Selling Your Home? Smart Listing Keywords Can Help
Selling
When you’re getting ready to put your home on the market, you know about many of the things that will purportedly help it sell faster: curb appeal, professional indoor photos, and a decent listing price. But did you know that the way you write your home’s description might have a big effect, as well?
According to a recent study by Zillow Digs, homeowners who include certain keywords in their home listings may be able to help them sell faster and for more money.
Selling Your Home With Language
While it’s true that even the most beautiful description won’t do much to sell a run-down or damaged home, Zillow Digs did find that there are several keyword phrases that can add some immediate value to a home’s listing.
To come up with these results, Zillow analyzed 2.8 million U.S. home listings. From that batch, they pulled out 60 keyword phrases that related to design features of the home, and further distilled that to determine which were most lucrative for the home sale itself. Here’s what they found:
- Craftsman-style keywords were popular. In fact, the phrase “barn doors” raised a home’s price by 13% and decreased its sale time by 57%.
- Tile-related and other specific phrases performed well. Homes with terms like “subway tile,” “pendant light,” “heated floors,” or “granite” also attracted more views and sold faster than their counterparts.
- People love hardwood. According to the team, houses that advertised “hardwood floors” sold faster and earned 2% more than homes that boasted “new carpet.”
How to Make Your Home Sell Faster
Even if your home isn’t a craftsman-style beauty, there are steps you can take to make your home’s listing more attractive to would-be buyers. The best thing you can do is optimize your listing terms to call out design features and additions that are important to people in your climate, geographical area, or budget range. For example, if you live in a cold climate, heated floors or roofs may be extra attractive, while people in warmer climates may want to know about your home’s central air system.
Zillow also found that adding words like “captivating” and “luxurious” can go a long way to add value to your home’s listing and final sales price. You may also choose to advertise additions like exposed brick, stainless steel, granite, unique backsplashes, and more.
Faster Home Sales, Made Simple
Today, there are dozens of ways to help your home sell faster, from upping its curb appeal to simply changing the way you write your home’s listing description. By including high-performing and compelling keywords and phrases throughout your home’s listing, you can attract more buyers, raise your home’s purchase price, and, hopefully, decrease the time it spends on the market. Who knew selling your home faster was as simple as writing a better description?
