrar, hosting provider, website platform, business email, listing service, and any inquiry delivery service.
Name an internal lead and a backup contact for each item, even when an outside provider handles the daily work.
Those names describe responsibility; they do not replace the provider’s actual account permissions.
Keep passwords and recovery codes in your approved secure storage rather than this project document.
The checklist should point to the access process without becoming a loose collection of credentials.
Each promise should have a matching acceptance check.
Replace vague language such as full ownership with a deliverable your team can inspect.
For domain access, the evidence might be an authorized sign-in that shows the correct registration and renewal information.
For content delivery, the evidence might be an export plus an inventory of original photos and documents.
For support, it might be a named contact and a written list of included tasks.
Ask the provider to label each item as included, excluded, licensed, or dependent on another service.
A brokerage that pays for custom copy may still use a separately licensed font or subscription listing display.
I want those differences visible before anyone assumes the whole website moves as a single object.
Agree on who signs off, which items block acceptance, and how unresolved items will be tracked.
Your handover record then becomes a practical agreement about delivery rather than a memory test after launch.
Domain control needs a renewal and recovery check.
Ask which registrar holds your domain and which business is listed as the registrant under the registration arrangement.
The person who built the website should be able to explain the setup, but their involvement does not answer who controls renewal.
Request an authorized demonstration of the account, the renewal date, the billing responsibility, and the recovery contact.
Make sure the brokerage can reach that recovery contact if a staff member leaves.
An old employee’s personal address is a poor foundation for your main business address on the web.
I also suggest recording who is allowed to approve changes to domain settings.
A registrar transfer differs from a website move.
Moving website hosting does not always require transferring the domain to another registrar.
Ask the providers to identify the specific changes needed instead of treating every move as a complete account transfer.
The registrar manages domain registration, while DNS settings tell internet services where to send different types of traffic.
Your website and business email can depend on different records, so copying only the website address is an incomplete plan.
Ask for a record of the current DNS setup and have a qualified provider review proposed changes before they happen.
Use ICANN’s domain transfer guidance to understand transfer steps and possible restrictions.
Do not promise yourself an immediate registrar transfer just because a contract has ended.
Ask the current registrar which restrictions apply to your specific registration and what authorization is needed.
Keep the transfer plan separate from the renewal plan so a delayed move does not become an expired domain.
Hosting delivery should include a restore demonstration.
A hosting invoice confirms a charge, but it does not show that your team can retrieve the website.
Request the provider name, the account arrangement, the billing contact, and the scope of access your brokerage will receive.
Some arrangements place several customers under a provider-managed account, so ask how your site would be separated if you leave.
A shared arrangement needs a clear delivery procedure even when direct server access is outside the package.
I would also ask who handles platform updates, security monitoring, and recovery work after handover.
Write down the responsibilities instead of assuming the word hosting includes every maintenance task.
A backup is more useful when recovery has been tested.
For WordPress, the official backup documentation explains the need to preserve both files and the database.
Ask where backups are stored, who can retrieve them, how often they run, and how long copies remain available.
Then ask for a restore demonstration in a separate environment where it will not replace the live brokerage site.
Record the date, the backup used, the person responsible, and any missing features found during the test.
Check a representative property page, a document download, and an inquiry route in that restored copy.
Outside listing services may need separate access or configuration, so a restored page alone does not prove the entire workflow works.
Agree on who will resolve failed checks and what recovery assistance costs under the actual support terms.
Avoid making up a recovery deadline that the provider has never agreed to meet.
A clear test record gives your team something concrete to ask about when support changes hands.
Content rights and usable files need separate checks.
Make an inventory of the material your brokerage expects to keep using.
Include page copy, team photos, property photography, floor plans, downloadable brochures, logos, and any custom graphics.
For each asset, identify who supplied it, where the usable file lives, and which permission or agreement covers its use.
A photo appearing on your website does not establish that you can use it in every future campaign.
The same caution applies to plans supplied by an owner and images licensed through another business.
I recommend resolving unclear permissions before you label an asset ready for reuse.
Have an appropriate adviser review important rights language when the contract leaves room for doubt.
The file inventory should support ordinary brokerage work.
A screenshot of a brochure is different from the editable source needed to change an agent’s phone number.
Ask which editable files are included and which formats your team can actually open.
Record whether the agreement includes copy, layout files, original photos, or only finished website assets.
For property materials, note the property contact and the date the information was approved.
That gives the next editor a way to confirm availability or listing details before reusing old content.
Keep confidential offering materials separate from files intended for public display.
If you need fresh collateral alongside the website, browse my Free Marketing Resources for CRE marketing materials.
Those resources can support your next campaign, while your own asset inventory should establish what your brokerage is permitted to reuse.
The useful outcome is a file collection with context, rather than a mystery folder full of final versions.
Account access should survive a staff change.
List the website administrator account and each outside service that supports the site.
Include analytics, search reporting, form delivery, listing displays, scheduling, and any CRM connection that is actually part of your setup.
Do not add a service to the checklist simply because another brokerage uses it.
For each real account, confirm the business contact, the available roles, the billing responsibility, and the recovery process.
I prefer named access for authorized people so responsibility does not disappear behind one shared login.
Ask the provider which roles allow routine edits and which allow account management.
An editor who can change a property description may still be unable to invite a replacement administrator.
Reporting access should include the necessary role.
If your site uses Google Analytics, review the Google Analytics access documentation when agreeing on permissions.
Google distinguishes Administrator and Editor roles, and its documentation assigns user management to the Administrator role.
That difference matters when your brokerage needs to add or remove a service provider later.
For search reporting, include Google Search Console in the handover when it is part of the current setup.
Ask the outgoing provider to explain the existing verification method and the authorized route for maintaining access.
Your team should understand dependencies before removing accounts or changing domain settings.
Arrange a controlled access review after the incoming team confirms it can do the agreed work.
Remove access that is no longer authorized through the relevant service’s process, while keeping the access needed for any agreed transition support.
Record completion without putting account secrets into the handover report.
Export options should be tested before exit.
Ask what leaving the current platform would involve while everyone is still planning the project.
A good question is whether the delivery includes content, uploaded media, a working site copy, or some combination of those items.
Those outputs are different, and the word export does not tell you which one you will receive.
For WordPress, the Tools Export documentation describes an XML export for content.
Treat that content export separately from the files-and-database backup needed for a fuller site recovery.
A successful download is the start of a migration check rather than proof that another platform can reproduce the whole site.
A sample import can expose missing dependencies.
Ask the receiving provider to test representative content in a separate destination before you commit to a move.
Choose a service page, a team profile, a property page, and a download that reflect your actual site.
Compare the text, images, document links, page addresses, and inquiry route with the approved originals.
Record any layout, search, or listing feature that requires rebuilding or another subscription.
An outside property feed may depend on its own agreement, even when the page around it belongs to the brokerage.
Ask whether licenses can transfer, must be replaced, or remain attached to the outgoing provider’s account.
Get the answer from the relevant agreement or service provider rather than a guess based on appearance.
If the platform has limited export options, request a written explanation of what your team can retrieve and what must be rebuilt.
I would rather know that limitation before signing than discover it during a rushed change of provider.
Final acceptance should cover costs and live workflows.
Before closing the project, collect a list of recurring services with the payer, billing schedule, cancellation terms, and responsible contact.
Use the actual agreements for amounts instead of building your budget from a general article or old proposal.
Separate hosting, maintenance, domain renewal, licensed software, listing services, and optional support where those are distinct charges.
Ask which costs continue if the original designer stops working on the site.
Also ask which services stop if you end a maintenance agreement and what notice the contract requires.
My expertise is creating commercial real estate websites, and I recommend making these delivery questions part of the website brief.
The right scope should match both the site your readers need and the responsibilities your team can manage.
The acceptance meeting should produce a short evidence record.
Have the authorized brokerage contact make an ordinary content edit under the access included in the project.
Test an approved sample inquiry and confirm that it reaches the correct person without exposing private prospect data.
Check a brochure download and the contact information on a representative property page.
Confirm who will update listings, team departures, and service pages after delivery.
Keep a dated list of passed checks, open issues, responsible people, and agreed follow-up dates.
Sign off against the deliverables in your agreement rather than treating a nice-looking homepage as the entire handover.
If these checks reveal gaps in your planned website, use them to sharpen the scope before buying.
Bring your ownership and handover questions to Get a Price List for Website Design so the conversation covers what your team needs after launch.
If seeing website work explained helps you prepare questions, explore my Helpful Video Walkthroughs and Tools.
Use the checklist here to keep your own delivery meeting focused on access, files, and responsibilities.
Commercial real estate website ownership questions.
Does paying for a website include the domain?
Payment alone does not explain the registration arrangement or your contractual rights.
Ask who is the domain registrant, who controls renewal, and what access your brokerage will receive.
Is a WordPress export the same as a full backup?
The standard WordPress content export is an XML file, while fuller recovery also requires the relevant site files and database.
Request a backup and a separate restore test when working-site recovery is part of your agreement.
Can a brokerage keep its property photos after handover?
Reuse depends on the rights and permissions attached to each photo.
Keep a record of the supplier, license or agreement, permitted uses, and usable files before planning another campaign.
Which accounts belong on the handover checklist?
Include the domain, hosting, website administration, and every outside service your actual site depends on.
Name the responsible business contact, billing owner, access role, and recovery process for each service.
What should be checked before changing website providers?
Confirm domain renewal, authorized account access, usable content files, backup recovery, export limits, recurring costs, and the live inquiry route.
Agree on unresolved items and transition responsibilities before removing access or ending services.
