There are around five million homes sold each year in the United States since 2014. That’s a lot of competition for home sellers who want to put their property on the market. With so much competition and a hot housing market going into 2019, it’s more important than ever to create listings that stand out to homebuyers.

For the more successful listings in the greater Cleveland, OH area, check out these three tips for creating impactful property descriptions.

Be Exact and Honest

The first step to writing a successful listing is being as specific as possible without too many embellishments. You don’t need to get too creative to write with impact! Make sure you’ve included key details like square footage and room count, and don’t feel the need to exaggerate.

Here’s an example…

Don’t write, “a cozy house that’s great for young buyers. Stunning front yard and great curb appeal!!”

Write instead, “a charming, 900 square foot home with one bedroom and one bath. Lovely small garden out front with a red Japanese Maple tree.”

Highlight Unique Features and History

Every home has some unique properties. Try to find yours! Sometimes, this can be as simple as getting specific with your property description. Look at the “Write instead” sample above. See how there’s information about the Japanese Maple tree in the front yard? That’s all it takes!

Another way to find unique features is to do a deep dive into your home or community history. You don’t need to find that a famous person lived there, but it can be helpful to tell a story about how your home was built, the kinds of families that once lived there or the broader background of your town’s history.

Put the Right Information First

Make sure that you’re putting the right information up front. Most homebuyers are seeking basic information first, like square footage or the number of bedrooms. Set that information right at the top of your listing, and even consider drawing attention to it with bold text or highlights.

The idea is to make your property’s key information easy to find. If a buyer cannot find what they are looking for quickly enough, they’ll move on to the next listing.

Advanced: Optimize for Search

Today, most property listings are found online. This means that what your listing will be posted on a website and needs to be searchable.

There’s a complex and technical science to making something easier to search for online. However, if you’re not a technical guru, employing a few basic best practices can help a lot!

Here are three search optimization dimensions you can easily check before you publish your listing online:

1.     Include localized information like City, State and Zip code in your headline

2.     Name the specific property style like apartment, ranch home, bungalow etc. where you can

3.     Use keywords and location information when you save photo files (i.e. ranch_home_in_bostson_MA.jpg)