5 Steps to a Home Selling Headline

101 Ways to Market Your Home

Here’s an age-old marketing truism for you to chew on:

8 out of 10 people will read the headline of a classified ad. 2 out of 10 people will go on to read the rest.

This is even truer on the internet, where the reader usually can’t just keep reading for the rest of the story. Your headline has to be magnetic enough to make them click on the link to find out more. When you’re marketing your home online, you may only get that one line to attract eyes to the rest of your classified home ad. It needs to be short, sweet and powerful, all at the same time. Here are some tips and examples to help you write a truly eye-catching headline for your classified home for sale ad.

Remember to obey all fair housing laws when running any advertisiments. For more information check out Fair Housing Laws at the HUD website.

Avoid the general – it’s too generic.

“Home for sale” just isn’t going to cut it. When your ad is in the real estate classifieds on craigslist or on Trulia, every single ad features a home for sale, dozens of them are Capes, and all of them are for sale. Use your allotted words to impress with specifics.

Your best option? Figure out the most interesting, compelling and saleable feature of your home and put that right up front. Include just enough details to capture attention. You want people to click on that headline and read the rest of your ad. Some examples:

- Old World Charm at New Low Price

- Six Bedrooms and Ocean View!

- Antebellum Beauty New to Market

- Relax on Your Own Private Beach – New Listing!

Consider your market FIRST.

People who write ads for a living know that the secret of writing an ad that sells your home is appealing to emotion. A headline that grabs attention is one that appeals to the buyer emotionally. In order to do that, you need to know what motivates your prospective buyer. What is most important to them? A few examples:

- Backyard Barbecues and Beachfront Entertaining

- The Perfect Seaside Getaway

- Elegant Living In Exclusive Gated Community

- Down Home Country Living with Uptown Style

At the same time, avoid pigeon-holing your buyers by specifically naming them. When you use phrases like “first time home buyers” and “Ideal family home” in your headlines, you’ll eliminate those potential buyers who don’t fit that profile.

To Price or Not to Price

Should you put your asking price in your headline? The firm answer to that question is “it depends”. If your asking price is lower than most homes in the neighborhood, it could be a great strategy – but you don’t have to name the specific price. Phrases like “Affordable Elegance” and “Charming Cottage at a Charming Price” get the point across without naming your numbers. If, on the other hand, your asking price is high for the community, you want to sell your buyer on all of your home’s features before you tell them how much you want for it. Don’t mention price in the headline – unless it’s a selling point.

Accentuate the Positive.

Your headline should avoid mentioning negatives. You may think “Illness forces quick sale” communicates that your price is low, but it sets up a subtle negative feeling in prospective buyers. Instead, try something like “Stunning Home – Motivated Seller”, which accentuates the positive for the buyer without bringing in anything negative that could subtly repel those you want to attract.

Just the Basics, Please

While creativity can really get your home ad noticed, you can also get great results with just the basics. Prospective buyers generally want to know three things right up front: price, location, size. If you’re having trouble being creative, you can always opt for a title like:

$250,000 New Tampa Charmer, 3BR

Exclusive 2BR Fox Run Townhouse, starting at $153k

Country Living at Stonecrest, $225,000, Huge Backyard

Date: Monday, November, 19th 2007 @ 04:22:27 PM
Views: 207