12 Ideas to Add the Wow Factor to Your Property Listings
Let’s face it the vast majority of estate agencies property listings veer between excruciatingly boring to painfully pretentious.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are 12 ideas to add punch, personality, and pizzazz to the way you describe what a property has to offer.
- First up be aware of clichés and nonsense speak. Is the living room really ‘stunning’? And homes can’t talk so they can never brag ……’ this home boasts a breath-taking garden.’ Don’t go there.
- Highlight the lifestyle benefits. A family home with two showers/bathrooms provides the solution to the problem of queues/arguments in the morning when people are getting ready for school/work.
- Add in a What the Seller Loves about their home. Ask them what they adore and why. Thanks to Oliver James in Irlam for that one.
- Nail the property’s BSP early in the description. What’s a BSP? Biggest Selling Point. So, if it’s a family home in the catchment area of an outstanding local school include that early on. Or if it’s a studio flat in a trendy part of town talk about how close it is to the best coffee shops, bars, and restaurants in town.
- Nail the headline. What sounds better – A 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalow for sale – A chance to buy a beautiful family home? Aim to add emotional words in the headline and opening sentence.
- How would you describe the place you’re selling to a friend? Chances are you wouldn’t sound like a property listing and talk about its well-appointed lounge (ouch), its light and spacious feel or the well-established garden! WTF??
- Remember the old journalist’s adage. Write to express, not impress. The property listing needs to get people excited about the place rather than bemused because you rattled off enough jargon to fill a large bin bag.
- Think of good copywriting like a frank breaking up note/text. It’s not them. It’s you. Yes, it’s all about you. Pepper your listings with things like this ….’ you’ll wake up in the morning to panoramic views of the city/harbour / open fields.’ ‘You will be able to be the host with the most by holding BBQ’s for your friends and family in the large garden and relaxing patio area.’
- Don’t Bullsh!7. Stick to the facts about the property rather than making up stuff to make the property sound better than it is. No-one likes being lied to.
- Consider the Four Para technique. 1) Property Location – Schools, stations, shops, restaurants 2) Property Outside – front of home, street, parking. 3) Property Inside – hallway, lounge, kitchen, bedrooms. 4) Property Rear – Garden, balcony. Thanks to Nick Cheshire @ NestinEssex for that one.
- Dare to be different. Consider writing the description as if it were coming from the home itself. Simply by avoiding the usual estate agenty nonsense and jargon, you’ll be helping the property, and its sellers stand out from the crowd.
- And finally, right at the end of the description, tell the reader clearly what to do next. To discover more and book a viewing of this lovely place to call home, call us on ………
I hope this helps and thanks for reading.
Jerry