According to the National Association of Realtors, as many as 97% of home buyers begin their search online by scanning listings. They spend an average of 7 seconds previewing a real estate listing online before deciding if they’ll look deeper or move on.

Too many MLS listings and photos are poorly crafted and fail to capture the buyer’s interest, meaning the opportunity with that buyer is lost forever. Studies have shown that once a buyer by-passes a listing, they don’t return to it for a second look. This does not serve your seller or your real estate business.

It benefits you to craft your listing remarks from the seven second perspective. What should you put in the “public remarks” section of your listings? Here are some ideas:

Paint a Word Picture…

…but don’t be flowery or vague. For instance, “Enjoy the large backyard and open floor plan” is a bit vague. But “Sleek mid-century 4-bedroom home on a lush 1/4 acre yard” paints a solid picture.  Weave data into the picture.

Words with Value

Choose your words carefully. Studies show that certain words help a listing get more attention. Which words should you pick? Check out this list to help you craft the best description of the properties that you represent:

Beautiful
This word has impact, so use it! All buyers want to live in a beautiful home.

Fresh, Bright, Light
Most buyers enjoy light. Emphasize these words where you can to describe the property.

Landscaping
Things like curb appeal and lovely landscaping attract attention and increase the value of the home.

Turnkey
Turnkey, means that buyers can move in without making any major renovations. This appeals to buyers who can’t or don’t want to fix up their new home.

Handyman Special
At the same time, a lot of people like to get their hands dirty. Some customers like to work with their hands and repair, renovate and remodel a house.  “Handyman special” appeals to a certain demographic, just as “turnkey” attracts another type of buyer.

Fixer
This word seems to connote real problems. If it’s not a major fixer, you’d be better off using Handyman Special.

Unusual Words
Sometimes being different gets more attention. The words “cool” and “unusual” get attention, as in “very cool backyard space for entertaining.” Too slangy for you? Is it too slangy for the kind of buyers who might want that home?

How to Address “Turn-Offs”

There’s always been a debate about how to handle problems with a property in real estate listings. Do you highlight the thing that might turn buyers off, or do you downplay those problems? You know the jokes…”Charming cottage” means small; “Easy freeway access” means right next to the on-ramp. Some agents believe this positive spin helps buyers see the bright side of the problem. Other agents believe in calling a dog a dog using humor. “Very small home, fit for gnomes and newlyweds.” Or “Right next to the freeway…how else would you get this much incredible home for so little.

Put It All Together

Check out this example of a remarks section that puts all the above advice together:

“Sleek mid-century 4-bedroom home on a lush 1/4 acre yard with a very cool backyard entertainment space. Beautiful fountains cover the hidden, but nearby street noise. Bright kitchen and fresh appliances. Turnkey property with 2 fully remodeled baths. A unique home that will pleasantly surprise you.”

Good MLS Photos Are Your Duty

One final notes about MLS listings…buyers look at photos to make a final determination. If your photos show things like the bathroom with the toilet seat up, bedrooms with piles of laundry in the corner, a kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink, the turn-off is instant! Immediately the value of that property drops. You have a duty to provide the seller with the best price and marketing possible. Tidying up the house is the easiest and first thing you should be doing so you can provide photos that attract buyers who are not predisposed to pay less before they even look at the property in person.

Be consistent. Be bold. Be smart. Linda Schneider is a real estate business coach for smart real estate agents who want to be more powerful in their business. Drop by RealEstateBusinessCoaching.com for more about selling skills and real estate marketing ideas to take your business to the next level.

Image via freedigitalphotos.net

• Can anyone recommend a good lead generation service?
• Do you know of a good website?
• Which are the best magazines to advertise in?
• Does anyone have advice to help me get more listings?
• Do you think I should start going after short sale listings?
• Should I start blogging (or farming, cold calling, networking, etc)?

The responses to these questions are fairly pedestrian: “Ask for referrals.” “Hold open houses.” “Canvass doors.” “Conduct a workshop.” “Blog about your community.”

This may not be earth-shaking advice, but the answers reflect a truth about our industry: there are no magic pills in real estate marketing. It’s hard for me to imagine that anyone who’s gotten a real estate license doesn’t know this already. Yet hope springs eternal.

What Matters Most in Real Estate Marketing

The real question is If these methods work, why don’t they work for everyone?

They don’t work because there’s something missing, and I think what’s missing is support and motivation. Agents want to know that what they’re doing is worth the effort. They want to know it’s going to work. They want to know how to make it work. They need a barometer of effectiveness, someone constantly saying, “I did this and got that.”

Motivation, Not Methods

I think most agents are looking for motivation, not methods. Any agent can pick up a dozen books from Amazon that will give them a dozen different real estate marketing plans. It’s not more methods that agents need. It’s motivation and confidence in the methods they choose.

I got an illustration of the power of motivation yesterday at my local Board of Realtors. The Ethics presenter was a leader in understanding real estate contracts and a 30-year veteran real estate agent. He continually illustrated how he uses provisions in the contracts to separate himself from his competition, allowing him to win clients. I could see the agents in the room getting excited and motivated. More than 50% of them signed up afterwards for his contracts class.

How to Get Motivation

With so many isolated real estate businesses in our online world, how does an agent find a mentor to motivate them?

My advice is to explore what’s available to you. Take classes in person, not online. Talk to your broker. See if you can join or start a mastermind group. Investigate the real estate “gurus” out there who can keep your energy up and make you feel confident in your marketing methods. I started my career following Mike Ferry. I enjoy door knocking, relative to other forms of real estate marketing and prospecting, and his energy kept me moving.

Note: Don’t get swept up in  buying a “guru” program without evaluating it fully. Gurus are skilled at selling their programs. Do the programs work? Yes. Are they the best approach for you? Maybe. For instance, there is a real estate guru out there who does an incredible job showing agents how to use social media marketing to build a thriving business. But if you’re someone who just got your first smart phone, or you only have 10 friends on Facebook, this might not be the best approach for you at this time, as attractive as it is.

Finally, no matter what real estate marketing approach you choose or what motivator you work with, it’s important to read and learn about your industry constantly. The more knowledgeable you are, the more confidence you’ll have…and confidence sells.

Be consistent. Be bold. Be smart. Linda Schneider is a real estate business coach for smart real estate agents who want to be more powerful in their business. Drop by RealEstateBusinessCoaching.com for more about selling skills and real estate marketing ideas to take your business to the next level.