8 Steps to Writing Creative Real Estate Listing Descriptions
Buyers crave specifics, and creative real estate listing descriptions serve to tell your home’s story for prospective buyers.
Today’s homebuyers can scroll through dozens of real estate listings on the web in a matter of minutes, which means you may only have one fleeting moment to use creative real estate listing descriptions to get them to notice yours before they’re onto the next.
Those sweeping aerial drone images of your home’s acreage and pics that show off your light-filled interior are sure to catch their eye. But it’s equally important to pair your amazing photos with a well-crafted narrative that helps buyers imagine what it would be like to live there.
The listing description is your chance to emphasize the best aspects of both your home and the surrounding area, whether you have access to quality schools or are within walking distance from the historic district with boutiques and microbreweries.
Step One: Talk to an Expert Listing Agent
It takes just two minutes to match you with the top-performing listing agents in your market. Our data shows that the top 5% of agents in the U.S. sell homes quicker and for as much as 10% more than the average agent.
1. Write down your home’s best-selling features
Local MLSs, or the databases where for-sale property listings are aggregated and then disseminated to major real estate websites, typically have a character limit for real estate listing descriptions. So you can’t write a novel about your home (nor will most buyers have the patience to read one).
“I will always point out those desirable things that the buyer might not know otherwise from just looking at the pictures,” says Mary Jo Santistevan, who has nearly two decades of experience. “The description is our chance to put in things like the hand-scraped mahogany wood flooring or chiseled stone from Italy.”
Remember to highlight neighborhood features such as nearby walking trails or local attractions. A great location is especially important to share when your house is modest or needs some work, advises Mike Tchobanian, a top-performing Henderson, Nevada agent. If your interior is fairly dated, for instance, he advises playing up that peaceful park at the end of your block instead.
You should also consider buyer preferences. According to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights for End of Year 2024 national survey, 21% of agents say buyers are increasingly prioritizing homes with features that may lead to lower insurance rates, such as resilient features.
