by Mubanga Sampa 
Most home buyers start their property search online. As such, your real estate listing is more important than ever. After all, if potential buyers read your property listing and aren’t impressed, they are on to the next one. If you’re doing business in real estate, one of the greatest skills you need to possess is writing property listings that sell properties quickly. Luckily, creating compelling property listings is easier than most people think.
The structure of a property listing
Here are the three core components of a real estate listing:
1. Property information
The first part of a good property listing is the property information. This is comprised of simple data, or facts, about the property such as the street address, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage and asking price.
2. Photographs
When prospective buyers are searching for homes to buy, good property photos immediately attract their attention. In fact, pictures make the first and strongest impression. Ensure that your property pictures are of high resolution so that they are clear.
3. Property description
The description is where you should review all of the home’s main features. Use compelling, creative language to highlight details that make your home special. Your description should pique buyers’ interest.
Writing property listings that sell
Know your audience
It is important to know the type of buyers who would be interested in your property. Your property listing needs to speak directly to your target audience. When writing, consider the following questions:
- Why is my prospective buyer looking to purchase a new home?
- How much disposable income does my potential buyer have?
- Does my buyer respond better to soft or bold language?
- What aspects of this home is my buyer specifically searching for?
The more you know about your potential buyer and overall audience, the better your property listing will be written.
Describe the property accurately
To start with, our real estate listing description should be accurate. Setting unrealistic expectations helps no one. In fact, this is one of the things that quickly put off potential buyers. Moreover, being dishonest in your property description will adversely impact your reputation. Instead, own up to the home’s flaws or shortcomings and turn them into positives or offer suggestions to fix them. If your potential buyers know what to expect, they’re more likely to be accepting of the work that needs to be done.
Point out the highlights
So, how do you decide which items to highlight? Start with any upgrades that you’ve recently made to your home. Don’t be afraid to get specific with your finishes and upgrades. Also, remember to include great neighbourhood features. For example, local attractions, and gorgeous parks. For homes that don’t have any stand-out upgrades worth mentioning, it’s even more important to get creative with your description.
Use great photos
Great photos are an incredibly important part of your property listing. Consumers are more tech-savvy than ever and expect quality photos. If every image is washed out with a bright flash or is so grainy you can’t tell what you’re looking at, people will move on to the next listing. Consider engaging a professional photographer with experience and expertise in capturing real estate photos.
The structure of property listing descriptions
Opening statement
A well-written opening statement piques a reader’s interest and compels them to continue reading the rest of the description.
Property description body
After catching a reader’s attention with an opening statement, it’s time to expand and elaborate on the property’s features and benefits. Keep in mind that writing a property description is an inherently creative process.
Call to action
The purpose of a call to action is to elicit a response from an interested home shopper. Responses typically include a click on a link, a phone call or an email inquiry.
