Selling a home involves many steps. One of the most important is listing the home for sale online. Real estate listings must accomplish many goals. Listings must be accurate, factual and entice buyers to see the property in person. When writing a home listing, keep certain things in mind. Effective listings generate leads, show the properly off to well and ultimately get it sold at the highest price quickly.
Avoid the Basics
Readers already know the house has three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. They can scan the accompanying fact sheet that is up on every single listing. There’s no need to repeat information that is written elsewhere. Leave out details that the buyer already knows about. The space allotted for descriptions is typically quite short. Make every single word count.
Show Off the Home’s Best Features
Now is the time to brag. If the home has special features that other homes do not, mention them. Updated appliances, an extra large yard, brand new hardwood flooring, a jacuzzi and a three car garage — all these details should go in the listing. The same is true of any additions that have been added recently, such as a new deck or a brand new roof. Discuss the updated baths and the recently installed skylight in the master bedroom. Directly demonstrate what’s unique about this home compared to other homes for sale right now.
Use Highly Specific Language
Research has shown that certain words tend to appeal to buyers more than others. Use as many of these words as you can in the listing. Note that these words tend to be quite specific. For example, “luxurious” and “captivating” are better than a bland, unfocused word like “nice”. Nice means virtually nothing. Descriptive words like landscaped, spotless and upgraded all conjure up a precise and enticing image in buyer’s minds. Any listing should aim to draw a vivid picture of this home in the buyer’s mind the second they read it.
Let the Buyer See Themselves
The goal is to let the buyer imagine they live there already. Copy like, “stretch on this home’s painted wraparound front porch and watch the sun set over the city each evening,” immediately tells the reader what it’s like to own the home.
Writing a real estate listing is an art form, and all the best professionals have mastered this talent. Try some of these tips for your next listing and see the difference.
*Content was originally published at JasonCohenPittsburgh.org
Jason Cohen (Pittsburgh) 