Writing ad copy, buzz phrases?

[jlnel]

Is there a list of catchy phrases and buzz words for when your doing you description of the house listed. I stink at writing and need a little creative help. I have a house listed and it's in need of "work" and I have in the ad "handy mans, needs work" etc. but I don't feel that it is best to use those words. I want the ad to pop and make people want to see it but still get across that it need work. Any tips or lists I can view, thanks for your help. John.

[ericbramlett]

Go to craigslist & see which ads catch YOUR eye - use these as examples.

[KSA]

Take a look at this article.


Somebody actually did a study on the issue.

Kathleen

[ericbramlett]

That article looks like it has some serious correlation=causation issues.

[coastal]

This article is Brilliant. It mentions that if you have a listing with a lake view you should include the word "LAKE" in your description..... absolutely genius!

It also mentions the word "granite" will help to get your home sold...
Should I include the word "granite" even if the house does not have it?

Home description "The laminate countertops in this house look, feel and smell just like real GRANITE, look out the master bedroom window and imagine a beautiful LAKE, all this could be yours if you purchase this HANDYMAN'S SPECIAL"

[KSA]

Eric - It's a good point that separating correlation from causality is an issue. But, the results discussed came as a result of analyzing 80,000 sold listings over a total of 6 years. I think the sheer volume of the data indicates that some of the accidents have been eliminated. And, that is certainly looking at a much larger universe than any of us have been able to do.

Coastal - I think you missed the point of the article. It very clearly states;

Positive and factually verifiable comments such as "golf" or "lake" drew increased sales prices. Other presumably positive comments regarding new paint or new carpet brought lower ones.

What I got out of the article was the following types of tips:

"What you say needs to be extravagant, or the signal that is received by buyers is that it's not worth talking about," Rutherford said.

So, if it is true, rather than saying "great kitchen for cooks", it would be better to say "gourmet kitchen with granite countertops".

Rather than saying "new carpet and paint" it would be better to say move-in condition. That one makes sense to me - new carpet and paint sounds like the owners spiffed the house up to sell but hadn't kept the house well-maintained, whereas move-in condition sounds like the house has been well-maintained all along.

If you say the house is a "good value" you leave people wondering how you made that determination. If you say "needs repairs", people know why the house is perhaps priced lower than others.

Rather than saying "must see", which is a terribly overused expression, the article suggests indicating why it's a must see property by being very specific, and let the buyer conclude that it is a house they must see.

I think the article encourages you to look beyond the surface buzz words to help paint a picture of the house. If the house is quiet, what makes it that way? Large lots? On a cul-de-sac? On a country road?

And, an even better question is: is that really a benefit? What audience are you trying to attract that is looking for a quiet house? How many buyers have come to you saying that their first selection criteria is a quiet house? It would be better to focus your description on the real features of the home.

I think if you read the article carefully, there's a lot of good information in there. Does that mean that if the house is in move-in condition with a gourmet kitchen featuring granite countertops it will sell in 2 days at a higher price than the comps? Not necessarily. But, I'll bet it wouldn't hurt to use the guidelines in the article, either.

[coastal]

Sorry, It all seems like common sense to me. If a house has granite counter tops , hardwood floors and is located across the street from a golf course I'm certainly going to mention those facts in my ad copy.

I'm also guessing if price and size are similar a house with granite, hardwood floors and a lake view will sell better than one without those features. The study seems badly flawed.

I saw the same article 6 months ago and thought the same thing.

Words that suggested desirable attributes — "granite," "maple," "gourmet" — translated into a higher sale price, the study found.

You mean we can actually charge more money for a house with expensive upgrades? it's like magic!

Maybe a car with Leather seats will sell for more than one with cloth seats? Maybe consumers would pay more if it was the "finest corinthian leather" or as BMW is stating right now in their 5 series TV ads "Dakota Leather"

I do get that the article was saying consumers are more interested in Bling than Value and from now on I will "Avoid the word 'motivated.' " in my ads. Speaking of which I've got to knock out my weekly half page ad sometime in the next few hours...

[ericbramlett]

Kathleen -

It wouldn't matter if the data came from 800k sold listings over the course of 60 years. If the hypothesis is flawed (which it clearly is here) then the data becomes a moot point. For instance:

Words that suggested desirable attributes — "granite," "maple," "gourmet" — translated into a higher sale price, the study found.

Now...I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think that homes that use the word "granite" probably have granite countertops. Using my superior powers of deduction, I have concluded that homes with granite countertops typically sell for more than homes with laminate.

Let's take this line of reasoning a step farther:

Studies have shown that homes with the phrasing "has central heat/air" sell faster than homes with the phrasing "has no central heat/air." So, kids, make sure you use the phrasing "has central heat/air" rather than the other - it's clearly the words, and not the substance behind those words.

Kathleen - you've fallen pray to "I read it online, so it must be true." Just because someone takes the time to type out their flawed reasoning doesn't make it any more correct. The internet gives everyone a soapbox...take a second to think about the message coming from that soapbox.

[ericbramlett]

Mike - I just noticed we posted @ the same time, and quoted the same line from the article...weeiiirddd.

[Bigtoe]

What I got from the article was the negative impact of certain words.