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While it’s well known that it’s the photographs in a real estate ad that will pique a buyer’s interest in a home, the right words in the may just get them into the car. Yet, finding ways to describe your listings – coming up with catchy headlines and intriguing come-ons – is pretty challenging.
Writers are admonished to always remember their audience. Real estate agents would do well to remember that advice too, but to also keep in mind that their audience is two-pronged: buyers and other real estate agents.
The second and third rules of thumb? Don’t be repetitive, and never, ever be boring.
The Basics
The MLS typically doesn’t give agents a lot of room for descriptions. This is valuable space, so don’t repeat information that will show up in the details section. In other words, there’s no need to reiterate that the home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms since those facts are already mentioned in the property details section.
Save the description box for compelling, intriguing information that will reel agents and buyers into the home for a closer look.
Highlight the Best Stuff
Know what buyers want and, if the home you’ve listed has any of those features, hit them hard in your listing description.
Any unique amenities – a gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors, oversized yards and garages – are worth highlighting. Brand names, such as Bosch, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Viking, should be sprinkled throughout the text. Don’t neglect to “mention appealing features such as those pullout shelves in the kitchen cabinets or the walk-in pantry,” warns Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate.
Read through this well-written listing description of a Seattle mansion. How much do you want to walk through its “terraced gardens” and “manicured grounds,” not to mention take in the “iconic views of the Seattle skyline & Elliott Bay”? The real estate agent who wrote this listing description certainly knows how to write a dazzling listing description!
Include Upgrades
Improved homes are attractive to buyers. New roofs and windows are especially appealing, but any improvements are worth mentioning. A homeowner who cares enough to replace, repair or improve is a homeowner who has most likely maintained the home, which is comforting to buyers.
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Use the Right Words to Describe the Listing
Next time you sit down to write about a new listing, keep in mind that some words sell more effectively than others. They have more power: the power to compel a buyer to act.
To illustrate the power of words, take a look at a study conducted by Paul Anglin, a professor with the University of Guelph in Canada. He and some other researchers spent three years studying real estate listings. One aspect of the study centered on how a listing ad’s wording affected the eventual sales price and days on the market.
From this, they extrapolated a list of words that sell, and some that don’t. The study was conducted over 10 years ago, so whether these words and phrases are valid in today’s market is debatable. But the study itself indicates the importance of taking your time to consider each word you use in the listing description.
Some of the words that Anglin claims help sell homes include:
- Beautiful – Homes described as “beautiful” sell for 5 percent more, and 15 percent faster than those described as being in “move-in condition, according to Anglin’s study.
- Landscaping
- Granite
- Gourmet
- Curb Appeal
- Maple
- Fixer Upper
Words that don’t sell:
- Must Sell
- Value – Homes described as a “good value” sold for 5 percent less than other homes, according to Anglin.
- Motivated
- Move-In Condition
- Clean
- New Paint or New Carpet
- Ranch
- Quiet
- Vacant
Even if you end up not employing some of Professor Anglin’s power words, come up with a list of your own, unique to your market.
Begin your ad with a compelling headline. A good place to get headline ideas is magazine covers. Notice how the copywriters use words and phrases to entice you to purchase the magazine to read what lies within.
Copywriters have a number of strategies when composing a headline, including the ever-popular “how to.” Personally, I’m a fan of the “reason why” type of headline: “8 Reasons to. . .” or “10 Things. . .”
Make Your Words Draw a Picture
Would you like to “entertain beneath soaring Venetian plaster ceilings” in your new home, or “cook for 2 or 20 in [its] well-appointed kitchen”? Thanks to this Kirkland, Wash. home’s compelling listing description, we certainly would!
Selling the sizzle instead of the steak involves using words to paint a picture of what living in the home looks like. “Relax and unwind in the hot tub after a hard day at work,” or “Imagine entertaining friends and family poolside on a warm summer day.”
Even a less-than-perfect home has its plusses. Look for them, and call them out in the description by pointing “out the opportunities, such as the hardwoods hiding underneath the carpet or the storage space afforded by the extensive built-ins,” says Fulmer.
Go over your copy once more before submitting it to ensure you haven’t violated fair-housing rules by mentioning national origin, race, gender, disability or familial status. Then, hit the submit button and sit back while the calls from interested agents and buyers flood in.
Great post Shannon. I am going to disagree with you a bit though so I hope that is ok. Too many property descriptions that I see in my market have long, descriptive sentences that say nothing (I operate out of Indianapolis, IN). The most important feature for online home shoppers are the pictures. I don’t try to paint a picture with my description when I can post 20+ photos. With such a limited space to provide details, I follow a simple formula. Only the first sentence contains pretty words to grab attention. I then go into the specific features the home offers followed by a list of updates/improvements that have been made along with the year they were done. This creates the impression that the current owners have maintained the home and it is in good condition. I finish my description with a sentence that mentions some of the nearby amenities. Sentences such as “Fabulous layout with all the right spaces” and “Elegance, privacy & sophistication. See the city as it was meant to be seen.” are filler that uses valuable space to say nothing in my opinion. Thanks for writing this article, it still has many points I agree with.
Chris Phillips
IndyREX – m.s.Woods Real Estate
This comment was as helpful as the article. Thank you.
Real Estate agents run into all sorts of different houses to sell. As such, some houses have a lot of features to call out and some don’t. In reading this article I was searching for a study that reported an order of effectiveness for what has the most impact IF it is available to say. In other words, some houses have new improvements to call out and some have few or none. What is more important, mentioning improvements or flowery descriptive language?
We are investors who make so many new improvements to our homes that they will not all fit in the limited space allowed for MLS descriptions. We have decided that it is (or should be) more important to list the improvements. For example:
“Complete REMODEL with ALL following NEW: Roof, Air conditioning system, shaker cabinets throughout, cabinet knobs, granite counters, 4 sinks, 4 faucets, bath hardware, toilets, tiled walk-in shower, new tub & tile surround, all electrical outlets & switches, all light fixtures, 4 ceiling fans with remote controls, front and back doors, garage doors and remote opener, exterior and interior paint (including all walls, ceilings, doors, and trim), all new landscaping and major trees trimmed.”
To a non-buyer these are boring facts. But is a true buyer more affected by these improvement facts or flowery language? This is an honest question since the subconscious of a buyer plays a part of her thinking as does her conscious thinking.
What do you think? Should we delete some improvements to add some flowery language?
Great article Shannon. I enjoyed reading all your words of advice and I look forward to implementing these in my next Property Description.
i didnt enjoy this article as much as you did PAULA
Such shade.
Great post…. A good place to get headline ideas is magazine covers. Notice how the copywriters use words and phrases to entice you to purchase the magazine to read what lies within.
The description of your property is extremity important, there are even copywriting services that provide professional descriptions.
Hello. Just wondering what companies offer services such as writing the listing description. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I own a small business that provides this service on a freelance basis. I write listing descriptions for property brochures, social media, websites, and the like. If you are interested in hearing more, feel free to shoot me an email. Jhlane.writing@gmail.com. Thanks!
Jessica Lane
Gary – I’m a digital copywriter that works with many realtors. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please email me if you’d like —
upnorthcopy@gmail.com
Debra
Do you know a website with good examples of listing descriptions?
Thank for sharing these tips, from some I didn’t had a clue, so they are very useful.
Kindest regards from Spain, Europe
Erwin
Go to SBCadvice.com. They teach agents to write very effective descriptions. The technique they teach actually sold a home in less than half the time and for 3% more money, compared to 3 other homes of the same floor plan in the same neighborhood that sold the same season.
A spot-on article about the importance of a compelling property listing description. Whether your featured property is updated, renovated, new, or one seeking a little creative energy, one of the main selling points of the home is a good “lifestyle” description. Especially if it is a residence still in the works, or a model you are offering to those who want to build new, you need to get people thinking of their new life in this home. Entertaining might not be on the forefront of their mind, but imagining weekend BBQs on the flagstone patio can get them excited about all the leisurely pursuits they can enjoy after they are done worrying about if the home offers enough storage or garage/parking space for their two cars, boat and fishing equipment. A brief neighborhood summary doesn’t hurt either. Let them in on what kind of events, shopping or dining is nearby. A frozen yogurt shop within walking distance of the house can really be a fun selling point for after dinner treats.
I like the idea of highlighting the unique amenities in the process of selling a home. It makes sense that you would make sure that the things that make your house stand out from the rest get the bulk of the attention. I can imagine that highlighting the uniqueness of your home would capture the eye of buyers.
I enjoyed reading this article. I feel like the descriptions seem to basically say the same thing no matter what words are used. I would like to be able to write something more enticing. I actually find myself not interested in the dscriptions of the properties I’m looking to show.
Any suggestions?
Farm it out to people like me who write stories and create imagery with words for a living. Hi! My name is Jasmyne-Nicole. I’m one of those Southerners with two first names. I’m also a Freelance Writer and MFA grad student. Feel free to contact me at j.walkers.wordsmithery@gmail.com. Let’s make some homes speak for themselves.
Hey, Jasmyne, thanks for responding. The only real estate writing service my business (allwriteythen.com) doesn’t provide is listing descriptions, so it’s nice to know there’s a service out there that does. Agents are so busy in this crazy market, but when it slows down, and buyers are in control, listing descriptions become so important. Thanks again!
Very informative! I plan to utilize this information in my next listing description.
Photos, Photo’s and more photos, says it all… yes some short and very informative description pointing out unique or special features you might not be able to capture in a photo, hit on those, such as names of appliances, trex decking, upgrades etc. In your photos, show the pull out door or the massive walk in pantries or closets, save your space in the MLS for names of systems, appliances, high end fixtures, you get the picture 🙂 One additional mention, if it is too long and too descriptive, loaded with unrealistic descriptive adjectives, it can be a Massive lol disappointment at the doorstep 🙁
I enjoyed reading all your words of advice and I look forward to implementing these in my next Property Description.thanks for sharing great information with us.
Wow! Great article! It inspired me to make my own blog
Thank you for sharing this article. Informatic and intresting article.
I’m not sure. where I stand on the photo vs. words debate, but I have read that the photos are your first, best way to get people’s attention in a sea of listings. People have also disagreed here on how creative vs. informative the description should be. I think balance is key, and I would let my vocabulary fly on maybe just one exciting feature. That will add some pop to the rest of the description, which should also focus on the right key words to optimize exposure.
Great article, thanks for sharing this is really helpful.
This is truly a great read for me!! Once again, thanks for the quality articles you post on your blog!!
The property description is a great place to reaffirm both building and local amenities. Consider highlighting a few of the key “stand-out” amenities using positive descriptive phrases.
This is not a place to include a laundry list of all features and specifications.
Keep it short and sharp.
If the building itself is uninteresting, then focus on the submarket and access to transportation and surrounding points of interest.
Thanks for pointing out that when it comes to real estate listings it’s important to not be repetitive or boring. I think that having a home listing service could help you with this since they could help you with more localized descriptions and listings. Thanks for the tips on how to write listing descriptions that sell.
Hey! It’s important to do everything you can to stand out from the crowd and these tips can help with that. Thank you so much for sharing and looking forward to learning more from this blog.