Listing Descriptions: Make a Good First Impression

“THIS BLOG IS A MUST SEE!!!! AT JUST OVER 800 WERDS, YOULL FEEL WRITE AT HOME READING IT. ITS JUST PHENOMENAL!!!! IT HAS 2B, D/D and F Bsmt!!! WHILE IT HAS NO YARD AND NO NATURAL LIGHT, A LITTLE TLC MAKES THIS BLOG A BEAUTIFUL CHOICE FOR BOOMERS!”

Imagine the opening to every blog you read was something like this? You would get annoyed pretty fast.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to find listing descriptions that mimic the style used above: poor spelling and grammar, tacky descriptive words, all capitals, exclamation marks everywhere, highlighting the negative, real estate jargon, limiting your audience… that’s a lot to unpack from just one paragraph.

But, as the popular saying goes, you can never make another first impression and often times, your REALTOR.ca listing description is one of the first things a prospective buyer will see when looking for a home.

“Listing descriptions over the years have had to change a lot because of the medium they were written for,” says Rob Reynar, a former REALTOR® who’s now Industry Development Manager at CREA. “They used to be written for something that would go in the front window of an office or in a newspaper where characters were limited. Today, it should be about telling a story: sell the reader on why your listing stands out.”

In order to do that, it’s important to know a little bit about the anatomy of a listing. The data fields provide the “bones” of the listing—number of bedrooms and bathroom, type of heating, property type, square footage, etc.—while the description ties all that information together.

“There’s a balance. You don’t want to be overly flowery with your words, you want to be practical and pragmatic about your description,” he says. “The data is important, but don’t regurgitate it in your description.”

Another common tactic you’ll often see used is the use of ALL CAPS. This was a tactic used back in those old print days to draw the readers’ eyes to a specific point on the page; however, now that most home searches begin online with prospective buyers using fine-tuned criteria, there’s no need to make it look like your listing description is shouting at the reader.

(Note: Some boards default to all caps when data is inputted into the system. While you may not have the power to change that, Reynar adds, “All caps should be used sparingly.”)

Speaking about fine-tuned criteria, buyers know what they want in a home. Some want a finished basement; others want an in-law suite. Some want a detached garage, others want main-floor laundry.

Whatever it is they want, REALTOR.ca makes it easy for them to search, so you should stay informed with what terms and keywords home buyers are searching for in your area.

Pro tip: The REALTOR.ca Insights Report can help make sure you’re using the proper terms in your market to get the maximum exposure possible on search engines.

Another important tip when writing listing descriptions is to stay away from industry jargon.

“A lot of the time agents will use acronyms most home buyers aren’t familiar with, or say things like, ‘the home shows well,’” Reynar says. “Agents talk to agents differently than how they talk to clients, so it’s important to be mindful in remembering that in your listing description; it’s not for agents as much as it is for the buyers themselves.”

Studies continue to show buyers want as much information as possible online, but in a quick, digestible fashion. So, if your listing description says, “Nice home in good neighbourhood. Shows well,” and that’s it, well, that won’t garner you any more leads either.

“Again, it all comes down to telling the story of the home. What does it offer? How would you describe it to someone who was standing outside and looking at it for the first time? What unique features or updates are there and what renovations have been made that enhance the character of the home? These are the things you can focus on in the listing description.”

Below is a break down we’ve prepared on some Dos and Don’ts REALTORS® should consider when writing a listing description. Remember, the advice in this column is for a general audience and might not necessarily work for your market or marketing strategy.

What are your listing descriptions tips? Have you ever come across one that stood out, for whatever reason? Let us know in the Comment section below!