Tips to Help REALTORS® Improve Their Listing Descriptions
In many cases, your REALTOR.ca listing description is one of the first things a prospective buyer will see when they’re looking at a property—and you never get a second chance to make a great impression.
To help REALTORS® put their best foot forward, we’ve compiled some tips to help craft a description that tells a compelling easy-to-follow story.
Knowing the anatomy of a listing
The first step in writing a great listing description is knowing what information is already captured elsewhere within the listing. Details like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, heating type, and square footage are already included in other data fields on REALTOR.ca, so there’s no need to repeat them.
Why is this important?
To keep prospective buyers engaged, avoid repetition so they can get to the details that truly set the property apart—like a beautiful hydrangea garden in the back, or that state-of-the-art-tool organization system in the garage. Your listing description should be about what ties all the other information together and makes this home unique.
Leave the poetry out of your listing
When you’re writing a listing description, try to think of the end reader who’s looking through a variety of listings at once and skimming through to get a general picture.
Ask yourself, what does this home offer? How do you feel when you walk in? What’s unique? Are there any updates or renovations? Does this home have a history? A custom feature? These types of questions can help kickstart the writing process.
We get it, it’s a fine line to walk, but try to balance the poetry with facts to share what’s going to help the potential buyer know if this is the home for them.
Keep it well written
Ok, but what does well written mean?
In a nutshell, well written means:
- correct spelling;
- correct grammar;
- simple vocabulary; and
- not all caps (sorry folks!).
We’re not recommending this just for fun. A poorly written description can make it difficult to identify the property’s key selling points, skim the text quickly or understand its true value. And if you’re using overly complex language, it may be too confusing for some readers.
Poorly written work may also be less accessible for people who rely on accessibility aids, such as text-to-speech functions, to read your description. If the device can’t read it, you could be losing out on a potential buyer.
You want to always write something that’s interesting, engaging, but also easy to follow.
Reference chart
OK, now that we’ve gotten some of the basics out of the way, here’s a quick reference chart to review the time you’re writing a listing description.
| Do this! | Don’t do this. |
|---|---|
| Be concise and tell a compelling narrative. | Repeat information in other data fields, like number of bedrooms. |
| Write a catchy opening sentence. | Make grammar and spelling mistakes. |
Include popular search terms for your area. Refer to REALTOR.ca Local Insights to see what they are. Examples include: garage, parking, in-law suite, wallpaper, fenced and finished basement. | Use all caps (if possible) or use an abundance of exclamation marks. |
Include a call to action, like getting in touch with you. Be sure to know your Board/Association’s MLS® Rules about self promotion in public remarks. | Make assumptions about the demographics of your clients. For example, “Attention millennials! You’ll love this grey home…” This may alienate other potential buyers. |
Focus on the selling points. New appliances? Smart technology? Energy efficiencies? Be sure to include anything big. | Exaggerate the property or its features. |
Be mindful of search engine optimization (SEO) and choose common words. For example, say “deck” or “porch” instead of “veranda.” | Use industry jargon. |
Is your REALTOR.ca profile up to date?
Keeping your profile on REALTOR.ca profile up to date is a great way to generate leads and promote your listings. Remember to regularly check to ensure all your information is up to date, especially after changing brokerages or achieving new professional certifications.
Did we miss anything? If you have more tips for writing a great listing description, let us know in the comments.
