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Not all of us come to this business from college with a degree in English. (I know I didn't). And not all of us can write prose worthy of publication, yet, that is exactly what we are expected to do as a professional Realtor.
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82 Comments on Theatre of the Mind!
Alan, being an engineer, techie and sort of geekie, this has been one of my challenges. I have a few books that I keep handy for descriptive and useful words when writing the MLS and ad copy for listings. It helps.
Alna. I have to admit that writing property descriptions for the MLS is something I am very bad at. Most of my listings are vacant, void of furnishings and plain. There just isn't much to write about. Luckily our required short sale disclosure takes up most of the available space :)
Alan,
My copy both in the proposed MLS text and blog posts has absolutely secured listings for me. And I know it gets more showings for my sellers too! I also change the MLS text periodically.
I love "won't last" in a listing with 215 days on market...
Alan: Very good advice and well stated. It is not easy in many cases to put in words.
Barb - they're always fun, aren't they?
Russell - it was an inspection of the troops. I'm gonna take him down... I don't like having him on my header.
Jack - have you been spying on me?
Michelle - yes, you want the readers to "feel" the house.
Kate - exactly... a sense of the property... not just a regurgitation of the specs.
Team Honeycutt - that's the idea.
José - that's exactly right... without becoming too flower or verbose (we only have so much space).
Anna - not sure I'm on board with the photos of the birds at the feeder, but all the rest.
Susan - I'm actually not advocating that thou dost wax poetically.
Coleen - LOL - it'd be better than the typical description: REO owned, bank say sell at any price, MOLD & TERMITES, must sign waiver!
Bradley - whyn't you share some of those with your buddies here at AR?
Nina - I think SOMEONE could make some money here.
Jimmy - I forget how many we get... it's not a lot.
Jason - there's the bumper sticker! Spice it up people!
Jason - thanks... maybe a Realtor who's an artist at selling homes!?
Jane - wow, "verdure", eh? Not sure I'd recommend using words that send the reader looking for the dictionary.
(wow, four "J" comments in a row... coincidence?... methinks not!)
SaraMana - exactly... gimme some sizzle.
Tni - even for investors, copy can be written poorly, or well... (yeah... and more this a.m., thanks)
Elisa - not everyone wants to take the time. It's 'effort' to be creative and different, yet still within the bounds.
Roseanne - I like it.
J.P.F. - Melrose place, dubbed in German... that's cruel and unusual punishment.
Gabe - I find that sometimes it helps to just "read it out loud" to someone... watch their face.
Broker Bryant - even a vacant house can be "glorified" in prose. Understandably, in a short sale, it's not 'quite' as important...but still important.
Irene - I have changed copy occasionally... especially when we're not getting enough showings, I'll add little items that address our feedback.
Jim - that's so true. It's much harder to write one good paragraph, than it is to write a full page.
we should use spellcheck AND a proofreader. How many times do we see:
remolded kitchen, scrapped ceilings, dinning room. my favorites: 'rot iron', and 'pedal stool sink'.
Greg - never seen "pedal stool sink", but that's a new one... I saw one recently that said, "unfinished basement... fall in". (not sure what they meant!?)
Great post Alan. I must admit I started reading because your title "theatre of the mind" is the same expression that the "homeless man with the golden-voice" uses to describe radio. Imagine combining the two and using a deep, radio-voice when painting the picture. I always enjoy movie trailers because they summarize all of the excitement of the film into a few quick images and statements, but leave enough out so you still want to see the film. The audience fills in the gaps with their own imagination. Giving your clients a home "trailer" with the deep raspy voice of a movie announcer may be too over the top, but it'd sure be fun to try sometime.
Alan- major ditto- I've moved a lot and I've given up reading the description for the very reasons you mentioned. Maybe they'll get more interesting!
Maybe if we wrote all of our marketing materials in iambic pentameter. But, what would readers think?
Utah Dave - I hadn't heard him say that... but I have also heard it used referring to radio.
Kathy - don't hold your breath.
Melissa - maybe a little Haiku?
A nice two story home
For you to love and live in
You should view me now!
Great post Alan. I've always been a big fan of the limerick however...
I listed an REO on Main Street.
To own it would be such a nice treat.
4 bedrooms, 2 baths
You must pay with cash
The prior owner was a deadbeat.
Mitch - perfect... let's see:
There once was a man from Nantucket.
He lived for a while in a bucket.
he fell behind in his rent
all his money, he spent.
and now he's living under the viaduct at Fourth and Main.
(wait, that didn't rhyme, did it?)
HAHAHA...Oh man..I kinda figured that but it just makes me admire your sense of humor not to mention your appreciation of weirdness in all forms ;-)
A little late to this one, Alan, but I couldn't agree more. And please...if anyone else is listening...please, please, please...can we eliminate the line; "Hurry, this one won't last"! I mean...really!?
One of the most important aspects of marketing, just after the primary photo on the MLS (and elsewhere) is the flowery writing used to describe the home. If either one of those isn't appealing, for most viewers, it's on to the next listing.
Alan - I think that would really be a great thing video on the printed page. If they can do it in Harry Potter then why not us? Grin Now, just where did I leave that wand?
Russell - admiring my sense of humour can get you into big, big trouble.
David - I know, isn't that ridiculous!?
Craig - but not too flowery.
Steve - that would be fantastic.
"We cain't all be Shakespeare." I love that, Alan - you sound like Jeff Foxworthy reviewing Jersey Shore! Thanks to you and Tanya for the nod. MLS bloopers are hysterical, so everyone should know that I am watching you as closely as the IRS is watching Wesley Snipes! My favorite description of a house: "Who says you can't put lipstick on a pig? Take another look - it's been all gussied up."
Gwen - I love that... come look at my pig with make-up!.