Rewrite your Listing Description and Sell a Home for More Money

Everyone wants to sell his or her home for more money, but making that happen can be tricky. One secret? Writing an amazing listing description. These days, potential buyers are searching for homes on the internet, where space for words is plentiful and sellers can add video walk-throughs, panoramic photographs and digital floor plans. Yet many sellers and real estate agents write three nondescript, dull sentences and wonder why their homes aren’t selling. Landmark Home Warranty has found five ways to rewrite your listing description that have proven to sell homes for more money. Here they are:

DON’T WRITE GOOD … WRITE BETTER

Can you decode this?

±300,000 SF, 30YO, W/MB, ½ BA, ±1000 SF YD, HDWD flrs, BN HWTR.

If you’re confused, imagine seeing that in a listing description. Incorrect spelling, bad grammar and too many abbreviations run rampant in home listings. Not only does this make your listing hard to read, it also makes it hard to want to purchase the home tied to it. When potential buyers can’t understand what makes your house desirable, they simply won’t desire it. Take out the abbreviations and get an editor to go through your listing with you. You’ll get more interest in your home, and you could increase your selling price.

USE LONGER LISTING DESCRIPTIONS

The beauty of listing a home on the internet is that the amount of space for photos, videos, maps and descriptions is fairly endless. That’s why it’s important to write long, detailed descriptions. Now, before you stubbornly say that buyers get bored with long descriptions, real estate experts at Zillow recently disproved that, saying:

“If you’re worrying about boring potential buyers, don’t. We’ve found that longer listings consistently sell for more. Buyers want to know details, and those extra words can give them additional information about whether a house is worth the trek to see it in person. And, in doing so, they can often increase a home’s final sale price.”

Why? The bigger and better the house, the more description it needs. Thus, when you see a home listing that’s three sentences long, you most likely dismiss it. You don’t have enough information to pique your interest. Potential buyers want details. They want to know if the appliances are sterling silver, and if you have a basketball court in the backyard. They’re interested in how many bathrooms there are, and what kinds of countertops are installed in the kitchen. So write, and then write some more. You’ll see more interest in your home and perhaps a larger selling price.

USE LANGUAGE THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR BUYER

Before you run off to write a four-page essay on your listing description, make sure to use the right wording. Zillow recently published their findings on words used in listing descriptions and consequently, the sales prices of those homes. According to Zillow’s data, homes with the words “luxurious” in their listing sold for 8.2% more on average than expected. On the other hand, including words like “TLC, opportunity, or fixer” can decrease a sell price as they conjure up images of remodels .“Cozy, comfortable and quaint “also decreased sell prices, as buyers associated them with the property being small. You can find the full list here.

ADD PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

According to the National Association of Relators, photographs of the property are the most valuable part of a home listing.

After writing an amazing listing, make sure to supplement it with clean, crisp and well-lit photographs. If you’re not much of a photo-bug, spend some money on getting your property professionally photographed, or ask your real estate agent for help in getting the best photos of your home up on your listing. Make sure to highlight the same things you’ve written about in your listing.

Adding a video can also be helpful for a sell. Video walkthroughs of a home provide potential buyers with the feeling as if they’re actually in the house, without ever leaving their computer.

INCLUDE A HOME WARRANTY

According to a study published by the Service Contract Industry Council, homes protected with a home warranty sell faster and for more money. The study found that those homes with a home warranty are sold 11 days sooner on average, and are sold for at least $2,000 more. Most home warranties cost around $400-$600, so this can be a huge gain for most sellers. Landmark Home Warranty has free listing coverage, which allows a seller to not have to pay for repairs and replacements (total coverage up to $1,500) when the home is on the market.

For more information about home warranties, go to www.LandmarkHW.com. There you can compare home warranty plans, read home warranty reviews and learn why Landmark Home Warranty is the best home warranty company.

Rex Frazer
12/11/2015 1:15:00 PM | Reply

I agree that it is important to have a well written description of the home - I find that it improves the amount of showings. I might add that it is also important that the description matches the reality. I believe all listings should be painted in the best light, however, it should accurately represent the homes features and condition. If the description is overstated, Buyers show up and then get deflated - they can handle the truth a lot better.