Marketing Remarks To Help A Home Sell

Marketing remarks are key to helping get a home sold.  While the pictures draw the buyer in the marketing remarks need to add to the whole marketing pictures so that the buyers want to take the next step and see the home in person.  With more buyers touring a home that means there will be a greater likelihood of getting a strong offer.  There are also marketing terms to avoid as they can turn away buyers who might otherwise be interested in the property.  This article looks at what kinds of marketing remarks work for home sellers and what language to avoid.

What Should The Marketing Remarks Tell About A Home?

Whereas the pictures of a home can convey a thousand words the words from those photos still cannot convey everything.  That is where the marketing remarks come in.  The marketing remarks are a chance to tell potential home buyers about those things not readily seen in pictures.  Have there been updates to parts of the home?  Then mention that.  Talk about the charm, the architecture and unique things of a home that will attract the buyer’s attention.  The pictures of the backyard may show the trees but do they really show the forest and the wildlife to the nature lover?  If not that is where the marketing remarks can add to the image.

Sellers should be using descriptive words that convey the openness of a house, the bright rooms and modern updates as applicable.  Where the photos give a visual description the marketing language needs to provide a verbal description about the things that are fun and interesting about the home.  If a home has a great kitchen and living area that makes for great parties the buyers should be told that the home provides those features.  The language needs to talk to the ideal buyer for the home and describe why they might like that home so those buyers will be more interesting in visiting the home.  The more home visits there are from buyers means more chances of offers and more chances of multiple offers from buyers.

When a home has recently updated things like HVAC, lighting, roof, windows, flooring, paint and more those should be highlighted as well as that will catch the attention of buyers who want a move in ready home.  With new lighting, HVAC and windows that usually also means better energy efficiency which translates into a more green home that many home buyers are seeking today.  Smart home features should also be mentioned for the techie buyers who want smart thermostats, smart alarms and more to be part of their home.

Putting in language such as the home may not qualify for a FHA/VA loan actually can be very helpful to buyer home buyers and real estate agents.  Whatever the reason it may not be able to qualify, by stating that upfront the sellers are saving the time of those buyers who will be using the FHA or VA mortgage loan.  The sellers also end up saving their own time by making sure only those buyers whose loan qualify to purchase the home will come and visit.  

What Kind Of Marketing Remarks Don’t Make Sense?

Sometimes some agents like to add language stating “Hurry! This One Won’t Last!” or something similar and while some of the time that may be accurate it does not really convey anything about the home in the limited space given for marketing remarks.  In the cases where the home did stay on the market for longer and the agent forget to delete out those hurry up comments it has the opposite effect.  Certainly home buyers and real estate agents do get a chuckle out of the hurry won’t last comments, especially when the home has been on the market for thirty or more days.  The problem then becomes buyers who think to themselves that how come a home that is not supposed to last is still on the market?  Are there problems with the home, is it priced to high, is the listing agent not doing a good job?  Whatever the reason, that type of comment does nothing to add to the narrative of a home.

Another comment that can attract negative attention is the “Will Consider All Offers” comment.  To many buyers that also signifies a seller who overpriced their home, refuses to lower the price and are hoping for someone to submit an offer so they can negotiate the offer higher.  A properly priced home does not need a comment about considering all offers since plenty of offers will come in for the seller to consider.  A home that has will consider all offers as part of their marketing remarks is not getting offers due to high price or poor condition (which can also be resolved by proper pricing) and usually indicates a desperate seller or listing agent who wants someone to make an offer just so there is some feedback about the actual value of the home.

While some homeowners may not want to or be able to make all the repairs necessary to a buyer’s desire, advertising that fact in the marketing remarks section is not helpful since the “As-Is” language mainly attracts investors or lowball buyers.  Lowball buyers are more than happy to make a low offer in hopes of getting someone to accept their offer and they will then turn around make some repairs/updates and list the house for a profit.  Investors will be looking to do the same thing as in fix and flip it or buy and hold as a rental after it has been repaired.  There are plenty of places for the real estate agent to notate as-is designation on the non-public remarks section of the MLS so other agents will see it.  The seller can also notate on the property disclosure form that the home is being sold as-is.  Keep in mind though that selling a home as-is may mean the seller is not wanting to do any repairs to the home but that does not excuse them from disclosing known material (latent) defects with the house.

One of the more puzzling things done by real estate agents is where the marketing remarks are left completely blank.  While this is not very common, it does happen.  Yes the pictures may be worth a thousand words but to leave the marketing remarks completely blank is not very helpful to anyone.  Even if the property is a foreclosure sale, short sale, home being sold as-is, complete rehab or auction there are still remarks that can be input in order to give buyers more information about the property.  The more information the right buyer has about the property the more likely they are willing to take the next steps, visit the home and put in an offer.

Personalized remarks also don’t make much sense when marketing a home since buyers are looking for a blank slate to draw their own life on.  Mentioning that a home has been great to your family and how much you loved living there only brings to question why are you moving?  Selling a home is not about the sellers but about the buyers so the marketing language needs to speak to the buyers.

Bottom Line

Marketing remarks are an important part of marketing the home to make sure buyers are drawn in.  Seeing the home online is not enough, the buyers must want to come in and see the home in person so they can form more of an attachment with it.  Buyers who really like a home online and then see it in person are all more likely to take the next step and put in an offer.

Additional Resources

• How To Make Your Home Qualify For An FHA Mortgage Loan - This article looks at the standards that an FHA inpsection will look at to make sure a home qualifies to be financed by the FHA mortgage.
• 10 Things To Avoid When Selling A Home - With homes being as expensive as they are making sure everything is done right can help ensure the house obtains the maximum value when buyer offers come in as this article explores.
• Why Would A Homeowner Want To Sell Their Home As-Is? - While not ideal selling a home as-is is sometimes the only option a homeowner may have and this article discusses the pros and cons of that approach.

About the author: The above article “Marketing Remarks To Help A Home Sell” was provided by Luxury Real Estate Specialist Paul Sian. Paul can be reached at paul@CinciNKYRealEstate.com or by phone at 513-560-8002. If you’re thinking of selling or buying your investment or commercial business property I would love to share my marketing knowledge and expertise to help you.  Contact me today!

I work in the following Greater Cincinnati, OH and Northern KY areas: Alexandria, Amberly, Amelia, Anderson Township, Cincinnati, Batavia, Blue Ash, Covington, Edgewood, Florence, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Hebron, Hyde Park, Indian Hill, Kenwood, Madeira, Mariemont, Milford, Montgomery, Mt. Adams, Mt. Washington, Newport, Newtown, Norwood, Taylor Mill, Terrace Park, Union Township, and Villa Hills.