Are you sick of reading boring MLS descriptions? Me too!
In fact, if the Lizard People from Xenon captured me and wanted to know all my secrets, they could simply pry my eyelids open and force me to read MLS descriptions all day. I’d spill my guts in less than ten minutes. 😩
It seems to me that almost all MLS descriptions are painfully boring, don’t you think? But, do you know what’s even worse than boring, repetitive MLS descriptions? Those written by agents who secretly want to be novelists.
“The majestic front door swings open with authority, securely supported by four over-sized oil-rubbed bronze hinges. As you step into the foyer, you are awestruck by the soaring ceilings and magnificent chandelier, impossibly suspended high overhead, simultaneously both grand and ornate. Your heart swells as memories of that bygone Tuscan villa come rushing back.”
🤮
Sorry, but nobody wants to read that in an MLS description. Perhaps in a novel, late at night, in a bubble bath, with a glass of Brunello.
No, I changed my mind. Not even then.
So, what makes a great MLS description?
Imagine the potential buyer of your listing flipping through many different properties on the Internet. They’re looking at the images first, and then deciding if it’s worth the pain to read the description.
And what is the purpose of reading the description? Is it to decide if they want to write an offer?
Of course not. They’re simply deciding whether they want to book a showing, or not.
The sole purpose of your MLS presentation is to generate as many high-quality showings as possible.
Now, imagine that your potential buyer—the one flipping through listings—has a short attention span. Why? Because practically all of us have short attention spans in today’s fast-paced, over-stimulated world. 🏃🏼♀️
It’s a mistake to describe every tiny, inconsequential detail of the property (things that have nothing to do with whether the reader books a showing or not).
By including too much detail, you are actually diluting the impact of your presentation and reducing the likelihood of generating a showing.
When deciding to view (or not to view), the reader doesn’t care about tiny details. For now, what they want to know are the most important and best features of the property. Period.
So, tell them!
The most important part of the description
Try this exercise: Write a description of the property’s best features in a single sentence. Like this:
“Beautifully renovated throughout, including a spectacular designer new kitchen and spa-like luxurious ensuite, plus a triple-car garage, and backing onto a park!”
That’s your first and most important sentence. That one sentence contains 95% of what a potential buyer needs to know to decide on whether to view the property, or not.
But you don’t know which one of those features is most important to the reader. That’s why you need to ID (identify and divulge) the most important features, immediately. It’s crazy to wait until the end of the description to divulge a critically important feature.
I teach many other tips in “Marketing the Listing” to create a powerful and impactful MLS description, but getting straight to the point in the first sentence is the most important one.
Learning how to market your listings effectively is one way to create a raving fan base, and build a business that thrives on a never-ending stream of incoming referrals. This is the foundational doctrine of the Agent Skills Master’s Program.
This article was inspired by module #12 – Marketing the Listing – part of the Agent Skills Master’s Program.
In ‘Marketing the Listing,’ I explain step-by-step how to consistently produce the most compelling MLS presentation possible, ensure your listings stand out from the crowd, attract the most attention from buyers, and thoroughly impress your clients. It’s not WHAT you do. It’s HOW you do it.
Here’s another article inspired by the same module: The #1 Most Important Marketing Tool
