REAL Exclusive Magazine

It’s All in How You Say It

By Tracy Eisnaugle

Having a longtime fascination with reading the weekend real estate section and those road stand listing publications has created my vast interest in the home descriptions. In the past they were simple, just a quick blurb about the home itself giving the basic room count and address. Then they started getting sophisticated and adding catchy phrases about the school district and the neighborhood. Today in our flooded real estate market with abundant listings everyone is searching for the right words to make their listing stand out, which lends itself to some entertaining reading.

With my past employment being focused on new home sales and model merchandizing I came from a completely different world than re-sale real estate. The benefit of selling new construction and selling from a model home is the amount of available information on the product. As a designer I created marketing tools to assist the sales team with proper demonstration of the homes and selling the potential materials and finishes. After gaining that knowledge and sales style I found it difficult to compare re-sale listings. I felt that existing homes, renovated homes, and even investment new construction needed the same marketing tools and seller information in order to compete in today’s market. I began reaching out to real estate agents and walking their listings creating a room- by-room outline of all the materials and finishes. This list which I refer to as an Individual Listing Script, provides potential buyers with an informative outline of the homes’ features, while also establishing a sense of value by utilizing brand cognition. The seller gains the security of knowing that their home will be properly demonstrated by their agent or an outside agent because the information to do so is on site for each potential buyer to review and to keep. Providing thorough and accurate information will instill customer confidence and satisfaction.

Some listings do not require nor do they need an Individual Listing Script, which led me to begin working with agents to create comprehensive copy for their brochures and websites with the goal of stirring an emotional interest and creating the desire for the potential buyer to visit the listing in person. I was watching a television program recently where a gentleman’s job was to create enticing restaurant menus. I found his work very intriguing and very similar to what I have been doing. Although he was working with food options on a menu and I have been working with house features in print and on the web, we have the same focus and we are both working toward the same goal = making someone buy one thing over something else. He was able to rework a restaurant’s menu in order to increase overall sales, increase the sales of higher priced items, and increase prices overall. Although some of his tricks don’t apply to our scenario he knew it was all about how you say it, why “fry” when you can “pan sauté.” When we are competing in a congested market the only way to get ahead is to have your listings stand out and be appetizing.
 
Today’s buyers are web-friendly and they have often built in the past or renovated and they are familiar with the products and materials that are available. They want to know what is in that home, “Loaded with options” is longer acceptable nor does it tell anyone anything, people deserve more and want to know more. Great photography is a must and paints a beautiful picture but its leaves out the fine print. I also have a tip about photography just as words become overused so do images, we all know what a bedroom looks like and more than likely they all look the same so, unless it has some incredible feature leave the bedroom photos off the brochures and place then toward the end of the web photos. Kitchens, master bath rooms, outdoor living areas, pools and views sell homes, and women are generally the end decision makers on the purchase therefore, if the listing has an incredible utility room or remarkable master closet then show it.

When it comes time to write the copy and create the marketing pieces for your next listing take the time to think about what really makes this house special and then hype it up. Forget about all the clever phrases from the past, loose the clichés and create unique alluring copy, I promise it will greatly pay off.

Tracy L. Eisnaugle has practiced interior design in Sarasota since 1997 and is currently self employed providing design consultation services in the area. She is a graduate from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and continues her education by attending annual conferences. Her past experience includes, Design Center Manager for Lee Wetherington Homes, high-end residential design and model merchandising. Tracy may be reached at 941.232.3358 or by e-mail at tleisnaugle@msn.com.