Real Estate Marketing

If you were fishing, your listing would be the hook. Your bait must be attractive, simple and juicy. Certain real estate marketing tricks will lure buyers in and speak to their needs. By taking a crash course in listing writing, you will increase profits significantly and ensure that neither your time nor the buyer’s time is wasted.

First of all, use language that creates atmosphere. For instance, instead of writing “Contains a brick fireplace,” try “Spend those brisk autumn evenings in front of the charming brick fireplace.” Also, research your architectural styles. Know the difference between a Queen Anne Victorian, a Neo-classical and a Tudor Revival. Each style brings certain features that the discerning and artistic buyer will appreciate.

Be as specific in your descriptions as possible when applying real estate search engine optimization to your website. The National Bureau of Economic Research found that homes described with details like “maple” or “granite” attained higher sale prices, whereas vague adjectives like “fantastic”, “clean” or “quiet” had little to no impact.

For success in real estate marketing, try to think back to creative writing class and write a description using the five senses that evokes a visceral, emotional response. When you first enter that house, let your intuition and emotions guide you to imagine what kind of person will not just want – but NEED – this particular place. Sure there are trouble spots, as with anywhere, but what calls to a discerning taste? Is it the built-in reading bench next to the tall windows? Is it the stone flooring in the bathroom that begs for a bubble bath to be drawn up, with an assortment of candles providing a medieval lighting? Or is it that spacious backyard where dogs and children can play while mom gardens and dad swings in his hammock? Visualize, visualize, visualize! 

If you’re including a laundry list of items, make sure to mention everything – even seemingly minute details. For you the extra outlets in the bathroom or the low-maintenance guarantee deck might seem trivial, but to a prospective buyer this could be the bells and whistles they need to make that deal.

Avoid the clichés! By now, prospective buyers are sick to death of terms like “luxury bathroom,” “cozy” to describe size and “gourmet kitchen.”

Know your market. When you’re pitching lower end real estate, “fixer-upper” or “first time bungalow” may not be so bad because it suggests that it’s within one’s means. In places with dark and dreary winters, lighting is an important feature to mention -- whereas, in a place like Florida it may just sound silly. With the high end markets, no one wants to hear about “luxury” this-or-that, nor do they get hung up on simple numbers. Instead, this market wants to feel pampered. Describing a “palatial estate on 20 acres” or “contemporary classic situated next to lush 27-hole golf course” much more suits their needs.

While your listing needs to be poignant and memorable, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words, so you’ll need to include as many as you can.

In the end, you’re not selling a home. You’re selling a LIFE.