Before the pandemic hit us, 42% of property buyers start looking for homes online. About 82% of these people say that detailed descriptions are helpful. However, when it comes to making listings, there’s more to it than just detailed descriptions.
Making a real estate listing is an art in itself. The better your listing is, the higher the chances of getting people to view the property you’re selling. The more views you get, the better your chances of making a sale.
- Get your viewers’ attention with a catchy headline.
- Choose the right adjectives.
- Do not use words that raise red flags.
- Highlight the property’s unique features.
- Make sure your listing complies with fair housing laws.
- Proofread your listings always before you publish them.
Indicate any special promotions when applicable.- Always include a CTA.
Get your viewers’ attention with a catchy headline.
When writing headlines, keep in mind you only have a short window to catch a potential buyer’s attention. Keep your headlines short but use words that will evoke a response and get them to keep reading your listing. For example, “A Mountain Retreat: A Combination of Rustic and Modern.”
Describe the property accurately in your opening statement.
Don’t dilly-dally. Go into the property’s main features right away and what sets it apart from the others. What you couldn’t squeeze into the headline, drop them all here.
Feel free to include the finer details of the property such as a double garage (or bigger), a great view (of the mountain, lake, or ocean), a sprawling landscape, and other similar descriptions.
Choose the right adjectives.
Like any sales pitch, the words you choose to use will either make or break the sale. Make sure to pick the right adjectives that will add value to your property.
Words such as luxurious or captivating are found to have a profound impact on sales prices. Some other words you can use are impeccable, upgraded or updated, basketball court, landscaped, remodel, granite, and stainless appliances among others.
Do not use words that raise red flags.
Similarly, if you use the wrong words, then you expect that no one will bother going through your entire listing. Red flag words such as potential, fixer, bargain, investor, and opportunity have hurt several listings.
Highlight the property’s unique features.
Tell people about your property’s main features and benefits that will make them stand out above the rest. If your property has recently updated its kitchen cabinets and countertops, include them in the listing. If it has a deck and jacuzzi, be sure to write it down.
Keep your descriptions short but sweet.
Multiple listing services have limited text space. As much as you would want to describe your property in greater detail, keeping the description concise will work best for you. Anywhere between 60 and 250 words should do.
Make sure your listing complies with fair housing laws.
Fair housing laws do not allow any listing to contain race, gender, disability, familial status, and other similar aspects. Make sure you comply with your local fair housing laws.
Proofread your listings always before you publish them.
Ensuring the best written and grammatically-sound output makes your listing more professional and credible. Take note of grammatical and spelling errors, use punctuation, and minimize industry jargon in your listings.
Indicate any special promotions when applicable.
If you have any other offerings that will be beneficial to the buyer, such as limited-time discounts and home warranties, you also might want to include that in your listing to increase your chances of selling the home quickly.
Always include a CTA.
A call-to-action, or CTA, should be made necessary in all of your listings. This will reinforce the value of the property you’re selling and give the buyer a sense of urgency to respond.
Now that everyone is taking their business online, you must know how to stand out from the competition. When writing a listing, keep in mind that your goal is to paint a beautiful yet accurate picture of the property that will compel any buyer to want to see the property you’re selling.
Time to put what you learned to the test. Good luck!