Real estate copywriting can be the difference between selling a home or losing out to the competition. If you’re a real estate agent, knowing what good copy looks like can help you improve your business. If you’re a content writer looking to break into this niche, understanding how to write strong real estate copy is critical.
Get some tips for writing strong copy in this niche below.
What Is Real Estate Copywriting?
Real estate copywriting refers to the process of creating compelling copy that promotes a house, property or real estate business. The process involves writing headlines, property descriptions, marketing and sales copy and other types of content that support the goals of a real estate business or are related to the industry.
Some examples of real estate content include:
- Home listings
- Blog posts from real estate agents
- SEO pages for real estate companies
- White papers about the housing market
- Email marketing to support townhome rentals
Best Practices For Real Estate Copywriting to Sell Properties
The right type of content can help properties get found online by potential homebuyers. Property descriptions and other real estate copywriting can help sell homes, but the competition can be fierce. According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 5.6 million existing homes were sold in 2020 alone, and another 822,000 newly constructed homes were sold the same year.
With so many homes on the market, your listings and other content must stand out. Here’s how to make that happen.
1. Write Client-Facing Content
When you put the target audience first, you’re able to imagine the kinds of things they want to learn about a property. Think about who might be most interested in a property and write the property description and any other copy related to it with that audience in mind.
For example, a small cottage that might be right for a young professional would have a completely different sounding description than a four-bedroom house in a great school district that might catch the eye of a growing family. Obviously, you never know who might buy a house, but when you understand the most likely target market, you can write more successful real estate copy.
2. Draw Readers in With Attention-Grabbing Headlines
Today’s consumers are conditioned by the immediate-gratification, fast-paced environment of the internet—which is, incidentally, where most people may come across real estate copy and property descriptions. Someone searching for a home to buy is likely to click away within seconds if the listing doesn’t grab their attention.
Obviously, pictures are worth a thousand words, so your listings must include compelling, helpful images of the property. But your headline should also capture viewer interest. Use descriptive language that immediately tells the person why they might be interested in the property.
3. Tell a Story to Support Engagement
According to cognitive psychologist Dr. Jerome Bruner, stories are 22 times more memorable than basic facts are on their own. Don’t simply fill a property listing with the facts and figures related to the property. Use story-telling tactics to make the property stick in the minds of potential buyers.
Some ways you can use story to create a more engaging and memorable experience include:
- Including the history of a property if it’s emotionally compelling or especially unique
- Converting property improvements into a narrative format—such as telling how the previous owner used his own artistic experience to inform a structure or how one family made the decision to add a new room
- Hinting at the stories that might play out for those who buy the home, such as children growing up in the neighborhood or the family enjoying the pool in the backyard
4. Paint a Vivid Picture With Descriptive Language and Use Cases
The worst thing you can be when creating real estate copy is inaccurate. Saying a home has five bedrooms when it has three or getting the utility types wrong can cause a potential buyer to balk later. Plus, it’s just not professional and breeds distrust in the target audience.
The second worst thing you can be in real estate copywriting is boring. Use active, description language that paints a picture of the property rather than simply listing things. Include use cases to keep the user engaged and help them see themselves in the property. For example:
- Boring: Modernized farm-style kitchen with stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, island. Butcher block countertops, plenty of cabinets and a full pantry.
- Better: This up-to-date farm-style kitchen features all the amenities required for modern cooking with plenty of space for larger projects like bread baking and canning. The butcher block countertops are easy to clean, and they’re also included on the large central island, so the entire family can get involved in meal prep without stepping on each other’s toes. An extra-large refrigerator offers plenty of cold food storage and a full pantry provides space for ample dry goods. The gas stove and dishwasher enhance convenience in this kitchen.
5. Get Inspiration From Other Listings
While you never want to steal words directly from other listings, there’s nothing wrong with giving the competition a peek. Search for other listings that are similar to yours and see what type of language is used. You can also see what specific features are highlighted, which can help you know what might be of interest on the property you’re describing.
6. Don’t Forget the Power of Feature/Benefit Marketing Copy
Whenever possible, couple features with benefits in your real estate copywriting. This helps potential home-buyers see why they might want a certain amenity. For example, instead of saying a house has a gas-logs fireplace, you might say “Gas-logs fireplace provides a cozy ambiance on cold mornings, helps you manage electric heating costs, and ensures a backup heat source during power outages.”
