Translating 2016 Listing Description Trends Into Higher Price Ranges

By: Scott Westlotorn

There is an art to promoting real estate with text that leads to more views, higher prices and quicker sales. Descriptive words that worked in the past won’t be as effective today because there are always new trends influencing buyers. For instance advertising a home with an interior barn door can help sell it faster and for more money than homes without one. Buyers see “barn door” in the descriptive text and the home becomes more appealing. This causes the buyer to further explore the home while creating a lasting and favorable first impression.

Trendy keywords that influence buyers can be found in home magazines, TV shows, movies and ads for new product lines for example. We scour listing descriptions from all over the country along with international home magazines like Dwell, The View and other real estate periodicals to identify trends that attract buyers. The trending features buyers want in a home use descriptive words such as craftsman, quartz, air conditioning, solar panels, tank less water heater, subway tile, outdoor kitchen, energy efficient, water saving and livable to attract interest.

These design signals provide insight on how a home’s value is affected by different features. Pinpointing these trending elements in a home and creating compelling text from select features helps buyers focus on what is important to them. It also gives them a positive first impression before they actually see the property in person. Every home has features that appeal to a range of buyers. The art is in describing them to attract the broadest range of buyers who ultimately will buy their home quickly and be willing to pay within the highest market price range.

If you are looking to buy or sell, give us a call. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about finding the right property for you or to discuss listing your current property.