How To Write Effective Property Descriptions

Writing an effective property description can make or break the sale of your home. It can either attract potential buyers like a magnet or push then away like a bowl of rotten eggs. Property descriptions must generate interest in the property and give the buyer a reason to want to see it. Here are some tips for writing your property description:

1. Write positive headlines
   The purpose of your headline is to grab the buyer’s attention and compel him to want to see your home. Writing positive headlines such as ‘Beautiful Home For Sale’ will attract more buyers than ‘Bank Foreclosure’.
2. Describe the best features
   Don’t just list the features of your home. Describe the benefits to the buyer, telling the buyer why they will want that feature. Instead of saying ’family room, fireplace, 3 bedrooms’, say ‘family room with fireplace to snuggle around on cold winter nights. 3 spacious bedrooms with lots of closet and storage space’.
3. Write to potential buyers
   Determine who your potential buyers are and direct your ad to them. If your home is in a good school district, mention the schools in your ad. If you are near public transportation, say something like ‘save money on gas with convenient commuting options’.
4. Include the price in your ad
   May real estate professionals omit the price as a way to get the phone to ring. As a for-sale-by-owner, you most likely don’t want to be bothered with calls from people who can’t afford your home. Include the price as a way of screening potential buyers.
5. Use positive words
   Use positive words in your ad. ‘Needs TLC’ is more appealing than ‘Needs Work’. The word ‘cozy’ will attract more attention than ‘small’ and ‘maintenance free’ says more to a buyer than ‘no yard’.
6. Include the property location
   Buyers are often focused on a certain geographical area. Be sure to include your property’s location, so buyers don’t overlook your property by mistake.
7. End with call to action
   Conclude your description with a reason for the buyer to contact you or other call to action. Something like ‘Don’t let this home get away’ or ‘Will sell fast, call now can make a buyer call for details.

A study was conducted in Canada a number of years ago to determine what words work best to sell a home. Here are the results:

• ‘Beautiful’ homes sold 15 percent faster and for 5 percent higher in price than the average. ‘Good value’ homes sold for 5 percent less.
• The verbiage ‘must see’ was about as popular as a telemarketer at dinnertime, but didn’t significantly impact the number of days on the market.
• Use of the word ‘landscaping’ related to homes selling 20 percent faster than the average, while homes using ‘move-in condition’ took 12 percent less time to sell.
• When conveying the motivation of the sellers, some words worked better than others. Listings using the word ‘moving’ sold for 1 percent less in price compared to 8 percent less with the word ‘motivated’.
• Use of words such as ‘foreclosure’, ‘as-is’, ‘handyman special’ and other terminology relating to a problem related to lower sales prices.
• Words highlighting positive features such as ‘granite’, ‘maple’, and ‘gourmet’ were associated with higher prices.
• Referring to ‘golf’, ‘lake’, ‘views’ brought increased prices. But, positive comments (new paint, new carpet) relating to condition brought lower ones.

Words that help a listing:
curb appeal, move-in condition, landscaped, granite, gourmet, golf

Words that hurt a listing:
motivated seller, good value, as-is, clean, quiet, new paint

Tags: Home Marketing, Property Description

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