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There are many ways in which realtors can promote a property and generate buyer interest, such as 3D immersive virtual reality video tours, slide shows, social media posts, photos of the interior and exterior, drone pictures, etc. While all of these visual elements can be very persuasive, the written word is also extremely important.

GOOD: Real estate listings that have enticing descriptions are more likely to attract buyers. The description is the potential buyer’s first impression of the property, so good copywriting is necessary. The photo may be what initially catches their eye, but the text about the property’s features can be the deciding factor that gets prospects to schedule a home tour.

The following are the top 12 reasons your current property description may not be as effective as it could be:

  1. You’re not using strong enough adjectives
  2. You’re not highlighting the unique features of your property
  3. You’re not focusing on the benefits of your property
  4. You’re not using “you” language
  5. You’re not using persuasive language
  6. You’re not using active voice
  7. You’re not using concrete language
  8. You’re not using sensory language
  9. You’re not using emotional language
  10. You’re not using power words
  11. You’re not using story telling
  12. You’re not using a call to action

Your text sounds unprofessional. Poor grammar, spelling errors, confusing diction, improper punctuation – all of these can detract from the message you want to convey, not to mention making you look like an amateur.

Your copy is difficult to understand because you use a lot of big words and complicated sentences. The reader’s eyes become unfocused as they try to make their way through each confusing paragraph.

The photos and copy should work together to create a clear mental picture of the property for the prospect.

Your description of the home is too “Romanticized.” You have written a beautiful story about the home and grounds, painting a picture of what the future owner could have. While that all sounds lovely, your description is missing some key facts that potential buyers would want to know. Buyers want details, not just a pretty story, when they are searching for a home.

Your copy is too short and you left out important details that potential buyers want to know.

Make sure to be thorough in your description, especially if the home is high-priced and has lots of attractive features. Instead of just listing out the facts (like how many bedrooms and bathrooms it has), try to capture the essence of the person who would be living there. For example, you could describe a private backyard with a well-manicured lawn and a stylish outdoor fire pit, perfect for romantic summer evenings. This way, your real estate description will be much more engaging.

Most MLS systems allow you to write a descriptions with 1,000-1,500 characters. You should use powerful and descriptive words to make potential buyers feel an emotional connection to the property. For example, you could say “You’ll love this charming, historic, three-bedroom Cape Cod home with sweeping panoramic views of the bay from almost every room and your own private entrance to the beach below.”

When describing a property, it is more effective to start with the most desirable feature rather than listing all of the features in order. This is because the most desirable feature is likely to make the biggest impact on the buyer. For example, if the most desirable feature of the property is its location, then mentioning this first will make the buyer more interested in the property than if it was listed last.

Your text should be structured in a way that puts your most important information at the beginning, keeping the reader engaged, before providing less important details.

Need help writing your property listing? Click here.

Your property listing sounds just like everyone else’s. You need to write your copy in a way that highlights what makes your listing different from others. If you just copy another realtor’s text, potential buyers won’t see anything special or unique about your property.

You shouldn’t assume that the buyer knows what abbreviation, acronym, or geographical references mean. It might be confusing to them, so it’s best to just use clear language so the buyer knows exactly what you’re talking about.

Do not write your property description in all caps as it suggests you are yelling. Additionally, multiple exclamation points are seen as annoying. When writing in bold, be mindful of what is most important as to not lose impact.

You should mention lifestyle elements in addition to describing the property. Examples of these elements include the easy commute to downtown, proximity to restaurants and shopping, and the quality of the local schools. Often, these factors are just as important to buyers as the property itself. They can be the deciding factor for buyers who are undecided about your property.

You didn’t include a special promotion. It can be anything such as:

  • Buyer will pay closing costs.
  • Seller is offering financing.
  • Seller is offering $5,000 toward new appliances.
  • Buyer will leave behind all window treatments and rugs at no charge

You’re missing a call to action. For example:

  • This house won’t last long at this price. Contact us today!
  • This amazing house must be seen in person. Schedule a visit!
  • Don’t miss our open house this Saturday.
  • Be contacted by our representative.
  • Request a virtual tour and receive our free neighborhood report.
  • Get more details on this home now.

Consider working with a professional real estate copywriter if you don’t have time to write your own property listings.

How to Write Listing Descriptions That Don’t Suck

While most real estate agents enjoy working with people and looking at homes, they don’t always enjoy writing listing descriptions, which is often seen as a necessary evil of the job. Some agents are able to write well, while others have more difficulty. This can also depend on the home. Some homes have many great features, making them easy to describe, while others are more simple or not as nice, making them more of a challenge. Use the following tips to write a winning listing description.

Write a list of the features of the property that make it stand out. These can be features of the house itself, or features of the surrounding area.

The exterior features of this home include an association lake that is stocked with fish and suitable for light recreation, a tiered backyard, private balconies from two suites, a garage door leading to the backyard, a sunroom/3 seasons room leading to the backyard with a bar area, a paver patio, a location right in front of the shared beach area, a location right in front of the shared dock, proximity to tennis courts, proximity to a firepit, and a 2-car attached garage.

The interior features of the house include skylights, a first-floor laundry room, plenty of windows and natural light, pocket doors for privacy, hardwood floors, a fireplace, built-in shelving and storage, a kitchen with an island, lots of storage and counter space, a bricked/built-in stove area, a breakfast nook adjacent to the kitchen, an office, window seats, crown molding, ceiling fans, some vaulted ceilings, closets with built-in shelving, a finished basement, and five bedrooms (two of which are suites). There are also five and a half bathrooms.

After you’ve made your list, go through and highlight the best, brightest, and most unique aspects. These will be your starting point. To start writing, focus on either the interior or exterior of the house (whichever you have more to say about) and then move on to the other.

This property has many great features on the inside, so we will start there.

The open floor plan kitchen and family room with fireplace are ideal for gatherings. This five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home is full of light and has the perfect balance of private space and room to entertain! Enter through the double front doors and you’ll find a living room, den/office, formal dining room, kitchen with breakfast area, and a heated three seasons room overlooking the spectacular backyard. Each room has special features and upgrades, from the brick fireplace in the living room to the dry bar in the three seasons room to the built-ins throughout. The chef in your life will love the kitchen, with ample storage and counter space, as well as the brick alcove which houses the gas stove, separate oven, and more storage. The open floor plan kitchen and family room with fireplace are ideal for gatherings.

Start by cleaning the areas of the home that are most important to you, then move on to the other areas. If the home is single story or very basic, you may not need to clean the other areas.

The first basement level contains the primary living area with a wet bar, theater room, recreation room, bedroom, and full bathroom. The second basement level houses the wine cellar, workshop, and mechanicals. Near the kitchen is the first-floor laundry room/mud room with access to the backyard and a secondary staircase leading to the second-floor bedrooms. The second story has two suites, a Master suite and Mother-in-Law suite, on opposite ends of the house, each with a private balcony. The Master suite also includes a fireplace and jetted tub with a separate stand-alone shower. Also located on the second floor are additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and a common area with skylights that overlook the backyard. The first basement level contains the primary living area with a wet bar, theater room, recreation room, bedroom, and full bathroom. The second basement level houses the wine cellar, workshop, and mechanicals.

After you have finished talking about the exterior of the home, continue with a brief description of the interior. Alternatively, if you have already talked about the interior, give a brief description of the exterior.

The paver patio in the back of the home, which is just steps away from the beach, dock, fire pit, and tennis courts, has a covered awning and is a very convenient location. The two-car attached garage has an overhead door leading to the backyard, which makes it easy to access.

Now promote your home by highlighting any features that sell well, even if they don’t photograph well, like a finished basement.

This home has been well-cared-for and updated over the years, with updates to the forced air, radiant heating, and central air systems, as well as hardwood floors with in-floor heat, and a finished basement with daylight windows and a bar/rec area with wine room.

Don’t end your text with a “This is a must-see!” or “Won’t last long!” or any other jargon or overused call to action terms. These used to stand out, but now they just sound dated and get skipped over.

This is a great listing description, however it is a bit lengthy. If you are using a listing site that has a character limit, you will need to make it shorter. Start by copying your full listing description.

This home has 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and plenty of light. It’s perfect for entertaining or relaxing, with a living room, den/office, formal dining room, kitchen with breakfast area, and a heated three seasons room overlooking the backyard. Each room has special features and upgrades, like the brick fireplace in the living room, the dry bar in the three seasons room, and the built-ins throughout. The kitchen has ample storage and counter space, and includes a brick alcove with a gas stove, separate oven, and more storage.

Near the kitchen, there is a first-floor laundry/mud room with access to the backyard and a secondary staircase leading to the second-floor bedrooms. On the second story, there are two suites, a Master suite and Mother-in-Law suite, on opposite ends of the home, each with a private balcony. The Master suite also includes a fireplace and jetted tub with separate stand-alone shower. There are also additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and a common area on the second floor. The common area has skylights which overlook the backyard.

This home is conveniently located near the beach, dock, fire pit, and tennis courts. It has a paver patio in the back with a covered awning. The attached garage has space for two cars and has an overhead door that leads to the backyard.

This home has been kept in great condition and updated with a new forced air system, radiant heating, and central air. The floors are hardwood with in-floor heat, and the basement is finished with daylight windows and has a bar/rec area with wine room.

Go through the text and highlight the unique aspects. If there is limited space, don’t describe things that can be seen in pictures or that are already included in the listing, like the number of bedrooms or square footage. Once you have the best parts highlighted, copy them below, remove all superfluous words (great, beautiful, spacious, etc.), and edit to make sense. If you’re still taking up space, you can follow these tips for more ruthless editing: 1) limit the number of items in a list; 2) take out transition words (also, as well as, etc.).

The home is filled with light and has the perfect balance of private space and room to entertain. The living room has a brick fireplace, the three seasons room has a dry bar, and the first floor laundry/mud room has built-ins and access to the backyard. There is also a secondary staircase leading to the second floor bedrooms. The second story features two suites, a Master suite and Mother-in-Law suite, each with a private balcony. The Master suite also includes a fireplace and jetted tub with separate stand-alone shower.This home has hardwood floors with in-floor heat, a finished basement, daylight windows, and a bar/rec area with wine room.

Now look at what you have left and trim as needed.

This home is full of light, with a balance of private space and room to entertain. Each room has upgrades, from the dry bar in the three seasons room to the built-ins throughout. The first floor laundry/mud room has access to the backyard and the second story features the Master suite and Mother-in-Law suite on opposite ends of the home, each with a private balcony. The paver patio with covered awning in the back of the home is just steps from the association-maintained lake and tennis courts. The property has been updated with forced air, radiant heating and central air systems, and has hardwood floors with in-floor heat. The finished basement has a bar/rec area with wine room.

Great job on your listing description! Making sure to use terms that people in your area search for, and not abbreviating when not necessary, will help your listing show up more often. Adding some high quality photos to your listing will help too.