The POWER of WORDS! The words you speak and write can leave a huge impact (either good or bad) on people, so it’s important to choose them wisely. In real estate, words play a vital role in determining how fast property owners can sell their property. Choosing the right set of words to put into your real estate ads will make a huge difference when selling a property.
The idea of selling an investment property can be daunting to many real estate investors. No matter how annoying the selling process may be, it is a must in the real estate investing world. That is why every investor must acquire the ability to create compelling and appealing property listings and real estate ads that sell investment properties quickly.
Related: Clever Strategies for Selling an Investment Property in a Buyer’s Market
Real estate ads: Property listing components
Let’s be honest, most real estate ads are either boring or cheesy. In order to grab a buyer’s attention, you need to have the BEST property description you can think of. A property description is the written portion of a real estate ad that describes in detail the investment property for sale. Property descriptions make up about one-third of real estate ads and are accompanied by photographs and property information.
The whole purpose of property descriptions is to attract potential buyers by painting a clear mental picture of your property using the right words. Later on in this blog, we will discuss exactly how to write the best real estate ads and what to look out for in terms of the language and words you’re using. Before we jump into which words in real estate ads to use to sell your property fast, let’s take a quick look at the components that make up a property listing and the importance of each one.
Primary components of a property listing
Property listings are placed on Multiple Listing Services (MLS) and many different real estate websites like Zillow and Realtor.com. The layout of a property listing is standardized and easy to write. Every property listing contains the following three components:
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Property Information
Property information includes simple data or facts about the investment property such as the property’s address, how much bedrooms/bathrooms it has and the square footage. Additionally, the property’s asking price is included in this section of the property listing.
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Photographs
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that pictures make the strongest first impression. The first thing that property buyers look at when they skim through real estate ads are the pictures and if they are attracted to what they see, they will continue reading the ad. Every property listing should contain pictures of the investment property that are appealing to look at.
Read Also: How Do You Create the Most Attractive Rental Ads?
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Property Description
When home buyers look for real estate properties on listing sites, they not only look at pictures of the property and the property’s information, but they also look for a description of the property. They need to feel for what makes each home unique and interesting compared to other homes on the market. This is why property descriptions are a very crucial part in real estate ads. Good descriptions communicate a home’s features and benefits and convince the buyer why it’s the best home on the market. Making your property description stand out can help you sell it much faster.
This brings us to our next and main point: What words make real estate ads stand out and sell properties faster? Here is exactly what you need to do to make your real estate ad top of the notch perfect.
1. Brainstorm
Like any writing assignment, you first begin by brainstorming ideas. Start by listing all the adjectives and nouns that come to your mind when you’re asked to describe your property. Let your imagination run wild and write down the words as they pop into your mind.
2. Stay away from negative words
Now review your list of words that you brainstormed and cross off any words that sound negative or misleading. Replace these words with something more positive. When you described your property did you use words like “small” or “tiny” or “cozy”? Unless your home is designed and built that way, stay away from such words. Remove words such as “cramped” and “outdated.” These words imply that a lot of work and repair is needed to make the property livable.
Unless your home is the largest home in the area, try to avoid using words such as “oversized.” Many home buyers get disappointed when they read in the property description that the home is oversized and then they see the property and it turns out to be an over-exaggerated description.
There is no need to describe the minor renovations that your property needs in hope of beautifying them with your words. For example, if your property needs a new carpet then just do it instead of advertising it. There is no need to say that your property’s carpeting is “ugly but cute” in order to alert buyers to the fact that they’ll have to do it themselves. No one wants to carpet a property. Similarly, if your property needs a paint job then paint it. However, avoid mentioning “fresh paint” in your real estate ad. Property buyers tend to get suspicious and wonder why you had to repaint your property.
Not only do you need to be careful with what words you use to market your rental property but also how you advertise yourself as a seller. Stay away from the phrase “a motivated seller.” A motivated seller is a desperate seller, and desperate sellers sell for much less than unmotivated sellers.
Related: Tips and Tricks on How to Buy an Investment Property from an Unmotivated Seller
3. Use home seller words
As some would say, “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” This quote is especially true when it comes to writing real estate ads that are fast sellers. Ask yourself, what made you want to buy your property when you first saw it and use the words that come to your mind. Words like “beautiful” are good. Every home buyer wants a beautiful home. The word beautiful is without a doubt a very powerful word, regardless of where or how it is used. Come on, who doesn’t love hearing it?
One of the greatest worries that many home buyers fear is having to put money into a property after closing a deal. If your property is well maintained and requires less initial upkeep then mention it using a phrase like “lovingly maintained.”
4. Choose descriptive headlines
If someone told you to describe your property in ONE word, which word would you choose? Stunning, classic, magnificent, charming, etc. Think about what is the best thing about your home. If it’s the location, style, size or updates, use those features to write an attractive headline. Look at other real estate ads to see how real estate agents describe homes in your area and get an idea of what a headline should look like.
A final word of advice
Words matter! How, when, and where you use them impact everyone around you. In every aspect of life, words are important and real estate is no exception. When advertising your property for sale in real estate ads, you need to carefully think about what words you are using. A simple slip of the tongue can have your property on hold for a very long time.
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