William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was inscribed with "Totus mundus agit histrionem" (the whole world is a playhouse), along with a crest showing Hercules with a globe on his shoulders. The motto and crest piqued the interest of locals and brought thousands to the Globe’s opening.
The Bard clearly knew a thing or two about selling his work, and even his stage. As it was back then, compelling visuals and headlines are often the most important part selling anything - in this case, your home. The text describing your house can be just as integral to selling your home as its square footage or the local school district.
The most effective ads are short, simple, and don’t oversell the home. They factually list details of the home without turning off buyers with cheesy sales lines (“You'll never see a house like this again!”).
So how do you compose a real estate listing that would make Shakespeare proud? Here are a few tips.
Get to the point
The first sentence in your listing should describe your house in a nutshell (“Beautifully restored Colonial” or “Perfect home for a new family”) and then write about the location and neighbourhood, describing what potential buyers may not see on a map: (“Three blocks from Elementary School” or “Located in rural area twenty minutes from GTA”)
State the details
What are the key selling features of your home? Write about things like its architectural style, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, recently updated appliances, custom built-ins, ecofriendly upgrades, etc. It may be helpful to list overall features first and write about each individual room, and end with the outside. Whatever makes your home unique, mention it.
Avoid real estate jargon or code words
A phrase like “it's a real gem” might mean the house is a fixer-upper, which would not be a good fit for someone seeking move-in ready. Some potential buyers might think “full of character” means the home has some quirks that they do not really want to live with. Also avoid using abbreviations that the reader will need to look up, like 4/3/2 for 4 bedroom/3 bath/2 car garage.
End with a call to action
Your description should conclude with the address of the property, the price of the home, and contact information.
And make sure to have a friend or family member edit it. Poor grammar or typos may turn turn off potential buyers.
Did you write a compelling listing that helped sell your home? Let us know in the comments!