The Internet has not replaced Realtors and it hasn't replaced classifieds, or print ads. Instead, it has
become a handy extension to all, particularly when it comes to merging the power of the classified ad with
the infinite display possibilities of the online classified.
Because many newspapers post the literal classified ad as it is written for the broadsheets, the
amount of information you should include at a minimum is:
location
price
style of home or layout
number of rooms
number of bedrooms
number of bathrooms
clear contact information.
What would an ad with these perimeters look like? It might look like this:
North Dallas 2-story Tudor, 4/3/3, $550,000. Open Sunday - 3-5. Contact: Elizabeth Newbury (214)-890-0419.
But remember, you want to use the print classified ad to take the buyer to the Internet where s/he can
get more information about your listings and other services. So, how would you rewrite the same ad
to maximize the potential of the Internet? There are numerous possibilities, depending on your
personal style.
See N. Dallas storybook home, 4/3/3, $550,000, at www.elizabethnewbury.com/Elmstreet or call (214) 890-0419. Open Sunday - 3-5.
Remember that print classifieds are one or two lines only. On the Internet, the possibilities are
endless. So depending on which newspaper and online sites you place your ad, be sure that you get maximum
bang for your buck. For every print classified, you need to have another version, particularly if the classified
directs your buyer to see more of the home.
Give Home Buyers What They Want and Need
The top ten items that buyers want to learn about, according to the NAA, are often too many criteria for a
print classified, but they can be more than satisfied on the Internet.
Location Remember, your ad is now local to global. Define the location of the home as much as possible by city, neighborhood, subdivision, colloquial name, and with mapping features if at all possible. Putting the address of the home will encourage the buyer to drive by - something you want the prospect to do since driving around is the leading source of information obtained by home buyers. Surprised? The NAA, with plenty of newspapers to sell, says so. Other evidence backs this up - the Gomez.com/Realty Times poll also shows similar results.
Price - The one qualifying and eliminating tool that buyers can understand is price, particularly when you break price down into
down payment and monthly payments. That they can understand.
Picture of the Home - You're not working out of an MLS book anymore, nor are you running to have film developed. With today's digital cameras, streaming video, and interactive pictures by companies such as Bamboo.com and IPIX.com, there is no need to limit the views that your buyer can see of your listing.
Layout of the Home - When you don't have a picture, you need to paint one. Let the buyer know what kind of home is for sale - there is a huge difference between a condominium and a lakefront lodge. You can enhance the photos online by including a floorplan, something builders are doing when they don't have a home to show.
Total Number of Rooms - Knowing the number of rooms helps readers understand the layout better and increases the likelihood that they will call.
Number of Bedrooms and Bathrooms - According to the NAA, number of bedrooms is second only to price as a reason buyers choose a particular home.
Size of Lot/Square Feet of the Home - As you know, appraisers base many of their calculations on what
homes are selling for in a comparable area. Since lenders will only loan so much on a home in a given
area, price per square foot becomes an important pricing tool for the buyer. Again, without seeing the home, knowing the square feet means they can envision the size of each room and the home without setting foot in it.
Details of the Community and Neighborhood - Be sure your descriptions are in compliance with Fair Housing regulations, or you could simply link to community information.
Amenities and Features - Even though your online classified may feature pictures, the viewer may not realize the value or importance of what they are looking at. So, put captions on each picture, even it they appear self-explanatory. A swimming pool becomes more alluring if the caption reads, "Custom-designed heated diving pool with imported tile and computerized controls, installed Spring 98." As you can see, each word is chosen to convey vital pieces of information - the buyer knows without asking that the pool is one year old, not original to the home, that it is deep enough for diving (families with children may take appropriate precautions,) that it is easy to operate and maintain, and that it is a luxurious amenity. Isn't that much better than saying "Gorgeous Pool!!" or Custom Pool?
Phone number - This really needs to be updated to contact information.
One phone number, one email address, one Web site. Period.
A Word About Your Copy
Always remember that in any online ad, you are presenting to the buyer, not other agents, so
try to write for them.
Expand your vocabulary. Use words that define, rather than modify. It is easy to make blunders
while writing advertising text, particularly by using emphatic words that scream at the reader. Don't
hype instead of sell. "New! Charming! Won't last!" are exclamations which are especially
overwrought and amateurish when captioning the photo of a mediocre home.
The same "charming" house could be succinctly described by the following
sentence - "Affordable 3 bedroom bungalow near shopping and schools offers
original tile baths, wood floors and "shabby chic" decor."
In one sentence, you have conveyed the price, size, condition and convenience of the home,
yet left room for the buyer to make their own judgments. You also just broadened your
market to include singles, couples, first-time homebuyers, retirees, and small
families.
Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68.
In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.
Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans.
Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR
"The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors
Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68.
