Some Language and Images to Avoid in Your Philadelphia and Main Line-area Home Sale Listing

FAIL:  Wrong angle for listing that boast a view of waterfront.

The Main Line area is well-located and has a relatively sophististicated, well-coached and discerning population of buyer and buyers' agents. In some devastated inner-city areas, rundown rural regions or SlumBurbs, inane commentary, faint praise, and useless or unappetizing images may fly ok, but below are 5 things you don't want to see in your Main Line area (LM/Haverford/Radnor/Phila Twp) real estate sale listing.:

1- Description beginning with the words location, location, location!

Nice way of saying house is inferior, inferior, inferior. Yes, pointing out a home's excellent location is good and vital, but to some extent, if the location is that good, the address itself will stand out. But ok, don't assume everyone, especially out-of-towners will get this right away, but come up with some sort of less hackneyed, worn-out way of making the point that doesn't imply the locale is great but the house is so lame its attributes are introduced by a lazy, repetitive cliche.

2- Including the words Freshly Painted in the listing description.

Really? Freshly Painting a homes interior for sale is akin to flushing the toilets or doing the dishes before showing. No, you don't have to Freshly Paint your home's interior to sell it well, but it's nothing to brag about if you do... When I see Freshly Painted as a selling point, all I can think of is wow, they're really reaching for positives and the house must have some real lame attributes.

3- Lead Photograph in listing is a close-up image of the numbers on the house.
The lead picture in a listing is the listing's calling card. It is what invites consumers and Realtors to become engaged and want to see more and learn more about the house. It is the image that gets syndicated from the Realtors' MLS to Zillow, Trulia, etc.... It is the #1 advertising tool for the house, so make sure it speaking inspirationally to the widest audience. Ok, maybe satan would be inspired to click and view additional images of a close-up of 3-inch, numerals mounted to a brick wall if they say 666. I love the number 8 and might be intrigued to view a house whose calling card is a close-up of the digits 888, but you're casting a pretty small net.

4- Images of Bathroom with the Lid of the toilet raised.
 Is it really so much trouble for your agent to put the lid down? Given their purpose, toilets are actually fairly aesthetically pleasing in shape if you're not hit over the head with the invitation to use it.

5- Listings that contain the phrase Priced to Sell or Won't Last Long

These are especially hilarious when the listing is on the market for 6 months and the description is not updated. Ultimately, if a listing has an attractive price, it will speak for itself. There are also better ways to describe and embellish the attractiveness of an asking price by describing the elemental value in the price. As a Realtor, when I see "priced to sell," it reads "think carefully about making an offer that is not list price."

Why would one want to insert language that discourages offers? It takes 2 minutes - if that - to review an lowball offer. Buyers and the Market will determine whether or not a home is Priced to Sell, not the seller or listing agent. As far as "Won't Last Long," again, the market will be the judge. Prognostication is irrelevant.

This list could go on to include endless photogaffes including: Dark or Tilted Photos, Cluttered Counter tops, Unmade Beds, Camera-Pointing Agents reflected in Mirrors.
Click here for a Gallery of Bad Real Estate Photos

To discuss buying or selling homes in the Main Line Area, contact:  Ted@R5realty.com or call 610.348.7972.