One of the first things instructors tell aspiring copywriters to do is to read and study the "Old Masters."
Their speech is old fashioned, their methods of delivering messages are definitely out of date, and they are decidedly sexist in their assumption that all marketers are men - but their copywriting advice is as sound today as it was when they were making a name for themselves and their clients.
Claude Hopkins (1866 - 1932) is one of those "Old Masters."
His books, 
such as "My Life in Advertising" (1927) and "Scientific Advertising" (1923) are still as useful today as they were the day they were written. (That's probably why they're still being reprinted today.)
<Wow! I just discovered something. You don't have to go to the bookstore to read Hopkins. Just go to scientificadvertising.blogspot.com and you can read all 21 chapters of "Scientific Advertising.">
If that link doesn't work, just paste it into your address bar - don't know why, but it's acting strange.
When speaking of specificity, Hopkins says "Platitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water from a duck. They make no impression whatsoever."
Now apply this thought to your real estate advertising - and the statements that you see other agents putting in print.
- Hometown expert (At what? Gossip? Local politics? Pricing? Or do they just know which streets are which?)
- Excellent customer service (By whose standards? What does that mean?)
- Experienced guide (How so?)
- Top listing agent (How many listings - and did they sell?)
- Beautiful yard (Because it has grass, or trees, or ??)
- Spacious home (So, how many square feet equals spacious?)
- Low down payment (By whose standards, mine or Donald Trump's?)
- Price reduced (How much? From what to what?)
- Great neighborhood (By what standards?)
- Top rated schools (By whom? According to what standards?)
According to Claude Hopkins, statements like these are a waste of space. They don't mean anything and they don't attract customers. I agree - not because I've become a "master" but because when I read them, they don't give me any information.
So what's the cure?
Get specific. Answer questions such as those I've put in parentheses.
Tell your prospects what makes your service stand out. Tell them what makes you the neighborhood expert. Tell them your list to sell ratios.
Then when you write about your listings, offer some details.
The other day I picked up a real estate flyer at the grocery store and on one page of a dozen listings, counted 10 instances of the word "great" to describe the house, the yard, the garage, or the neighborhood. What a waste!
Writing effective marketing copy takes time and thought - but it's worth it. Especially if you're paying for ad space.
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