Real estate copywriting: 3 Tips to make it sizzle

Have you ever read a piece of ad copy that resonated with you? “Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel,” or “what I need.”

The writer had a goal and achieved it. Not two goals or three, not “this is for people who want to buy or sell a house, condo or vacation property.”

One goal: to inspire them to take one action. Which leads us to tip number one to make your real estate copywriting sizzle.

1. Don’t be a “wandering generality”

Zig Ziglar once said that most of us are “wandering generalities,” instead of “meaningful specifics.”

“The fact is that you can’t hit a target that you can’t see.”

Real estate agents are the quintessential wandering generality, trying to be all things to all people.

Interestingly, it’s typically those agents who’ve settled into a niche that succeed wildly.

Take Ben Caballero, for instance. He consistently ranks number one on Real Trend’s “The Thousand” list.

He has one goal: to sell new construction for some of the largest homebuilders in the nation.

Number two on the list? He sells luxury properties in Palm Beach, Florida.

So, tip number one when writing copy is to get clear on your goal with each piece you write. You don’t want to sell “homes.” You want to attract first-time, move-up, downsizing or other specific buyers or sellers.

The “or” is the operative word. One goal for each piece of copy.

2. Most potential clients don’t really care about you

Top-of-mind with most real estate consumers is “What’s in it for me?”

Who you are, where you went to college, what you do in your spare time is really of little concern to them, at least in the beginning.

Sure, they care that you’re honest, trustworthy and, typically, experienced, just as they do when they hire an attorney, visit a new doctor or a hairstylist.

If the copy doesn’t address their needs, wants or pain points, they’ll stop reading.

You’ve lost them.

For instance, pick a random agent’s website and take a look at his or her “About” page:

“With our extensive knowledge and commitment to providing only the best and most timely information to our clients, we are your go-to source for real estate industry insight and advice.”

Not very inspiring, is it? It’s not at all engaging and certainly doesn’t sell anything. It tells us nothing about how this team will solve my problem. It’s the same, regurgitated garbage that hundreds of agents are using on their About page.

It is template copy that too many agents left on their site, never bothering to rewrite it. It’s meaningless.

Each public-facing word, each sentence and every paragraph you write should convey how you’ll meet the client’s needs – how it’s all about them.

It’s easy to get stuck while writing, so here’s a tip to get the creativity flowing:

Jot down 10 ways that what you’re trying to convey (listing description, why they should buy/sell, etc.) meets their needs (they’re currently renting and they can build wealth by buying, being a landlord sucks right now, etc.).

If you can inspire them to action through your real estate copywriting, you’ll win.

3. Real estate copywriting: The headline

Tyler Zey once figured out that “The headline impacts conversion rates up to 800% for our articles here at Easy Agent Pro.”

If recipients or readers “… see a complicated or unenticing headline,” your potential client won’t read your copy.

Put in real estate terms, the title of your copy is its curb appeal. It will either compel the reader to read on or it won’t.

It’s that simple.

Let’s take a look at how you can make your headlines grab more attention.

The easiest method is to copy the pros and we think some of the best ideas come from magazine covers. Here’s an example.

“The most hated girl on the Internet.” That was a cover line on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. I admit, I had to read it to find out who it was and why she was so hated.

You’ll find tons of magazine covers to peruse online at sites such as Magazines.com, Amazon.com and Magazine.store.

Here are a few things to consider when brainstorming your real estate copywriting headline: