Real estate platform: UX redesign & modernization
We modernized an exclusive real estate platform through UX/UI redesign and infrastructure upgrade. Our team streamlined property discovery, simplified agent workflows, and migrated the legacy application to Rails 7 with zero downtime, ensuring top-tier security for high-value transactions.
Business context
Austin Luxury Network is an exclusive real estate platform that connects top-tier agents specializing in high-end properties in the Texas area. The network features premium listings starting at $1 million, many of which are off-market and unavailable through traditional MLS. The platform enables licensed agents to post private listings, schedule property tours, and share insider market data.
Project in facts
- Real estate
- USA
- UX/UI designer, RoR developer, Project manager
- August 2024 – ongoing
- UX/UI audit, UX/UI redesign
- Figma, Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, Heroku, Hotwire, Stimulus
Challenge
Over several years, the platform's functionality had continuously expanded without a dedicated designer. Outdated UI, inconsistent navigation, and inefficient workflows made it difficult for agents to complete everyday tasks.
At the same time, the legacy Rails 5 infrastructure had become a barrier to further growth. The aging codebase introduced security concerns, and limited the platform's ability to scale. The client engaged Rubyroid Labs to conduct a deep design audit, refresh the interface to match a luxury brand aesthetic, and upgrade the underlying technology stack to support global traffic.
Product goals
- Simplify the website navigation to make property search intuitive for agents
- Refresh the visual style to match the expectations of the luxury market
- Streamline agent registration and automate onboarding for administrators
- Upgrade the technology stack to Rails 7 for better security and faster deployments
Solutions
Our design team conducted a two-week UI/UX audit covering every page and identified more than 180 usability and information architecture issues. Based on these findings, we restructured the platform navigation, redesigned global and page-level hierarchies, separated interfaces for two user roles, and refreshed the visual language with updated typography, colors, and components.
We complemented the redesigned experience with functional improvements, including a new post-login homepage with quick access to key actions, Shared Lists for property collaboration, additional listing categories, flexible notification settings, and a streamlined assistant registration flow that reduced onboarding from 11 steps to 3.
Role-specific interfaces
Separated UX flows for two distinct user roles
Visual refresh
Updated typography, color palette, and component system
Simplified onboarding
Assistant registration streamlined from 11 steps down to 3
Engineering approach
We migrated legacy Rails 5 backend to Rails 7 without downtime following an incremental Ruby on Rails upgrade strategy: Rails 5.x → 5.2, then 5.2 → 6.0, then 6.0 → the latest 6.x minor, and finally 6.x → 7.0. This approach kept each transition manageable and prevented compounding issues that would be difficult to debug.
We leveraged Hotwire, specifically Stimulus, to enable dynamic page updates and interactive UI components without unnecessary complexity of a separate frontend application.
At each upgrade step, we audited third-party dependencies, replaced obsolete libraries, reviewed Rails changelogs for breaking changes, and updated application code to match new framework conventions.
We first implemented every iteration in a local environment, where we carefully preserved configuration files and custom business logic before running automated tests and comprehensive manual validation.
Business impact
Result
Rubyroid Labs modernized the platform by combining a redesign with an infrastructure upgrade to improve day-to-day usability and long-term maintainability.
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180+ UX issues resolved
A full platform audit and redesign eliminated inconsistencies in navigation and information architecture, making key workflows more intuitive for agents and administrators. -
Zero-downtime Rails 7 migration
The legacy Rails 5 application was upgraded without interrupting live operations, removing technical debt and providing a secure, scalable foundation for future development. -
Future-ready user experience
Refreshed visual design, flexible notification settings, redesigned email templates, and modernized architecture deliver a premium experience expected in the luxury real estate market.
What impressed us most about Rubyroid Labs was their ability to combine technical expertise with a deep understanding of our brand and goals. They didn't just deliver a functional product, they delivered a thoughtful, well-executed solution that aligned perfectly with our vision.
Their attention to detail, responsiveness, and collaborative approach truly set them apart. We truly appreciated their professionalism and expertise throughout the project.
Erin Irvin, Marketing specialist, Gottesman Residential Real Estate 
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