5 steps to writing an effective listing

If you are selling a property and want to close a deal quickly, you need an effective listing. So do not treat writing it like filling in a tax form in which you have to complete every box according to set rules. Treat it as a sales pitch. To make sure you do not spend a long time selling your house or flat, we have prepared a few solutions for you.

Before we get to them, I will explain when your listing will look like one of the most attractive on the property market: when you price your property so that its market price is lower than expected. How do you do that?

Start with the skeleton of the listing

Write down all the basic information about the flat. You can do this by answering the following questions:

• What is the floor area of the flat?
• How many rooms are there, and how many of them are bedrooms or living rooms?
• What is the location of the property? (in the countryside, in a town, in the suburbs)
• Is the flat on an upper floor? If so, which one?
• Is there a lift in the stairwell of the building?
• Is the property adapted for people with disabilities?
• What forms of entertainment are nearby? (cinemas, restaurants, a historic market square, the centre, a fitness club, a school, a nursery, a swimming pool, a church, a pharmacy or a health centre)
• What is there in the area? (e.g. a park, a lake, a playground or a forest)
• Why is it worth living in this property?

Turn information into benefits

Once you have answered all the questions, turn your answers into benefits. This will raise the value of the property and arouse desire in the potential client. How do you do it? Look at all your answers and underline the verbs in them. Then ask yourself the question – so what?

Here is an example: My flat is close to a lake. So what? With a beach on my doorstep, I do not have to go anywhere for my holidays. And so I will not spend any money during my time off. Next, turn this answer into a sentence in the active voice, in the second person singular: *You have a beach on your doorstep. So you can save money during your holiday and relax right here.

Give an attractive price

What matters is not the sum you value your property at, but whether you do it skilfully. To avoid a situation in which clients cry "too expensive", use a few pricing tricks that create an impression of savings. First, write "negotiable" next to the amount. Why is it worth it? Because every one of us wants to know that we managed to buy a property really cheaply. Second, make the numbers stand out by enlarging the font, and use nines after the decimal point.

Here is an example: look and say which price seems lower to you – 829.99 PLN or 830.00 PLN?

Present the benefits in a visually attractive way

Remember that there are plenty of listings online. To win the race for the client, first write a description – but no longer than 4 lines. Then list all the earlier information in bullet points. Why?

In the age of the Internet nobody reads articles or listings – people tend to scan them. You have only about 3-4 seconds to interest a client and about 2-3 seconds to make a good impression. That is why the most important thing is to take care of the visual side.

Besides, the information you present must be short and concise.

Add a photo

Listings that include photographs are more interesting. But remember that not all photographs are equal. You will get the greatest response from interested buyers if your photographs are bright and of good or high quality. Likewise, if you are photographing a room, make sure it is well lit and clean. You can include photos of the kitchen, the bathroom and the rooms. Do not forget to take a photo of the building itself and of the view from the most attractive window.

Commission professionals to create the listing

If you cannot create an effective listing yourself, you can commission professionals who will do the job well for you. This way you will have the certainty and the guarantee of a quick sale of your property at a satisfactory price. Do you know other ways of writing effective listings for selling a property such as a house or a flat? Join the discussion.