Real estate listing descriptions that make buyers book a viewing
Buyers scroll past "Charming home, must see!" all day. A good real estate listing description leads with what makes this property different, walks through it in order and says what life is like nearby. This prompt has your todo.is agent use your notes, photos and the neighborhood to write it, in the lengths your portals need.
The prompt
- Write a real estate listing description for [PROPERTY ADDRESS OR AREA]. Facts: [PROPERTY FACTS]. I attached [PHOTOS OR NOTES]. Look at the photos to pick out features worth mentioning, and search the area for nearby parks, schools, transit, shops and cafes with walking or driving times (give me the sources). Write: a headline under 80 characters; a full description of about [WORD COUNT] words that opens with the strongest feature, then walks through the home room by room, then the outside space and the neighborhood; a short version under 250 characters for portals and social; and 5 feature bullets. Use a [TONE] tone. Use only facts I gave or that you found with sources. Follow fair housing rules: describe the property, not who should live there. Save it as a Word file.
What to change
- [PROPERTY ADDRESS OR AREA]: The address or the neighborhood if you prefer, e.g. "Elm Street, Maplewood, NJ".
- [PROPERTY FACTS]: Beds, baths, size, year built, lot, parking, recent updates, HOA, etc.
- [PHOTOS OR NOTES]: Attach listing photos, a floor plan or your walk-through notes.
- [WORD COUNT]: e.g. "200" for most MLS fields. Check your MLS character limit.
- [TONE]: e.g. "warm and family-focused", "modern and crisp", "luxury".
Example result
- Headline
- Sunlit 1920s Colonial with Chef's Kitchen, Steps from Maplewood Village
- Full description (about 200 words)
- Original character and a fully renovated kitchen meet in this 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath Colonial on a quiet, tree-lined street.
- The front porch opens to a center hall with restored oak floors. To the left, the living room has a wood-burning fireplace and three tall windows facing west, so it glows in the late afternoon. The dining room seats ten and flows into the 2024 kitchen: quartz counters, a 6-burner range, a large island with seating and a walk-in pantry.
- Upstairs, the primary suite has a walk-in closet and a bath with a double vanity and a glass shower. Three more bedrooms share a hall bath with the original clawfoot tub. The finished third floor works as an office or playroom.
- Outside, a bluestone patio overlooks a fenced, level backyard with mature trees. A detached one-car garage and a driveway for two more cars complete the picture.
- The village shops, cafes and train station are about a 10-minute walk, and two parks are within a few blocks (sources in the notes).
- Short version (226 characters)
- Renovated 4BR 1920s Colonial with a 2024 chef's kitchen, restored oak floors, finished third floor and fenced yard. About a 10-minute walk to Maplewood Village shops and the train. Garage plus 2-car driveway.
- Feature bullets
- • 2024 kitchen with quartz, 6-burner range and walk-in pantry
- • Primary suite with walk-in closet and double vanity
- • Finished third floor for an office or playroom
- • Fenced, level backyard with bluestone patio
- • Detached garage and driveway parking
- Notes
- • Walking times are estimates from map searches. Check them before publishing.
- • No words about who the home suits (like "perfect for young families"), in line with fair housing guidance.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add the property facts, then attach photos or your notes.
- Paste it into todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp from the showing.
- Your agent looks at the photos, researches the neighborhood and writes full, short and bullet versions.
- Check every fact, then paste it into your MLS and portals.
Tips for a better result
- Open with the one thing that makes this home different, not "Welcome home".
- Walk buyers through in the order they would see it on a showing. It makes the description easy to picture.
- Use specific words instead of vague ones: "west-facing living room" beats "bright and airy".
- Describe the property, not the buyer. Avoid phrases about who the home is "perfect for" to stay on the right side of fair housing rules.
real estate listing description: FAQ
- How long should a real estate listing description be? Many MLS systems limit remarks to around 1,000 characters or less, so check yours. For most homes, 150 to 250 words covers the highlights without losing readers.
- What words should I avoid in a listing description? Avoid vague filler like "charming" or "must see", and any wording about the kind of person who should live there, which can break fair housing rules. Also avoid claims you cannot verify.
- Can I use it for rentals too? Yes. Tell your agent it is a rental and add the lease terms, and it will focus on what renters look for.
- Does todo.is post to the MLS? No. Your agent writes the text and files. You or your brokerage add it to the MLS and listing portals.
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