Getting started

How to Install the Real Estate Portal Script

The installer creates the database, the default data and your administrator account in a couple of minutes.

Server requirements

Requirement	Details
PHP	7.4 or newer (8.x recommended)
PHP extensions	`pdo_mysql`, `gd` (image upload), `curl` (AI, Stripe, PayPal), `mbstring`, `openssl`
Database	MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
Web server	Apache with `mod_rewrite` and `AllowOverride All` (only needed for SEO-friendly URLs). Nginx works if you translate the rules from `.htaccess`.
Writable folders	`uploaded_images/`, `thumbnails/`, `backups/` and the main folder (so the installer can write `config.php`)
Internet access	Needed by the server for AI and payments, and by visitors' browsers for the maps (OpenStreetMap) and web fonts

Install with the web installer

Upload the files. Upload the content of the RealEstatePortal folder to your hosting (for example into public_html or a sub-folder such as /realestate).
Open the installer. Go to https://your-site.com/install/. The page checks the requirements; every line must be green.
Enter the database details. Host, database name, user and password. The installer creates the database if your MySQL user is allowed to. The table prefix is re_ by default.
Create the administrator. Choose a username, a password (at least 6 characters) and your e-mail.
Demo data. Keep the box ticked to install 32 sample listings, agents, news and FAQ, or untick it for a clean portal.
Press Install. When the green message appears, the installation is complete.

Delete the install folder immediately after the installation. Then open config.php and set $DEBUG_MODE = false; on a live website, so visitors never see error messages.

Install from the command line

If you have SSH access you can use the command line installer:

php install/cli_install.php localhost root PASSWORD realestate re_ admin ADMINPASS 1

The arguments are: database host, user, password, database name, table prefix, admin username, admin password and 1 for demo data (0 for none).

The config.php file

The installer writes config.php in the main folder. You can edit it later with any text editor.

Variable	Meaning
`$DOMAIN_NAME`	The address of the website without `http://`, including the sub-folder if any (`www.example.com/realestate`). Used in e-mails and links.
`$DBHost, $DBUser, $DBPass, $DBName`	Database access
`$DBprefix`	Prefix of all table names (`re_`)
`$DEBUG_MODE`	`true` shows PHP and MySQL errors on screen. Use `false` on a live site.
`$CURL_VERIFY_SSL`	Keep `true`. Set to `false` only on a local test server without CA certificates.

Demo logins

With the demo data installed you can log in to the user panel at /USERS/ (through the website login page) with password demo1234:

sarah@demo.test: real estate agent
info@demo.test: agency
emma@demo.test: private seller
buyer@demo.test: buyer

Remove the demo users before you go live (Admin › Users).

Installing in a sub-folder or on a new domain

The script works in the main folder of a domain or in any sub-folder. If you move it later, change $DOMAIN_NAME in config.php. Everything else uses relative links.

Last updated 1 November 2026