Advertising’s brave new world

by Hal Douthit   Thirty years ago, real estate ad writing took a turn for the better. The introduction of pictorial homes magazines allowed advertisers to write longer, ergo better (usually) ads. Instead of buying space by the line or word in the newspaper, they were buying units split between picture and copy. If they wanted to write longer, the picture could be cropped, allowing additional words that cost no more.

Today, with the Internet, there are essentially no restrictions on length of copy (that’s especially true on your own Web site), which for proponents of "selling is telling" is very good news indeed.

My advice for the Internet is to include as much as you can about the house, but do it in a narrative manner–don’t just list features. If you have difficulty writing, here are two tips:

1. Determine what is unique about the property. Lead off it with it, whether it’s a setting, large trees, covered patio, etc. Then close with the same information. Why? Because people remember the first thing they read followed by the last.
2. Write the same way most people describe their home–by taking a tour, starting outside (style, number of stories, etc.) and ending in the backyard.

Technology is also leading the way to two new developments in advertising:

1. The wave of the future in media to showcase listings will be touch screens, either in kiosks or as wall units found in malls, supermarkets, bank lobbies, real estate offices, airports–anywhere the public is. These screens will do everything the Internet does (in fact, they interface with the Internet), and are out in the public. Best yet, they require only the use of an index finger.
2. Global positioning devices allow you to do a wonderful sidebar to your advertising, showing the distance from the house to attractions such as the nearest shopping mall, city hall, the high school football stadium, the nearest interstate exit, whatever. All stuff that turns guys on. And remember, they buy houses, too.

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.tar.org.