Listing descriptions are often the first way prospective buyers are exposed to homes on the market. Whether they’re online, on flyers, or on open house materials, listing descriptions MATTER. After all:
A great listing description can crucially highlight the best features of a home, exciting buyers and drawing them in to find out more.
A poorly written listing description can drive buyers away, kill interest in a home, and maybe even cause it to sit on the market for longer.
How to Write a Home Listing Description: 5 Tips
You don’t need to be a trained writer or master wordsmith to put together a compelling, effective listing description that will get noticed. Simply use these tips. They can help you pay attention to a few key elements, so you can easily craft an irresistible listing description when you’re selling a home.
1. Write a detailed title.
Titles and pictures can spark immediate interest in your listing. So, don’t just slap any old title onto your listing. Make sure the title highlights some key features of the home, including the:
- Location: Specify the city because many listing searches are city specific.
- Neighborhood: Describe the neighborhood to define the location a bit more, like a quiet suburb, downtown, or just outside of town.
- Type or style of home: Detail whether the home is a condo, a townhouse, a craftsman-style home, or another type of house. If you have room (because titles are limited by character counts), you can also call out how many stories or levels the house has.
Example: “Charming 2-Story, Craftsman Home with Stunning Views in River Oaks ”
2. Make your intro pop.
The beginning of your listing should showcase more appealing features of the house that you couldn’t describe in the title or headline. Some of the features you can highlight in this intro include the:
- Number of bathrooms and bedrooms
- Views from the property
- Parking and storage space
- Layout and square footage
- Unique architectural features
- Recent renovations
- Outdoor space and landscaping
- Any other distinctive features of the home
Example: “This spacious, recently renovated 2-story townhouse is a charming single-family home, complete with gorgeous lake views, modern amenities, and room to expand.”
3. Call out top features & brands.
This is where you want to highlight the key features of your home, including (but not limited to):
- The types of upgrades or renovations that were recently completed
- The brands of major appliances within the home
- Energy-saving features of the home
The better you showcase these details, the more likely it is that interested buyers will set up a tour to come check out your home.
Example: Recent updates to the home include upgraded flooring, new energy-efficient appliances, and new energy-efficient windows and doors.
4. Use great adjectives to enhance your description.
Break out your thesaurus can get creative here because how you describe things — meaning the adjectives you choose — can be really powerful. In fact, some of the most eye-catching descriptors you can include in listings are (and are by no means limited to):
- High-end, upscale, luxurious
- Updated, upgraded, renovated, and replaced
- Gorgeous, beautiful, breath-taking, stunning, and impeccable
Keep in mind too that descriptions about what things are made of can also go a long way to interest buyers. In other words, specifying granite, stainless steel, concrete, and other materials can also be incredibly helpful to include in home listings.
Example: When you step into this newly remodeled, luxurious space, you’ll immediately notice the natural light, breathtaking views, and incredible privacy this charming home has to offer.
5. Avoid the no-no words.
Just like some words can hook prospective buyers, others can immediately repel them. Those no-no words to avoid using in your listing include (and are not limited to):
- Small
- Fixer-upper
- Bargain with lots of potential
Those descriptors highlight the negatives, and they can be framed in better ways that put a positive spin on things.
Example: Instead of describing a house as a “bargain fixer-upper that needs some TLC,” you can frame that in a much better way by saying something like “this house can is ready to be customized.”
4 More Tips for Writing a Great Home Listing Description
Along with the above, here are some more pro tips for how to craft a compelling listing that gets noticed:
- Format it right. Think about how you’re breaking up paragraphs and sentences. Make it as easy to read as possible.
- Go easy on exclamation points and capitalization. If you emphasize everything with exclamation points and capitalization, none of it will seem important. And the whole listing can come off like a carnival barker, not a legitimate, thoughtful listing.
- Avoid jargon and abbreviations that can be confusing. You don’t have to put every detail into the listing. And jargon won’t help you.
- Work with a pro. Experienced Realtors know how to put together fantastic listings, and they can help you call out all of the best features of your home, so you can get it sold FAST and for a great price!
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If you’re getting ready to list a home in Texas, you can get experienced help selling your house — and you can get cash back at closing — when you work with the 5-star Realtors® at New Home Gurus. We can guide you through the process, helping you with offers, negotiations, and closing. Plus, we’ll split our commission with you at closing!
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How Much Cash Can You Get after Closing?
Call (281) 668-8124 or Contact Us to Find Out Now
We are standing by, ready to answer your questions and explain the details of our commission-sharing program.