Listing Descriptions That Really Sell

Create listing descriptions that attract buyers and sell the home faster.

By Regina Ludes

For every new listing, Karen Feltman, CRS, with Skogman Realty in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, invites the homeowner to write a letter to prospective buyers, sharing what they love about their home. “It helps me write a better listing description,” she says. “If the homeowner appreciates certain features, then buyers are likely to appreciate them, too.”

While photos and pricing might grab a buyer’s attention, well-crafted listing descriptions provide the context, highlighting a home’s details and finishes that may not be visible in photos.

Therefore, word choice is key. Not only can the right words and phrases paint a picture for buyers, they can affect the final sale price, according to recent research by Zillow Digs. When words such as “barn door,” “shaker cabinets” and “subway tiles” were found in a listing ad, the home sold faster and for as much as 13 percent higher than the list price. Terms like “stainless steel,” “granite,” “view” and “landscaped” are commonly found in listings that earned a higher sales price than comparable homes as well.

If your property description isn’t capturing the essence of your listing as well as you’d like, it’s time to rethink it. To improve your listing blurb appeal, consider these factors.

Use Compelling Headlines

Headlines should be concise, specific, direct and create a sense of urgency, says real estate copywriter April White with LuxuryRealEstateWriter.com. To get ideas for headlines, check out magazine covers and note which words and phrases are used to entice people to read.

Tell a Story

Rather than list all the home’s features, create a narrative that weaves the features throughout so buyers can envision living there. “Each home has a vibe, an energy that you want to capture that isn’t visible in photos,” White says. “You want to sell a lifestyle. What does it feel like to live in that home, in that neighborhood?”

Listing descriptions with a narrative context are more reader-friendly and help buyers imagine living there, says Ken Smith, CRS, with Keller Williams Kansas City in Missouri. “‘Open space’ is a concept most people understand because they can visualize how the kitchen opens up to the living room,” he says.

Feltman writes her descriptions with a focus on convenience and lifestyle, which appeals to online buyers. She includes details such as the proximity to parks and bike trails, which may appeal to outdoorsy types; and open floor plans and updated kitchens for buyers who enjoy entertaining.

Describe Housing Upgrades

Be sure to mention home upgrades and renovations in your descriptions, says Marcia Rubini, CRS, with RE/MAX Preferred Associates in Toledo, Ohio. “No matter how old the house is, buyers want to know if the furnace was replaced or if the windows are new,” she says.

When describing renovations, Rubini uses “newer” rather than “new” to avoid confusing buyers. “When you describe carpeting as new, people tend to think it was replaced last week. If it was replaced two years ago, it’s no longer new,” Rubini says. Showcase the home honestly and don’t exaggerate or understate a home’s features, she adds, or you may undermine the buyers’ trust in you—and the value of the house.

Choose the Right Words

While some words may help sell your listing faster and for a higher price, other terms can have the opposite effect. Feltman says phrases like “open floor plan,” “spacious rooms,” and “upgraded kitchens and baths” seem to attract the most buyers to her listings. But she avoids terms like “cozy,” which implies that the rooms are small and “handyman special,” which indicates that you may be softening how much work the home needs.

Overused words like “luxury” and “unique” are subjective and can mean different things to different people, White says. “Instead, show what luxury means. For example, describing the marble fireplace that was imported from Italy implies luxury without stating it,” she says.

Avoid using real estate jargon, White advises. “REALTORS^® tend to write for other agents, not for buyers. When they mention industry terms or design features, they assume buyers understand what they mean,” she says. For example, talking about a “gabled roof” or “dormer windows” doesn’t mean a lot to buyers, even though agents may recognize those terms.

Don’t Repeat Details

If you’ve indicated on the MLS profile that the home has three bedrooms, don’t repeat that information in the description section. Use that space to highlight the intangibles of the home to help buyers imagine living there. Many MLSs limit word space, so to get around this limitation White suggests writing a full property description first, then cutting out non-essential details until it fits.

If writing is not your forte, a professional writer can help with your property ads.

Add High-Quality Photos

High-quality photos can complement the home’s story. Smith hires a professional photographer to take a minimum of 25 photos of his listings, the maximum allowed by his MLS. He then displays them in order of the home’s layout, starting with the front exterior and proceeding through the common areas and bedrooms. For additional exposure, Smith posts listings on the Enhanced Listings section of Realtor.com, which gives him space for 36 photos and 2,500 characters to paint a clearer picture.

Another option is to showcase the home’s best features in the first few photos, White says, especially if those features are extraordinary, such as a refurbished staircase or a designer kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. “Once you’ve hooked buyers’ interest, the remaining images can highlight more mundane features,” White says.

For increased salability in a competitive marketplace, listing descriptions with the right key words and imagery can help tell a home’s story that captures a buyer’s interest.

Regina Ludes is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

Want the latest information on listing strategies that work? Check out the CRS course “Listing Strategies for the Residential Specialist.”