We’ve covered some examples of creative property listings, now let’s look at the common mistakes agents make when writing property descriptions and how to fix them.
Firstly, it goes without saying there are some obvious no-no's when drafting your description:
- Spelling mistakes
- Too many adjectives
- Not including a call-to-action
But here are three specific things to avoid that are seen far too often when browsing property sites.
1. Poorly formatted copywriting in the listingMost real estate agents have their agency CRM integrated so listings automatically push through to all the major portals once they are uploaded. While far more efficient than individually uploading the property to each platform, it does leave room for errors to be replicated across multiple sites.
In the example below, the copy has odd line-breaks which make it difficult to read and are off-putting to a potential buyer. It also reflects poorly on the agent as their vendor will no doubt view the listing and be disappointed in the first impression being delivered online. The lesson? Double-check your listings after publishing them to ensure you’re happy with how they appear.
2. Large walls of hard-to-digest text
On the flipside, there is also such a thing as not enough line-breaks. Ensure your listing is scannable and digestible to buyers by splitting one large paragraph into multiple sentences.
Using dot points or hyphens to draw attention to key features is the best way to reduce the visual load. In this example, we’ve shown how it can instantly improve the readability of a listing:
3. The never-ending sentence
When a property has so many fantastic features, it can be difficult to describe the listing succinctly, while also ensuring you’ve covered all the highlights. What invariably ends up happening is a property description example like the below, featuring paragraph-length sentences.
To avoid implementing this sentence structure in your property listing descriptions, here’s an easy test: try reading the sentence aloud. If you can’t get through it without having to pause multiple times to take a breath, that’s a sign your sentence is in dire need of a full stop (or two!).
By following these simple tips and taking the time to craft creative and effective property descriptions, you’ll attract more potential buyers and give your sellers the best chance of achieving a higher sale price.