Top 10 Tips for Great Listing Copy
We’ve looked before at how easy it can be to make unintentional errors when writing up your listings. Embellishments can creep in without you realising, and comments that focus on one type of buyer can end up turning off other potential clients.
So how do you walk that fine line, outlining all the positives a property has to offer without stretching the truth, and promoting it to the right audience without leaving other buyers out?
Here are our Top 10 Tips for Great Listing Copy:
1. Gather all the information you can about the property itself, the street it’s in, and the surrounding area. Build up a clear picture of what you’ll be promoting.
2. Use all this information to be as specific as you can. Is the property on the high or low side of the street? What will buyers see from the balcony? How is the house heated and cooled? Answering these questions up front will build trust in potential clients.
3. Avoid going overboard with the superlatives. Describing a home as “gracious” or “excellent” might sound nice, but ultimately it doesn’t give home hunters any solid information.
4. Encourage home hunters to see themselves in the property, perhaps by saying that the 10 metre pool is perfect for morning laps, or that the sunroom is ideal for lounging with the Sunday newspapers.
5. Don’t skimp on the details. If the property is in a “great location”, talk about what’s nearby that makes that statement true. Similarly, if it has “tons of extras”, give examples of what those might be.
6. Use details to attract the right buyer. Rather than say the property is perfect for a family, which may cause other buyers to switch off, focus on the large bedrooms or big back yard.
7. Can you give buyers a sense of the property’s history? Mentioning recent renovations, or the fact that it has had the same owner for 40 years, will show property hunters you know all there is to know about this place.
8. Correct grammar and spelling is crucial. If you don’t have someone who can proofread your work, try reading it aloud to spot any errors.
9. Similarly, try to stay away from slang, overuse of capitals and exclamation marks, and creative punctuation.
10. Originality will pay off. Even if true, saying a property is one buyers “can’t afford to miss” will only make their eyes glaze over. Take the time to think of a new way to describe what the property offers.
These tips really boil down to two major points: know what you’re promoting, and explain it clearly without embellishments.