Jose Barbosa's Portfolio

New Realtor Portal Design

Meritage homes

A first-of-its-kind platform built to help real estate agents manage listings, clients, and referrals, while unlocking exclusive tools, perks, and recognition through the “Agents Rock” tiered benefits program.

Industry

Residential Real Estate

YEAR

2025

Role

Lead UX UI Designer

Industry

Residential Real Estate

YEAR

2025

Role

Lead UX UI Designer

Overview

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Created wireframes & interactive prototypes
Designed high-fidelity UI using a responsive system
Facilitated usability testing
Presented to stakeholders for buy-in and iteration

We're operating across disconnected tools, and it's costing us time, consistency, and missed opportunities.

Melissa Dominguez, Partner Realtor

THE SOLUTION

Deliver a mobile-first experience supported by key features: a centralized inventory search with advanced filters, an agent rewards dashboard, client tracking tools, a place where buyers can connect with angent, and responsive design optimized for performance across all devices.

THE CHALLENGE

Agents were juggling multiple disconnected tools to manage listings, clients, and rewards, leading to inefficiencies, inconsistent brand engagement, and missed business opportunities.

We're operating across disconnected tools, and it's costing us time, consistency, and missed opportunities.

Melissa Dominguez, Partner Realtor

THE SOLUTION

Research & Discovery

RESEARCH PROCESS

Surveys and interviews with over 60 agents revealed a strong demand for a centralized, mobile-first platform. Agents expressed frustration with fragmented workflows, limited rewards visibility, and inefficient tools for managing listings and client updates. They prioritized time-saving features, real-time tier tracking, and seamless on-the-go access.

These findings gained strong stakeholder buy-in, ensuring alignment on user needs and business goals.

Agent Insights

Struggled to access real-time inventory

Used external tools to track rewards

Ignored Meritage marketing assets

Competitive Audit

Complementing user research, I performed competitive audits of leading real estate management tools (like BoomTown and kvCORE) and partner platforms (such as Zillow Premier Agent and Realtor.com).

Information
Architecture & Strategy

We crafted an IA focused on agents’ most frequent tasks and tier-based access levels. Key decisions included:

Designing an action-driven dashboard with cards and quick links for instant access
Organizing tools into clear, intuitive sections: Listings, Referrals, Clients, Resources
Incorporating tier progression indicators and benefits highlights to motivate user engagement
Developing a sitemap and task flows that enable agents to efficiently find and complete critical actions

This structure reduced friction, aligned with business incentives, and supported user journeys.

Research & Discovery

RESEARCH PROCESS

These findings gained strong stakeholder buy-in, ensuring alignment on user needs and business goals.

Agent Insights

Struggled to access real-time inventory

Used external tools to track rewards

Ignored Meritage marketing assets

Competitive Audit

Complementing user research, I performed competitive audits of leading real estate management tools (like BoomTown and kvCORE) and partner platforms (such as Zillow Premier Agent and Realtor.com).

Information Architecture & Strategy

We crafted an IA focused on agents’ most frequent tasks and tier-based access levels. Key decisions included:

Designing an action-driven dashboard with cards and quick links for instant access
Organizing tools into clear, intuitive sections: Listings, Referrals, Clients, Resources
Incorporating tier progression indicators and benefits highlights to motivate user engagement
Developing a sitemap and task flows that enable agents to efficiently find and complete critical actions

This structure reduced friction, aligned with business incentives, and supported user journeys.

WIREFRAMES

Initial wireframes tackled agent pain points by spotlighting key metrics, simplifying listings and referrals, and motivating engagement through visible rewards, laying the foundation for a user-focused, business-aligned platform.

User Flow: Finding and Connecting with an Agent

A brief showcase of wireframes showcasing UX principles, scalable design, and business-aligned thinking.

User Feedback

User testing with agents confirmed strong alignment between the design and real-world workflows, reinforcing confidence in its value to both users and the business.

Completed tasks without needing support, indicating generally effective flow and structure.

Found the interface intuitive, with positive feedback on layout and language clarity.

Completed listing-related tasks faster than before, confirming clearer information architecture.

FINAL DESIGNS

The final UI brings Meritage Homes’ brand to life with a modern, agent-focused design. Responsive layouts ensure seamless use across devices, delivering a professional, engaging experience that empowers agents and supports business goals.

Outcomes & Strategic Growth

KEY OUTCOMES

The platform made agents’ work easier and faster, increasing engagement through clear rewards. It strengthened the brand and aligned with business goals. User feedback shaped improvements, ensuring a simple, effective, and scalable solution.

NEXT STEPS

Following the Agent Portal launch, the redesigned Meritage Homes website will soon unify the digital experience. Next steps include adding personalized goals, real-time updates, client management tools, and expanded rewards, ensuring the platform grows with agents’ needs and strengthens brand loyalty.