Property descriptions with distinction

“Just listed, a wonderfully maintained home in a great location with exquisite mountain views ...”

The power of visual imagery in well-crafted descriptions is of immense value when marketing a home for sale. There are profound artistic and analytical synergies intrinsic in successfully marketed homes.

When marketing a home, the description should not only be creative it also should be concise. Successful home sellers are attentive to this process, taking the time necessary to prepare compelling property descriptions that are innovative and garner attention. Through the inclusion of distinctive words, a home’s listing should serve to illicit a mental image of the property while remaining true to form, without embellishment.

Writing a listing description that promulgates interest while simultaneously touching on important facts can present a challenge; however, when careful thought and consideration is applied to the marketing process, significant returns often result. A detailed description, free from errors in punctuation and grammar, should allow the intended audience to experience the property through a seller’s narrative account of the home.

There are two sides to a home’s well-crafted listing description consisting of artistic and the analytical components. The artistic side should focus on the creative aspects of a property’s promotion, instilling a favorable impression upon would-be homeowners. While the analytical side should focus on the functional and transactional elements relating to the subject property. When appropriately applied to a listing description, both the artistic and analytical contexts will serve to heighten interest in the home and potentially may be the deciding factor in receiving a competitive offer.

An artistically written advertisement outlining a home’s characteristics, features, and attributes is better positioned to pique a prospective buyer’s interest than a drab description lacking thoughtful detail. A home’s promoter should never underestimate the power of appropriately used adjectives strategically incorporated into a home’s listing description. An emotional connection can be made when terms like “manicured lawn,” “open-beam ceiling,” “garden tub,” “dramatic great room” and “chef’s kitchen” are used to describe a home’s attributes. Descriptive words are an effective means of capturing attention. Sellers should remain cognizant of what prospective buyers seek in a home and whenever possible, highlight those offerings in their listing description. However, sellers are strongly cautioned not to make exaggerated or false statements about a property’s attributes.

The successful promotion of a home through a listing description not only requires a creative touch, but also a systematic and logical approach. When writing a listing description, sellers must also be prepared to take an analytical position where appropriate. There are elements within all property listings where a seller must be precise, addressing business centric items, such as financing, square footage, zoning and property taxes without imposing a suggestive influence. When discussing these areas, information provided about the subject property should be definitive, rational and conclusive.

Yet, artistic and analytical considerations often expand well beyond a home’s listing description. Well-crafted characterizations of a home are oftentimes complemented by compelling pictures taken of the subject property. A broad array of photographs capturing a home’s interior and exterior space will further personify what has already been written about the home. A photograph has the power to attract a viewer’s immediate attention, and therefore, the importance of pictures when marketing a home cannot be dismissed. However, far too often sellers neglect opportunities to incorporate photos into their advertisements. Skillfully taken photographs are an influential part of showcasing a home’s unique features, upgrades and design offerings.

When you consider the goal of marketing is to attract prospective home buyers, a home’s presentation plays an ever-important role. From an artistic and analytical perspective, before taking pictures the home should be decluttered, cleaned, finished and then staged. From the living room to the kitchen, each room should be oriented around its intended purpose, accompanied by simplified furnishings and decorative accents possessing a common theme. Eliciting the appearance of open space, as presented in each of the photographs is of prominent importance, as are lighting considerations and camera angles.

A multitude of carefully considered photographs accompanied by a well-written description can serve to provide prospective home buyers with an opportunity to envision how they would purpose the use of each room. Effectively written descriptions accompanied by complementary photographs may potentially compel buyers to act. And, should a prospective home buyer be unable to tour the property in person, through photographs they’re afforded an opportunity to experience the home in advance of submitting an offer.

Sellers should remember, although a home may sell itself, the facts are uninspired property descriptions aren’t nearly as effective in capturing attention. To stand out, a listing description must be distinctive and differentiated from all others. A listing’s ability to engage its intended audience is the defining measure of a successful marketing effort. A thoughtfully prepared listing possessing artistic and analytical elements often edges out less insightful advertisements for other homes.

It goes without saying, having an attentively prepared property that shows well, both in photos and in print, has a greater potential of capturing the attention of would-be homeowners. Sellers should take the time to effectively highlight amenities, unique design offerings and special features. Understanding the artistic and analytical approaches in marketing a home will help sellers create a property description with distinction.

Sean and Aimee McDonald, realtors with RE/MAX North Lake Tahoe, can be reached at 775-250-8335 or mcdonaldrealestateteam@gmail.com.