McMakler Ditches Monoliths to Move Faster and Build Better

• Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
• Technology Stack: React

Hassle-free property transactions for buyers and sellers?! Nope, this isn’t some utopian dream; it’s a certified reality thanks to McMakler (opens in a new window)—a leading real estate agency that represents a new generation of real estate transactions in Germany. But one that was stuck in the stone age with its previous monolithic CMS setup. By making the switch to headless, McMakler welcomed a cool 95% reduction in development time and laid the foundations to step up their digital game. Building a database and decision tree framework that empowered their users to make informed choices on their next property move—let’s get into it. 

Out with the old and in with the new

As the old proverb goes, you can’t build the future on WordPress. McMakler had been using the internet’s favorite monolith for several years and battling multiple challenges along the way until they finally decided they’d had enough—it was time for something new. Specifically, a CMS that could help them overcome their monolithic challenges, which included:

• Monolithic architecture (opens in a new window) creating a build-up of frustrations and issues in the system.
• A PHP setup preventing them from growth due to continuous upkeep and friction in development tasks caused by the monolithic system.
• Restriction of developmental innovation as developers were frustrated by the limitations of the monolithic system, which required a workaround solution for each new build. It also restricted any new ideas to revamp and optimize the site.
• Static workflows, which involved static processes, no component reuse, and workarounds, significantly slowing down time-to-market.

Levelling up user experience and content scalability

The challenges were clear, and the solution, dare we say it, was even clearer as the McMakler team chose to make the switch to Storyblok. The McMakler team made the most of our capabilities to scale their content operations and enhance their user experience by: 

• Using Storyblok dynamic forms where homeowners would enter data on how much their property is worth, and aid them along their selling or purchasing process as a lead generation tool. 
• Streamlining developer-dependent internal processes and making them easy for marketers to handle independently.
• Connecting vertical integrations within the dynamic decision tree to accommodate the specific needs of someone engaging with the website (such as an energy certification for a particular type of housing, with data pulled from Storyblok to a catered landing page.
• Increasing reusability across content types, including vertical integrations applied across the website, making it easy to standardize content and branding.

TL;DR: processes that previously took 8 to 10 weeks of development and testing now take only 3 days—that’s a 95% reduction in development time.

Tailored content, lead generation, and standout UX

A key component of McMakler’s new digital setup was the development of a decision-tree framework that uses data from dynamic forms to understand users’ intent. The system customizes the form elements and asks further questions based on the user's responses before presenting the relevant product offerings for the individual. 

The team also provides vertical integrations catering to the users' specific needs, which can be reused for different verticals and exist in a dedicated space. For example, in the case of financing and accounting, McMakler pulls the requested data for a specific vertical and hosts it on a designated website, supercharging efficiency and relevance. 

Now, we get it, the functionality is great, but what about the design? Well, their focus on their users’ needs doesn’t stop at functionality. McMakler leverages vertical websites to find the best components and information that resonate with their audience. They then combine these to create the best form and UX/UI design for their component library, which can be built on, reused, and dynamically optimized for its components and websites. Delivering a unified user experience for every audience member and building brand credibility through quality, efficiency, and consistency, brick by brick.

Refurbishing digital standards in German real estate

By ditching their monolithic setup, McMakler successfully enhanced operational efficiency, upgraded user experience, and elevated its lead generation capabilities, to name but a few of the upsides of going headless. By adopting Storyblok, the McMakler team was able to transform and simplify its internal processes while striving for a more secure, performance-driven, and scalable website. Leading not only to happier web visitors, but increased satisfaction among its development, marketing, and UX/UI teams—a truly Joyful result.