How to Write an Effective Property Listing Description

“Creating an image in a reader’s head is easier said than done. However, writing something such as ‘Enjoy your breakfast every morning on the bespoke breakfast bar while enjoying unspoiled views of your garden’ is a simplistic yet effective way of creating mental imagery while detailing certain features of the property.”

( Andrew C. Peterson, a listing writer for Paper Writing Service)

So, let’s imagine you’ve got your property ready, you’ve cleaned it up and it’s ready to go on the market for rent or to buy. There are a ton of property listing websites available, but you really want yours to stand out from the crowd. As you’ll already know, this is easier said than done.

What most real estate agents and private sellers overlook is how the property description is written. In most cases, this will be the only form of communication you’ll have with your potential buyers, so it’s vital that you get it right.

In this article, we’ll explain how to write an effective property listing description.

Be Descriptive

People that are searching for properties will be looking at a lot of potential places, and it will be too time-consuming to call up and ask questions about each, especially with the excitement of buying a new property.

When creating your property description, include all the information about the property you can.

Often times I will see stuff like, “Start making memories in this home”.  That does not tell me anything about the property and is just fluff that is taking up valuable real estate as you only get 500 characters (NWMLS).

Opening Statement

The first sentence of the description should answer the potential buyer’s question, “What am I looking at?”.

I suggest you not start right into the features, rather give a down and dirty description of the highlights of the property.

I apologize in advance for my writing skills.

Example:

“You will love this sprawling rambler sitting on 3 acres of gentle rolling hills with panoramic views of Mt. Rainier”

An opening statement like this lets people know right away what they are looking at.

Try To Use These Words

Zillow ran a data analysis on 24,000 home sales to find out what words that add value to your listing.

• Luxurious
• Captivating
• Impeccable
• Stainless
• Basketball
• Landscaped
• Granite
• Pergola
• Remodel
• Beautiful
• Gentle
• Spotless
• Tile
• Upgraded
• Updated

Try To Not Use These Words

A study conducted by Paul Anglin, a professor at the University of Guelph in Canada show that you should stay away from these words.

• 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

According to researcher Paul Anglin, Words that denoted “curb appeal” or general attractiveness helped a property sell faster than those that spoke of value and price.

Create a Visual Image

It’s much easier to sell a property if the potential buyers can see themselves living in your property. Instead of superlatives, use imagery words that help to paint a picture. Andrew C. Peterson, a listing writer for Paper Writing Service, explains;

Instead of superlatives, use imagery words that help to paint a picture.

Rather than stating that the home has a deck, you could say, “enjoy listening to the bird’s chirp on your private back deck”.

Use Brand Names

If you are lucky enough to get a listing with:

• Viking stove
• SubZero refer
• Nest thermostat
• Bosch tankless water heater
• Armstrong flooring
• West Elm lighting
• Trex decking

Add it to your description.

Buyers are looking for these kinds of brands and it adds value to your listing.

Describe The Best Features In Order Of Importance

The National Association of Home Builders 2016 report, Housing Preferences Across Generations, rank the importance of home features.

The Most Wanted Features

• A separate laundry room
• Energy Star qualified appliances
• Exterior lighting
• Energy Star rating for the whole house
• Energy Star windows
• Ceiling fan
• Outdoor living spaces
• Full Bath on the main level
• Hardwood flooring
• Insulation higher than required by code
• Garage storage space
• Eat-in kitchens
• Walk-in kitchen pantry
• Living room
• Front porch
• Shower stall and tub in master bath
• Deck
• Double kitchen sink

The Most Unwanted Features

• Elevator
• Pet washing station
• Wine cellar
• Golf course
• Daycare center
• High-density living
• Cork flooring
• Dual toilets in master bath
• Two story family room
• Wet bar
• Two story entry foyer
• Laminate countertop

Location, Neighborhood, Schools

Describing the structure itself is important but remember that you are selling a lifestyle.  We all have heard the phrase, and yes the location is very important. And equally important to many are the schools in that neighborhood.

Here are 5 characteristics that are important to home buyers according to Fox Business News.

1. A safe neighborhood
2. Good schools
3. Convenient access to popular places, shops, and restaurants
4. Water access and views
5. Access to public transit and/or freeways

Don’t Waste Space With Basic Listing Information

Every tool that your listing gets inputted into will display prominently the property square footage, the number of rooms, and bathrooms.

You don’t need to put that information in your description.

Use Online Tools

When creating your property listings, you want to ensure perfection. If you doubt your writing skills in any way, don’t risk it. Instead, invest the assistance of online tools to help perfect your content. Some of these essential tools are listed below:

• Hemingway App
  • Make your posts easier to read.  This tool grades the “readability” of your writing.
    
• Headline Analyzer
  • Score your opening statement quality and rate its ability to result in social shares.
• Grammerly
  • Free grammar checker instantly eliminates grammatical errors and enhances your writing.
• Word Counter
  • Track your word count in real-time using this free online tool.
• State of Writing
  • To improve your skills as a writer, now or for future listings, refer to State of Writing for guidelines and advice on how to structure and create the perfect listings.
• Essay Writer
  • If you have any doubt in your writing skills, hire an expert writer at EssayRoo.

Be Honest

When creating your property listings, in no way will you want to violate any housing regulations or housing laws. This means you need to be completely honest in everything you write with no exaggerations. Be aware; it’s relatively easy to break these guidelines without even meaning to, so make sure you check the guidelines in your local area before uploading your content.

An example of this would be stating that your property is easily accessible for disabled individuals because it has low counters. You can state your property has low counters but don’t state that it’s designed for disabled people when it may not be.

Summary

You only get 500 characters (NWMLS) to describe your listing… make sure you maximize your effort.

We have the benefit these days of big data to help us understand what we should write.  Use the power words, and features that are most important to buyers.

If you are not a great writer there are many tools online that help transform you into the Walt Whitman of property descriptions.

Find out here how to write an effective property listing description.