For the better part of two decades, I have worked in the real estate industry in a marketing position which focuses predominantly on promotional copywriting. There’s no Pulitzer Prize on my horizon, however, over the years I have managed to hone my “relevant to the business” skill-set to the point at which it has become second nature to me. I take great pride in the fact that I have not fallen into the trappings of writing gimmicky ad headlines such as “Honey, Stop the Car” & “Dirty Rotten Fixer” or descriptions devoid of thought provoking content. That’s because I have an innate appreciation of the value and power of the carefully written word and by being selective in the process, strive to transform even the most unremarkable or ramshackle home into something special.
     As a seller, you most likely expect that your home will be promoted effectively and creatively with professional photography, quality flyers or brochures and a strong internet outreach accompanying your Realtor’s effort, right? What about the ever critical and equally important verbiage component? You know the description of your home that appears on a brochure for the benefit of a local audience as well as the Multiple Listing Service with its potential for worldwide exposure? Do you realize how important it is for that description to capture the essence of or most merit-worthy aspects of your home in order to attract the right audience? Well you should, because in a competitive and challenging market it’s as much about immediate audience interest & lasting impression, as it is about swift audience impact. Let’s see if I can convince you of this further.
     If you go to any real estate company web site, you can do a property search that will link you into the local MLS and prompt you to input your specific criteria. You can then take a tour of a property by viewing what is hopefully, professionally taken photo media and read a description that is typically written by the listing agent.
Most of the time, the description is no more than a recap of what can already be found by the discerning viewer in the bedroom, bath and square footage fields. Yet, are we to assume that because buyers elect to search for real estate on the internet they prefer a snapshot summary over a verbal pictorial? I think not. Because whether or not you’re viewing a home by way of a virtual experience in the privacy of your home or checking it out via an open house “look see,” the experience is what ultimately allows you to envision living there in the future.
     Now taking it a step further, which of the following descriptions of the very same home do you think will have the greatest impact on the audience we’re seeking to attract based on the impact it has on you?:
     Version 1: Clean 3BR home on large lot close to schools and shopping. Fresh paint, fireplace, updated kitchen, yard with fountain and new sod, plus central air & two car garage. Big lot, quiet neighborhood. Priced to sell!
     Version 2: Few homes exude the warmth and charm of this delightful single-story home located on a private, sprawling lot in a neighborhood reflecting true pride of ownership. A wonderful curbside approach featuring freshly appointed sod and blooming flora, welcomes guests to an impressive floor plan perfect for entertaining with voluminous ceilings and spacious living areas that include the family room with fireplace and three bedrooms. Cooking in the kitchen is done with ease with its updated appliances, ample granite countertops and a walk in pantry. Before cooler days and nights are upon us, enjoy the weekends dining alfresco in the lush backyard with its inviting covered patio, soothing water fountain and picturesque gardens. Other features include a two car garage with new roll up door and built-ins. This property is a must see!
     I think I know which one you chose. That’s because unlike Version 1, Version 2 paints a picture that taps into the senses. And if it works for you, it may very well be what prompts a higher level of interest in the home, subsequent showing of the property and ultimately, an acceptable offer from one of many potential buyers so inclined to get that first view of your property on line.
     So as a seller, don’t allow the value of your property to be compromised in its presentation to the world. Try sharing with your Realtor what appeals to you most about your home – a picture if you will, such as the fact that “our yard is most spectacular at dusk when the birds obscured by the branches of our 50 foot Coastal Redwood tree start serenading one another during their sundowner ritual.” Most importantly, hold your agent accountable to a higher standard by having a say about what is being said about your property.

The neighborhood I live in is quiet and well-groomed. Neighbors wave as they fetch the morning paper, walk their dogs or mow their lawns and the mostly traditional ranch-style architecture gives it popular appeal. With its mix of Civics, Baby Boomers and Gen Y’ers, we’ve got the generational spectrum well-covered and for the most part, nearly everyone minds their own business. It’s a place we consider near ideal.

On my way home from work this evening, I couldn’t help but notice the newly installed For Sale sign in the front yard of a home on the street leading into my cul-de-sac. I slowed my car as I passed by, as if seeing it for the first time. Once I pulled into my driveway, I thought to myself, “I wonder if they’re in financial distress, getting divorced, scaling down or better yet, moving up? I don’t know these neighbors, but my inquiring mind couldn’t help but want to know why they were selling.

Given that I’ve worked in the real estate industry in one capacity or another for over 30 years, I am admittedly “old school” in thinking that when a house goes on the market, a For Sale sign should be installed in its front yard soon thereafter. This step is of course for the benefit of the seller in order to expose it to any and all potential buyers, right? These days though, I can’ t help but wonder if a For Sale sign truly enhances the chances of the property selling or if it’s really just a means by which to spark the curiosity factor for nosey neighbors.

A few weeks back, we took our dog out for an evening walk. My husband and I are admittedly friendly, yet unsocial in the sense that we are not a part of the “driveway mafia” that find it pleasurable to make other people’s business their own. Five houses into our dog walk, we came upon our very own Gladys Kravitz – sans the updo bun, who in less than 20 minutes time gave us the 411 on what hadn’t made recent news headlines: Who had died? A man (terminal illness) and a dog (attacked by killer bees being raised illegally at the home behind its owners). Who had spied? A stalker neighbor (incensed by another’s barking dog). Whose lives continue to collide? Two bickering neighbors that spend hours a day tending to their putting green perfect lawns in an attempt to earn self-proclaimed “bragging rights” for the week.

So today, it occurred to me that that new For Sale sign may very well just be a catalyst for neighborhood speculation rather than serve the purpose it ought to and that is to generate potential buyer interest at a time when attractively priced, non-distressed property inventory in the right neighborhood is so hard to come by.

A colleague of mine recently listed a property, which was posted on the Southern California Multiple Listing service and exposed to a local, national and global audience. During its first two weeks on the market, (prior to the installation of the For Sale sign), he says there were showings on the home and countless inquiries by agents and consumers alike. Since it is a heavily trafficked area, I would venture a guess that the inquiries would have been two fold had there been a sign, yet at the same time I must ask: Is this still the day and age where drivers-by call on signs to get more information on the property? Or do they instead, jot down the street name and address of that home and look it up on line in the pressure-free environment of their own home? If so, are we in essence doing our sellers a disservice by posting that impressive company sign in their front yard? Furthermore, does it behoove us to put that sign up any way in case one of the neighbors tells two friends about the home being for sale and they tell two friends and one of those friends happens to be in the market to buy a home?

For Sale signs are quite likely here to stay, yet for now, this inquiring mind wonders if they are in fact, the effective and valuable marketing tool they once were and if not, what might another alternative be?