Copyright 2006 Geff Long

The problem most people make (including real estate agents), is trying to do too much in the ad. They try to sell the home in that one ad and it just cant be done. It will cause the ad response to drop dramatically.

As backwards as it seems, the more information you provide in the ad, the lower the response rate. Now, Im not saying dont give any information Im saying pick and choose the information you will include carefully. There is only ONE job the ad should have and that is to get the reader to take ONE action.

Thats it. Nothing more.

You see, people are reading those house ads to try and ELIMINATE homes to call on or look at. That changes your perspective a little bit, doesnt it? Common sense would tell you that they are searching for houses to look at, but that isnt the case.

There is no way they can visit all those homes listed in the newspaper, so they have to eliminate some of them. If you give them a big ad with all the information and show them a picture, they are quickly able to eliminate it and cross it off their list. Dont give them that option.

There are 4 important and essential parts to your ad. You must grab the readers attention, capture their interest, create a desire, and get them to take action. And believe me, it is not rocket science and if you stick to that plan, the response will surprise you.

Lets look at each part individually.

1. Grab Attention

To grab the readers attention, you need to show them that the ad pertains to them. The easiest way to do this is by starting your ad with the name of the city or neighborhood your home is in. Its that simple. Anyone looking for a home in your area will start reading your ad.

2. Capture their Interest

The easiest, fastest way to capture interest is to give the reader some financial information. People are starved for this information, but the real estate industry rarely gives it to them. Simply get in touch with a Bank or Loan Officer and ask for a Good Faith Estimate for your home. They will be able to show you some exact financial numbers that you can use. You will use Down Payment, Monthly Payment, Loan Amount and the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) information in your ad.

3. Create Desire

Part of this is already done by the low down payment and financial information. It creates a big interest and starts creating a big desire. You can continue on and push some hot button issues to really create desire in the reader. Use terms that give a positive emotion. Quiet Street, Fenced Back Yard, Fireplace... these types of terms are "feel good" terms.

4. Getting the Reader to Take Action

What is it you want the reader to do? Only give them ONE option. You can have them call a phone number, go to a website, or attend and open house. Choose ONE option and make that the focus. Having them call a phone number will generally get the biggest response.

There you have it. Four ridiculously simple steps that will skyrocket the response from your "For Sale" ad.