Real Estate Listing Descriptions

Writing Real Estate Listing Descriptions for the MLS, Realtor.com, and Zillow is the very last thing most agents do before publishing their listing. Why? Most agents just don’t like writing them. Here are my tips for writing a great real estate listing description.

7 Tips for Writing Great Real Estate Listing Descriptions

1. Use a Strong Opening Line
   The opening line of your listing description should hook the reader and compel them to keep reading. Oftentimes. the single best feature of the home can be included in the opening line.
2. Highlight the Best Features
   Great real estate listing descriptions show off the best features of the property. Using 3-5 of the best features of the property keeps readers engaged and will answer most of their questions.
3. Keep it Brief
   Most potential buyers will read your property description on their phone where it’s more natural to skim. Keep your descriptions brief and cover the basics. The property description should reinforce what they saw in the listing photos.
4. Avoid Overselling
   A small number of descriptive adjectives is helpful but too much is overselling. Overselling breaks down trust so it’s best to go easy on the flowery language and setting the scene with things like “Imagine yourself enjoying your morning coffee as the sun sets.” Luxury car ads provide a great roadmap for the type of MLS description that works.
5. Make it Easy to Read
   You’ll want to avoid using all caps, jargon, and abbreviations since these are hard to read. Be sure to use short sentences and language that’s easy to understand.
6. Keep it Legal
   Be sure to stay within the law when it comes to fair housing. Don’t use terms that describe people or indicate a preference for a particular group. However, it’s ok to mention local amenities like playgrounds, parks, community pools, etc.
7. Opinions
   Avoid subjective terms like “Great schools,” “Safe neighborhood,” and “Quiet street.” These opinion terms can cause trouble down the road.

When writing your real estate listing descriptions it’s best to write them early in the listing process. Generally, it’s best to get your bullet points together as you’re getting the photos. By writing the description before the last minute you can more easily get approval from your sellers. It also gives your sellers more time to correct any mistakes or add any additional information they’d like to have included without causing delays to getting the property on the market.

Real Estate Writing Services

Many real estate agents find that it’s a lot easier to hire someone to write their real estate listing descriptions. Just like working with a professional photographer for your listing photos you’ll get the best possible results when hiring a real estate copywriter. When I work with clients to write their real estate listing descriptions they will provide the bullet points and property photos. We can also arrange a live video walk through to talk about the property and work on the initial list.

If you’d like more information about working together to write your real estate listing descriptions please email me at jon@jonpaulmiller.com. The cost for a typical real estate listing description is $150.

You may also be interested in reading about How to Write a Real Estate Newsletter.