Words are Important
All experienced estate agents know the value of using a professional photographer instead of their camera phone.
Likewise, no agent worth their BMW 3 series would dream of trying to build their own website or design their own marketing materials.
Not only do you get better results when these things are professionally handled, but prospective vendors expect it.
It also makes economic sense (for all but the largest chains) to avoid having to maintain these specialist skillsets in house.
And yet the most immediate, most expressive part of the marketing mix is all too often half- heartedly delivered with little regard for professional standards.
It’s also the easiest and most cost-effective task to outsource, taking up around 1% of the typical commission on an average property.
We’re talking about words.
Prospective buyers don’t need to read a novel. But they also want more than just ‘Five Bedroom House For Sale’.
And if you’re writing it yourself, chances are you’re doing the literary equivalent of standing in the corner holding your phone above your head.
Some estate agents are gifted writers. But most don’t have the time to be – the most common comment we get is “I can’t believe I’ve been writing my own listings all this time”.
Here’s how we do it.
1. Using Journalism
Everything is news.
So we start with a summary of the key points, written to a hard character count where necessary to avoid being cut off mid-sentence by Rightmove and certain CMSs (this was once known as ‘above the fold’).
We then work our way through the key points in order of priority, as defined by the property itself, our research and your brand values.
Finally, we round up any other key details and end with a memorable flourish.
2. Controlling The Details
A major difference between professional copywriting and simple auto formatting is the contextualising of basic information.
This is the difference between a map graphic with nearby stations marked on it and a line of copy saying ‘Wood Street overground is just a half mile on foot, with direct, twenty minute runs to Liverpool Street putting the City around a half hour away door to door’.
This same approach can be applied to everything from local schools to service charges. Saving buyers the trouble of researching it themselves at the same time as presenting the information in the best possible light.
3. Commanding Eloquence
Dramatic repetition, metaphor, alliteration, foreshadowing. These and many, many, many other literary techniques apply wherever there is a requirement to grab and hold the reader’s attention.
And there are very few attention marketplaces more crowded and competitive than a Rightmove results page. Your prices may be perfectly pitched and the photos may be beautiful, but so are everybody else’s.
Professional, characterful, attention grabbing writing immediately sets your brand apart.
There’s more. So much more:
– How to properly fill bullet points and key features.
– How to use paragraph breaks to draw readers through the piece.
– How to build trust while speaking to multiple audiences; the current vendor, prospective buyers and potential future vendors.
But, in short (as all the best writing is), words are your best, most cost effective opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
And your competitors? They’re standing in the corner with their phone in the air.
Homewords produce listings copy to order, in a mutually-developed style that fits with your brand. We work from photos, floorplans and any other details you and your client want featured.
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