There have been a number of occasions when I’ve spoken at a Propertymark event about property listings, just after James Monroe of The National Trading Standards Estate & Lettings Agency (NTESELAT) team has spoken about Material Information.
Funnily enough we’re not coming at this from different sides. I’m fully behind the need for the consumer to be armed with upfront and transparent information. That’s because I want people to be able to make better, more informed decisions at every stage in the process.
It’s nearly two years since the Part A requirements were introduced. Many agents are still unsure as to how they should be applied on a practical, day-to-day basis, even though they’re relatively simple and straightforward.
And this confusion is adversely affecting compliance. A disappointingly small number of property listings tick all of the necessary Part A boxes.
And with the more complex and comprehensive Parts B & C requirements having just been released by Trading Standards, what should agents do to ensure compliance?
And with the more complex and comprehensive Parts B & C requirements having just been released by Trading Standards, what should agents do to ensure compliance?
What Agents Do To Prepare?
As I see it, the challenge lies in striking a balance between complying with the Material Information requirements and maintaining the art of selling.
And this balance is achieved by first winning the hearts of ideal buyers (or tenants) before appealing to their logical minds with the necessary Material Information.
The order in which you tackle these two different tasks is hugely important.
I’m a language geek, so I pick up on these things, but you rarely hear of a “minds and hearts” campaign do you?
Tell a Story
The key to a successful property listing is its ability to tell a story. It’s about creating a narrative that resonates with the ideal buyer or tenant, one that paints a picture of a life they aspire to.
That’s how I can write engaging listings for clients in the Scottish Highlands all the way down to Devon & Cornwall, all without ever having visited their properties.
And it’s because I’m not concerned with the room dimensions and how many radiators it has.
Instead I’m focused on the pleasure that the buyer/tenant is seeking to gain from the move or the pain they’re looking to remove or reduce.
This emotional connection is the foundation of the decision-making process.
It’s about showcasing a property not just as four walls with specific dimensions and features, but as a canvas for the buyer to project their future memories and experiences.
If that’s all sounding a bit ‘Woo-Woo’, let me bring it back down to earth with a bump. It’s incredibly stressful and costly to move house, so there needs to be a very good reason driving the move.
People don’t move house on a whim. And we should always remember that.
Take for instance, a family-friendly property. Instead of immediately delving into the specifics of room sizes and local amenities, an effective listing might be themed around a typical sociable weekend in the house.
It could describe the laughter echoing in the sun-trap south facing garden during a family BBQ. Or the cosy winter evenings spent in the open plan kitchen/diner / family room with a roaring log burner.
These scenarios do more than just describe the features of the property; they encourage visualisation.
Sell With Emotion
In his excellent book ‘Pre-Suasion’, acclaimed behavioural psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini states that it’s very difficult to change what people think but it’s far easier to change what they think about.
And the key to success is to get potential buyers and tenants thinking positively about their future lifestyle before hitting them with the cold, hard Material Information facts, some of which may be more negative than positive.
People buy based on emotion and justify that decision with logic.
So the art of creating an effective and compliant property listing lies in this dual approach.
The Approach
Firstly, capture the imagination and hearts of your buyers with a compelling, emotionally engaging narrative. This is the hook that draws them in, piquing their interest and creating a desire for the property.
Then, solidify their interest with the Material Information that appeals to their rational side, providing them with all the facts needed to make an informed decision.
If some of the Material Information is potentially offputting it can’t be hidden or understated. That said, by creating the emotional connection first it will cause the potential buyer or tenant to assess this information very differently. Perhaps a little less negatively…
It can be helpful to judiciously sprinkle some factual information to back up your emotional claims in the full description. I’m a huge fan of the 80:20 principle and it could be applied here (although 90:10 may be more appropriate).
For example, if I’m writing about the “Outstanding” local school I like to point out how long it will take to walk there. Note this is expressed as the time it will take, rather than stating the distance in miles or kilometres.
Actually I’d advise against too much flip-flopping between emotion and facts. That can cause confusion as the reader has to alternately engage the left and right side of their brains. And that can prick the bubble of the emotional state you’re trying to create.
Better instead to weave the emotional narrative and “sell the dream” before turning your attention to the more logical, factual details.
In my opinion there’s no place for Material Information in the ‘Short Description’ 250 characters that appear in Rightmove’s search results. Just as mentioning double glazing or gas central heating in the short description (which I have actually seen) flags up the lack of anything more interesting to write about…
The short description should be used to attract the attention of the ideal buyer or tenant with a single minded message that suggests the property can solve their problems. That’s it.
The full description should then expand on that.
And having done so, only then should you go into detail about the Material Information. The portals have a role to play here by ensuring there are templates that can be quickly and easily filled in once the Parts B & C requirements are known.
But for now I’d suggest using the Key Features bullet points or a separate section of clear copy. Right at the end of the full description text.
Obtaining the required information for Parts B & C will present its own challenges. I’m not going to open that can of worms!
But once known, the information should be presented in a way that gives the agent the best chance of matching the property to the ideal buyer or tenant and proactively selling the positive change that the property can make to their lives.
About the Author
Neil is author of the No1 Amazon best-seller “The Ultimate Property Listing”. A direct marketing expert and ex-letting agency owner, Neil specialises in helping agents to sell & let their properties faster and achieve higher offers by optimising their property listings.