As a Real Estate Agent, you might not think of yourself as a “sales person”, but in fact that’s exactly what you are. You sell properties, normally through your persuasive ability to talk to potential buyers and convince them that your listing is just what they’re looking for.
As well as having great inter-personal skills, a Real Estate agent needs to be able to write a listing that clearly communicates why your property is the deal of a lifetime and can’t be missed!
The quality of your ads reflects the quality of the listing and the quality of your service.
So how do you write a great property listing? What needs to be included? With over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, we know what works and what doesn’t.
Here are a few of our tips for getting it right:
Write a catchy headline
When you’re posting your listing on a website, it’ll often come up in a search if people are looking for something specific. If your listing has an eye-catching heading that looks different and stands out from the others, you’ll increase your chances of someone clicking on it.
Write an opening statement
Follow up with an opening statement that outlines in one or two sentences the best selling feature of the property. This is your chance to grab readers and create some excitement!
Body of the ad
The body is where you need to do two things. First, list the features of the property, like the location, number of bedrooms and bathroom, and size of the land. List these in order of importance. Then describe the property in a compelling way and talk about the benefits of buying this property. Words can do an amazing job of selling, and it’s a challenge to write in a way that makes your property sound appealing.
Closing statement
Wrap it up and tell your readers what you want them to do next. Should they call you to arrange an inspection? Should they register their interest for an auction? Let them know!
Now here are some examples of what NOT to do!
Don’t forget a spelling and grammar check
This example of a poorly written ad shown very bad grammar and spelling, and does nothing to boost the professionalism and credibility of the business. Make sure that all your work is proof read and checked thoroughly before you publish it.
Don’t write in plain text
This ad lists the features of the property, and that’s about it. There’s no heading, no bullet points, and the benefits of this property aren’t emphasized as well as they could be. Nothing jumps out at the reader, so it’s easy for a potential buyers’ eye to just pass over this ad onto the next one.
Don’t hype
It can be tempting to overstate the greatness of your property if it hasn’t got much going for it. But buyers prefer you to be honest and paint a realistic picture. If it needs a ton of renovations, say so! They’ll find out soon enough when they see the property. The most successful sales people know how to convey this information effectively. Don’t oversell it. Don’t make it into something it’s not. Just describe your property and it’s features in a way that will help buyers see the greatness of it.
Avoid clichés
Avoid cliché words and phrases like “boasting…” and “unrivalled location”. Sounding just like everyone else won’t help your ad to stand out.
Writing a great property blurb is not a natural ability we’re all born with. But with a little practice and some guidelines, you can write ads that sell your properties faster. Sometimes, other circumstances get in the way of selling your home quickly, but making sure your property description is not one of them is a step in the right direction.