When you list your property online, you will be competing against a host of listings for similar properties. And with today’s digitally savvy buyers, you simply have to find a way to stand out. On top of that, you have only a few sentences in which to get the job done. But if you get it right, a compelling, captivating listing can really appeal to potential buyers. So here are 5 tips you can use to make your online property listing pop in Ventura County.
1. Simplicity Is Golden
If you really want to make your online property listing pop in Ventura County, you have to keep it short and sweet, getting to the point right away without a bunch of fluff. Buyers will be looking at tens or hundreds of listings and even more listing photos. So don’t overwhelm them with too many unnecessary details.
Keep in mind that the true purpose of your online property listing is to “get the buyer to make an appointment – not to sell the house . . . You want to have the perfect amount of information that piques the buyer’s interest. Then, they’re more likely to make an appointment to see the home. That’s when the real selling begins.”
2. Use Great Photos
Although you shouldn’t use too many listing photos, you do need to have enough, and they need to be great. Almost nothing makes a listing pop and stand out from the competition like top-notch photos.
With respect to top-notch photos in an online property listing, a study conducted by a professor at Florida International University Hollo School of Real Estate found that adding an interior photo to a listing can increase the selling price by 3.9 percent, and adding an exterior shot bumps up the selling price by 1.9%.
But you do need to start your listing off with a “wow” shot to grab attention right out of the gate. “Usually this is achieved by shooting in a corner of a room with a wide-angle lens.”
You can take these photos yourself, of course, but sellers usually get better results by hiring a professional photographer. If you’re not sure where to begin looking for one, contact your Ventura County agent at 805-232-8503.
3. Tell a Story
You’ve no doubt heard the old advice about writing: show – don’t tell. And that advice applies particularly to the special kind of copywriting needed for an online listing.
You can’t just rely on dull adjectives like “excellent” and “breathtaking” and “top-of-the-line.” Nope, you’ll have to describe your [market-city] property so that buyers can see and feel that those adjectives really do apply.
Your goal in your online property listing should be to “[t]ake the reader on a virtual tour of the property, pointing out features specifically to set the scene. What will the reader see when they look out the windows? Where will they relax? What will they do in the backyard? Paint the picture with your words. Use your description to do more than repeat the listing details. Instead, talk about the home’s history, recent renovations, and nearby features and attractions.”
And this is where a good agent can provide invaluable assistance. Your agent can help your write a listing description that does in fact tell a compelling story.
4. Avoid Turn-Off Words and Phrases
But you also need to make sure you don’t use any words or phrases that push buyers away. Typically, this means anything that will make them suspicious and assume something is wrong with your property.
Here are some of the turn-off words and phrases to be avoided in your online property listing:
- Clean
- Must sell
- Recently painted
- Great value
- Sold as-is
Keep in mind that buyers scour listings looking close for a reason not to buy. So don’t give them one.
5. Try to Be Unique
And, of course, you can make your listing pop by being unique, but not in a jarring, off-putting way. Just make sure your listing stands out from all the others.
As with any piece of copywriting, the first thing to get nearly perfect is the headline. It needs to be arresting and compelling so that a buyer simply cannot not keep reading. But do make sure to avoid spammy, click-baity headlines.
Then (as we mentioned above) strive to make the body of your online property listing more of a narrative than a mere list of features, setting the stage and allowing the property to be the star, like this: “Prepare to be swept away at the panoramic views in this lakeside cottage. You can curl up next to the fireplace with a good book, or just watch the sunset over the lake through the full-length windows. You’ll love cooking in the newly remodeled kitchen or having a light snack at the hardwood bar in the evenings.”
With these tactics, you absolutely can make your listing pop so that it stands above the competing listings for similar properties. But it does take some specialized skill. To make your online property listing pop in Ventura County contact us today at 805-232-8503.