Listings are everything in the world of real estate, but it’s amazingly and surprisingly hard to find well-written property listings with so many opportunities to showcase properties on the web and in print. Finding ideal property listings of Kitchener & Waterloo region is even more difficult, believe it or not.

So how do you avoid the problem of poorly-written property listings? As a real estate professional in Kitchener or Waterloo, you clearly avoid writing poor advertisements yourself!

So how do you write a good advertisement? That becomes a bit of a quandary, as a lot of what’s “good” in an advertisement for a piece of property is in the eye of the beholder. Waxing poetic about unnecessary details could put a reader off, for one thing, but such poesy could be the same sort of stuff that would turn another reader on to a specific property. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure – or so they say.

The best way to ensure that your listings are all they can be (and more) is to play by some hard and fast rules.

Start with a headline. Obviously the headline should be used to draw people in to the rest of the content. It should be interesting but it shouldn’t give everything away in one stroke. In all forms of advertising, advertisers have a limited time to grab the attention of the potential buyer. Property listings of Kitchener & Waterloo Region are no different, as you might expect, so be sure to head your advertisement well.

Words are important, so use them. In the headline, a good advertisement in the Kitchener or Waterloo area will focus in on what the home has to offer. Is it “roomy?” Is it “bright?” Does it offer a lot by way of “amenities” nearby? These sorts of descriptive words can fit snugly in the headline to create interest and, from there, you can build people in to the rest of the advertisement by fleshing out the details.

Because words are important, there are words you want to avoid in your listings. Stay away from things like “clean” and “quiet,” as these are variables that are really of no interest to any buyer. A home can be clean or quiet at any given time, but what potential buyers want to know is how the home really is when the lights are off and the dishes are crowding the counter.

The next thing to consider is the area you’re selling. You are, after all, not just selling a home. Property listings should include information about the sorts of schools, stores and parks that are in the area. This gives buyers an indication as to what the area looks like and what kinds of things they can expect to find in the region.

Obviously you want to ensure that your advertisement abides by all good principles of proper grammar and spelling. Use your computer’s software to ensure that you’ve got all the basics covered, but, best of all, read your advertisement out loud. Read it to your friend, your spouse, your cat, and anyone who’ll listen, as you may pick up on some inflections or tones that you didn’t intend on including.

Lastly, make your property listings the sort of thing you want to read. If it would interest you, it should be of interest to someone else. Don’t be afraid to take risks and redefine what a good property listing means, but be sure to play by these very basic rules in the process. Have fun and happy selling!