Your main job description is to help buy and sell homes and properties for your clients. Making your listing descriptions and listing images the best they can be should be a top priority. Many listings fall short and can harm your sales, client retention, potential leads/clients, and more. Below are some very helpful tips to implement when enhancing your listings.
1. Include Clear, Attractive Photos – Make sure that your listing images are never blurry, fuzzy, or pixelated. Photos should also always be level. Tilted or sideways images can be confusing, and disrupt the flow of your listing.
2. Do Not Have Distractions or Anything Unappealing in Photos – Always make sure the room you are taking a photo of or have a photo of is tidy and looks its best. Avoid distractions such as a toilet seat propped up instead of being down, or a child or pet in the room. Always keep in mind that you are showcasing the home, not what could fit in that room, or the previous owner’s hobbies.
3. Show a Clean Home – Always make sure every photo shows the home as being clean and neat, as you want viewers to see that the home has been taken care of. Sometimes the room just needs a five minute dusting or for the pillows to be arranged in an aesthetically pleasing fashion.
4. Speak Plain English – As with any profession, real estate agents have short forms and industry lingo, but using this in your listing description can alienate buyers. They may miss what you are saying, become confused, or feel undermined. Speaking in terms the average person can understand will only help you sell.
5. Keep It Neutral – Try to avoid very specific phrases such as: “great family home”, “close to a church/synagogue/mosque” or “no children”. Keeping your sale neutral until the potential buyer brings up that they are interested in these features will be the best bet.
6. Do Not Highlight the Negative – You should still include them on the listing, but be sure to word them in a way that does not feel harsh. For example, instead of writing “Previous owners neglected to replace the water heater”, you could write “This home has a brand new furnace, and water softener, and the only appliance left to replace is the water heater.” Be sure to fully disclose any problems or challenges with the listing.
7. Have Up to Date Content – If your listing has been on the market for longer than planned and the owners have decided to do a renovation or replace a few appliances, make sure you update your listing accordingly. If you are having a showing and visitors have not been informed of the changes or updates to the listing this can lead to frustrated clients, and you may lose out on potential buyers.
8. Spell Check Your Description – Be sure to read over your description after you have finished it. Typos and spelling/grammar errors can be jarring to viewers, and may be seen as unprofessional. A second pair of eyes never hurts.
9. Make Your Content Short & Sweet – While you want to be thorough, the description should entice visitors to get in contact with you and ask for more information or schedule a showing.
Lukas Soltys
Lukas has been working as a Marketing and Technology Expert with Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies since 2011. He consults regularly with realtors and brokerages alike to optimize website content and to achieve the most favorable placement in search results, as well as a visually pleasing and informative experience for the desired audience.
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