6 Steps to Writing Real Estate Listing Descriptions That Sell
Too often agents don’t pay much attention to the quality of their listings. They may upload photos to the MLS or their featured listings, quickly jot down a few sentences about the property… and that’s it.
Using high quality listing photos is important, of course, but a well-written, detailed listing description is what you need to win that first impression and encourage buyers to hit the contact button. Here are 6 fool-proof steps to creating descriptions that will separate your listings from the rest.
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Set the scene and tell a story
How many times have you read a listing title that read “excellent view” or “great amenities”? The answer is likely hundreds, if not thousands of times. You guessed it: describing your property with generic, worn out phrases will not get you the attention you want.
Instead of focusing on adjectives to describe your properties, set the scene for your readers, as if you’re touring them in person. For example:
❌ The property includes a reading nook with an excellent view and an outdoor dining area, perfect for entertaining.
✔️ Spend your mornings in a cozy reading nook overlooking a calm view of the lake. For family barbecue nights and intimate gatherings, the outdoor dining area is perfect.
As they say, “Don’t just tell them what they are about to eat; tell them what it tastes like.” Your listing descriptions will stand out if you can paint a picture for them with your words rather than plain bullet points of how many rooms or square feet the property has. The latter is still important, but adding storytelling sets you apart.
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Avoid repetitive information and canned text
One of the biggest mistakes that we see for listing descriptions is repetitive information. It’s likely that your MLS already lists the number of bedrooms and bathrooms as bullet points in the features list. If so, why take up precious character count to restate the obvious?
Instead, think about what you would point out if you were showing the house to them. Some of the points to mention in the listing descriptions include things like:
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The history of the house or neighborhood
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Any recent additions or renovations
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Proximity to schools and parks
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Nearby shopping centers and restaurants
Pro tip: take what’s most unique about the listing and put it front and center.
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Highlight the property’s best features
Surveys show that homebuyers are willing to pay more for properties that have made big improvements to the function of the house like roofing, updated entryways, and HVAC systems.
You want to hit those points and also highlight the property’s best features. Is there a home office, landscaped garden or walk in closets? Is there a newly built in-ground pool?
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and consider what about that property would be most attractive and highlight that feature in your listing description.
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Mention practical amenities
A 2024 report from the National Association of Home Builders found that 86% of buyers rate a laundry room as essential or desirable in a home, making it one of the most consistently wanted features across the market. This tip is simple: if the home has a practical feature or amenity, include it!
Other important amenities that should be mentioned in your description are things like:
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Newly installed exhaust systems
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Built-in kitchen appliances
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Energy efficient windows
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Security systems
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Multiple car garage
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Detached storage sheds
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Solar panel systems and more
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Use specific wording
Zillow's ongoing analysis of listing description language finds that vague or negative-adjacent words, like "fixer," "TLC," or "bargain", can undercut buyer perception, while specific, concrete terms tend to outperform generic praise. This lines up with the same principle: buyers respond to precision, not vagueness.
Don’t forget to emphasize practical amenities that most buyers will be looking for.
These word choices might imply some sort of deficiency about the home and can turn buyers off, even if subconsciously. Listing descriptions that sell include words like:
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energy efficient
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granite,
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state-of-the-art
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gourmet
The takeaway point here is that buyers want to be able to picture what you are describing when they read your descriptions. Even using specific brand names to describe appliances or fixtures will tell them the quality of those items better than using descriptors like “top quality” or “wonderful.”
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Captivate with a strong headline
Finally, we come full circle to the headline titles. Those browsing your listings go from image to headlines to descriptions.
Your goal is to get users to look at your headline and main photo, browse the rest of the photos, and continue on to read your listing descriptions.
That means you need to say something that will make it hard for them to resist clicking on the link for more detail. (And no, we don’t mean changing the font to make the headline more dramatic with capitalization or exclamation points.) One way to do this is by geo-targeting, or including location words. For example:
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For a home in the city with limited parking, the headline could read something like:
“Beautiful Home with Private Parking in Downtown San Francisco” -
If the property is on the waterfront, the headline could be something like:
“Best View of Lake Muskoka from 5-Bedroom Luxury Cottage”
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What about AI listing generators?
We’ve talked extensively about using generative AI or LLMs for real estate content. If you want to access our full prompt library, which includes copy-paste templates for listing descriptions, click here.
AI listing generators can be a wonderful starting point so you’re not starting from scratch. However, the above tips still apply; make sure you’re reviewing all AI-generated output for quality, brand voice, and accuracy, avoiding generic phrases and terms that could drive away prospects.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Focus on specificity over generic praise: call out real features (the amenities buyers actually search for, precise finishes, and neighborhood context) instead of leaning on words like "beautiful" or "must-see." Lead with a location- or feature-driven headline, keep the description to roughly 250 words, and always proofread for Fair Housing compliance before it goes live.
Beyond the basics (bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage), buyers respond to practical, everyday features, such as a laundry room, energy-efficient windows, built-in kitchen appliances, a security system, or extra garage and storage space.
Most guidance, including Zillow's, recommends keeping descriptions to around 250 words or less. Buyers skim, and MLS or listing-site character limits often enforce this anyway, so prioritize your strongest 2-3 features rather than trying to list everything.
Yes! AI tools can be a solid starting point so you're not writing from a blank page. Just make sure to review every AI-generated draft for accuracy, brand voice, and specificity, since generic phrasing and Fair Housing–sensitive language are common issues with AI output. Check out our full AI prompt library for real estate agents for copy-paste templates to get started.
Skip vague or subtly negative language like "must sell," "vacant," "fixer," or "bargain", as these can imply something's wrong with the home even when nothing is. Specific, concrete terms (like "energy efficient," "quartz," or "gourmet") consistently outperform generic praise like "wonderful" or "top quality."
Great Copy Deserves a Website Built to Match It
Writing listing descriptions that convert takes time most agents don't have, and it's exactly the kind of work our content team handles every day for real estate professionals like you. But even the best-written description can only do so much if it's sitting on a slow, outdated, or forgettable website.
At Agent Image, we build real estate websites designed to showcase your listings the way they deserve. Explore our website design services or book a consultation with our team.
