How to Write a Great Real Estate Ad

When selling your home by owner, the advertisements you place for your home are especially critical to a successful sale. A great ad is not as simple as reciting a laundry list of your home’s features. There are generally three parts to a successful ad for a home sold by owner:

1- Attract Attention

2- Key Features

3- Contact Information

Part 1: Attract the buyer’s attention with a good headline.

For a good headline, think of the one most compelling selling feature of your home – the gourmet kitchen, the excellent schools, the big backyard, the prime location, the bargain price, etc – and turn it into a catchy phrase. Careful not to sound too corny here (this is a mistake real estate agents often make!). Capitalize each word to make the headline a title and give the words a sense of power. If possible, make the text Bold, or CAPITALIZE.Put an exclamation point after the headline to add emphasis and excitement. Consider the following:

• Relax by the Fire!
• Priced Below Market Value!
• Jog to the Beach!

Part 2: Note key features, including the following:

· For Sale By Owner – Be sure to let buyers know you’re selling your home by owner by noting either “FSBO” (short for For Sale By Owner) or “By Owner” in the ad.

· Location – Include the city or subdivision name of your home.

· Size – Buyers have a minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms in mind when looking for homes, so be sure to include this information in your ad.

· Price - Buyers shop by price, and some may not even contact you if your price isn’t included, so be sure to put your home’s price in your ad.

Part 3: Don’t forget your contact information!

Be sure the ad contains a way for buyers to get a hold of you. Leave your phone number, email address, or both. If you’re concerned about privacy, you can set up a free temporary email account just for your home listing. For example, NewEnglandDreamHome@email.com, or ForSaleByOwnerInOrlando@email.com.

Use your internet listing to attract buyers! For For-Sale-By-Owner signs, newspaper ads, or other local advertising, set up a free internet website for your home and include your internet listing address (www.myhomesaddress.com) in your ad. Buyers will appreciate the ease of using the internet to see photos of your home, maybe take a virtual tour, and learn more about the area.

Examples:

Below is a good example of an ad incorporating the three parts described above:

WALK TO THE SUBWAY! This For Sale by Owner, 3 level, 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage townhome in Springfield Station is perfect for your suburban family! Relax on the deck of this gorgeous home in summer or warm up inside by the fireplace in winter. The interior is neutrally decorated and in move-in condition, with new carpeting throughout. The neighborhood has excellent schools, plus a community pool and tennis court! Bargain priced at just $350,000. Email or call 703-555-1509 for more information.

Obviously where space is limited, like the classified ad section of your local paper, the descriptive words can be shortened or left out as needed. A good classified ad for the above home might be written as follows:

NEAR SUBWAY! FSBO, 3 lvl, 4/2/2 TH, www.zillow.com/listing12345