Tips for Realtors to Writing Effective Ad Copy

Let’s face it in this fast-paced kind of e-world attracting the right clients to a property has become increasingly difficult. Attention spans are not what they used to be. However, there are a few tried and true tactics to keep your real estate listing from falling into the gutters of real estate oblivion.

Visual Appeal

You wouldn’t put a listing up with out enhancing its visual appeal, so don’t forget about it in the ad copy. This is the property’s calling card, it needs to be easy to read, clear and concise. Formatting your ad copy is one of the easiest things to do when trying to grab a buyer’s attention.

• Don’t use all capital letters or all lower case letters.
• Break up big blocks of text. Studies have shown that buyers tend to read the first few sentences and headlines of ads. Make sure your most pertinent information is placed in the beginning.
• Include Heading and Subheadings
• A picture is a worth a thousand words. Don’t be afraid to include images, just make sure they reflect what your text is saying. If you describe a staircase, show the picture.

Literary Appeal

Everyone loves a good story. Writing students are often urged to show rather than tell. This is a great tool to use for advertising a property. Find the home’s “story” and place the reader in it. What makes this home special? Even something as simple as a new stovetop can be used as selling point. Realtor Magazine suggests asking the sellers to tell you what they will miss most about their home. By emphasizing the positive aspects of a home a buyer is more likely to consider the listing.

Avoid using puffery. Puffery is described as flattering, often-exaggerated praise and publicity, especially when used for promotional purposes. The fine line between creative use of information and puffery can be avoided by including both the positive and negative aspects of a home. Don’t be afraid to include a potential negative instead try show it in a positive light.

Know Your Market

Not everyone is going to be a fit for every home. Avoid generalizing a property by focusing on the target buyer, rather than generalizing. Consider the neighborhood, the lifestyle of that person who would want that type of property. Readers will respond better if they feel they can relate,  good copy will consider the client’s personality. For example, an ad for a loft in the middle of the art district could include points an artist will appreciate like great lighting, and perhaps an easily accessible sink to rinse out used brushes.

Take the time to be a little creative. With a few simple adjustments any home can be written to attract its rightful new owner. For detailed samples on telling the story visit Laurie Moore-Moore’s tips on ad copy at: http://www.luxuryhomemarketing.com/real-estate-agents/home.html

This entry was posted on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 8:40 am and is filed under Agent Talk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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