8 clever real estate copywriting tips top agents use (+ AI prompts)

by Gina Baker, Emile L'Eplattenier

I know, I know – you’re a real estate agent, not a copywriter, but hear me out. Just like people eat with their eyes first, the same goes for real estate. People will first be attracted to pictures, and then the real “taste” will be what they read from you. When people view a listing, they will see the pictures and read the description before making a call to an agent. The same goes for your website pages, Instagram and Facebook posts and email sends.

So, yes, you are a real estate copywriter, encouraging people to read your writing and move to the next stage – reaching out to you. Aren’t trained to be a copywriter? That’s ok, we have tips and tricks to get you there, including AI prompts that will elevate your real estate copywriting.

Where you’ll use copywriting in real estate

Before we get into the real estate copywriting tips, and maybe to further convince you that you’re now a copywriter, here are some of the places that you’ll be responsible for writing copy.

Listing descriptions
Social media captions
Blog posts
Lead magnets (downloadable content)
Email marketing
Text messages
Website and landing pages
Public relations articles
Your bio
Marketing materials (brochures, flyers, direct mail)

All of these items have the same goal of getting people to reach out to you for your services. The more intelligent and appealing your writing is, the more likely someone is to contact you. Practice makes perfect when it comes to writing, but with the advent of AI, you have an editor and writing assistant in your back pocket.

Example social media post campaign from Coffee and Contracts. — Example social media posts (Source Coffee and Contracts)

Don’t have any of the above marketing items yet? Check out the marketing materials from Coffee and Contracts. What’s great about Coffee and Contracts is that their content is written by top real estate agents who know what works. They provide anything from checklists and flyers to social media posts and email marketing campaigns, and everything is ready to post or send after you add your personal touches.

Visit Coffee and Contracts

1. Write to your target audience

To be effective with your real estate copywriting, your marketing materials must be tailored to the audience you aim to attract. For example, if you are advertising a starter home listing, then you should speak to first-time homebuyers. If you want to work with luxury clients, using language that speaks about high-end property finishes is needed to reach the right clientele.

Also, get into the mind of your target audience so you can understand and address their pain points. For example, someone moving from the city to the suburbs is seeking additional space while still wanting quick access to transportation and nearby amenities. These small, but impactful touches will draw an audience to your writing because you’ll be addressing their needs and wants.

Simply add your target clientele to ChatGPT along with any characteristics that you want to showcase about the home and benefits of those features. Something like this will do the trick:

You’re a real estate agent who wants to highlight special features of a property and appeal to a [target audience] clientele.

Write this listing description to highlight the [feature 1], [feature 2] and [feature 3].
Mention any other features, finishes or property details that would appeal to [target audience].
Include the benefits of each feature and how it addresses a need of this audience.
Keep in mind the Fair Housing laws of [State] and remove any language that would violate those laws.
Make the description only 250 words.

Use this strategy for real estate copywriting in marketing materials as well. For instance, if you’re putting together an introductory letter or email to a first-time homebuyer audience, work in language that will appeal to that audience. Try this in ChatGPT:

You’re a real estate agent who works primarily with first-time homebuyers. You would like to write an introductory letter to new leads, introducing yourself as an expert in working with individuals who are buying their first home. Write a letter that will make readers see your expertise, have a reason to call you and include market details for [City/State], to bring in relevant statistics for first-time homebuyers. Keep to one page.

2. Pair eye-catching photos with a catchy headline

Yes, your listing photos will be the first thing to catch someone’s eye, but the next thing they’ll read is your headline. While you could go with the classic “2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Cottage on the Water,” something like “Charming Waterfront Cottage｜2 Bed, 2 Bath Escape” sounds much more appealing. And the biggest catch? I didn’t come up with that – ChatGPT did. Just type in:

Can you make the headline for my property listing more catchy? 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Cottage on the Water

Here are the results:

Charming Waterfront Cottage | 2 Bed, 2 Bath Escape
Cozy Lakeside Retreat – 2 Bed, 2 Bath Cottage with Views!
Waterfront Dream Cottage | 2BR, 2BA with Stunning Views
Your Perfect Waterfront Getaway – 2BR, 2BA Cottage
Relax by the Water in This 2BR, 2BA Coastal Cottage
Serene Waterfront Living – 2 Bed, 2 Bath Cottage
Live the Lake Life – 2BR, 2BA Waterfront Cottage

Include additional details if you’d like to give ChatGPT more to work from, like the location, special property features and/or the type of audience you’d like to attract. It will tailor your headline to exactly what you’re looking for to represent your property, and it’s an easy way to up your real estate copywriting game.

3. Tell readers a story (that makes them want to live there)

As a real estate agent, you’re a salesperson, so sell people on why they should want to live in the home you’re advertising. It may have a “beautiful, pristine pool,” but that’s not telling them the full story. Think about what people do by the pool and how they can enjoy it. For instance, “Sit beside the pool to watch a quiet sunset or invite your friends to BBQ and cool down on a hot day.” This tells a story and makes people think about the possibilities for them within this home.

Make a list of the property features of the home and send it over to ChatGPT. Here was my prompt (add whatever features you’re property has instead):

You’re a real estate agent writing a listing description. You want to tell a story to readers about each of the features of the property to make them envision themselves living there. Keep to 250 words.

Here is a list of the features: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, open living room and kitchen area, hardwood floors, outside BBQ kitchen, hot tub, community pool and community clubhouse

4. Be descriptive with your language

Similar to the above tip, in addition to telling your readers a story about the property, you want that story to be descriptive. For example, you could say:

“Primary bedroom with ensuite bathroom” OR “Sprawling primary bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a full view of the lush grounds and pool. The attached ensuite bathroom has double sinks with custom cabinetry, a porcelain clawfoot tub and a separate walk-in shower with decorative tiles.”

Which sounds better to you? I’m assuming the second one because you can actually envision what the space looks like, even without a picture. This is an easy fix using ChatGPT, just by adding the property details:

You are a real estate agent who wants to add descriptive language to a listing description. Keep description 250 words. Here are the property details:

Add basic bullets about the property (for example: 3 bedrooms (1 primary, 2 guest), 2 bathrooms (1 guest, 1 ensuite), 1800 square feet, 1/4 acre of backyard property, open kitchen, etc.)

5. Include calls to action

A call to action (CTA) is the instruction you give to the reader to take a specific action. For instance, in a listing description, the CTA will be about wanting to schedule a showing of the property, or in a brochure for sellers, it will be about obtaining a home valuation from you. Think of it as a road sign for readers on where to go next — and all of those signs should lead to a service you provide.

Try this:

You are a real estate agent creating marketing materials for campaigns to attract [target audience]. You’ve already constructed the campaign, but want a few options for a catchy call to action. Keep them short (only a couple of words) and avoid plain language like “Call me” or “Schedule an appointment.” Make all the options actionable so readers know exactly what they are getting when they click. The goal is to attract [fill in your target audience; first-time homebuyers, sellers, expired listing leads, etc.] in [City/State] who struggle with [add pain point].

6. Use SEO keywords

Even though AI and ChatGPT are becoming a more common way to search for information, search engine optimization (SEO) is still important in your copywriting for real estate. When people search online for their next home or their next agent (you!), they’re going to type keywords into Google to find what they’re looking for.

For example, if you’re targeting sellers in Brandon, Florida, you could use keywords like: sell my house in Brandon, FL, Brandon, FL home selling, Brandon, Florida real estate agent for sellers or listing my home in Brandon, FL. So in your real estate SEO copywriting, include keywords that someone looking for a home in your area would search for. You can use an SEO tool like Ahrefs or Semrush – or our trusty friend ChatGPT:

You are a real estate agent writing copy for various online materials for your business. What are some SEO keywords that I can include in my writing to target [add who you’re targeting] in the [City, State] area?

7. Avoid language that violates Fair Housing Laws

All real estate agents must follow Fair Housing Laws so as not to discriminate against any protected classes. This is not only important in your everyday conversations but also in your marketing materials.

Luckily, ChatGPT can double-check your writing to make sure fair housing is followed. Or, if you’re creating copy within ChatGPT, simply include it in the instructions as you have it write the copy for you. Just state:

Please check to guarantee that Fair Housing Laws in [State] are followed in this copy. Change items in the copy if they violate fair housing guidelines.

8. Check your copy with a human

ChatGPT, Grammarly or even your Google Docs or Word program can check your writing for any simple mistakes. Just pop your real estate copywriting into one of those options and ask for a spelling and grammar check.

However, to get a real reading of your copy, you need to have a human person review it. This perspective on your writing will guarantee that what you’re writing is resonating with your target audience and says what you mean. You also want to make sure you have a pleasing rhythm and flow to your writing; only a human will be able to judge that properly. After all, your audience will be “reading it out loud” in their heads!

Give the person a general context of your copywriting, like “this is a brochure for potential clients,” and then ask them a few questions afterwards:

What message are you getting from what you read?
If you had to guess, who is the audience I’m writing for?
Where do you think this is appearing? Online, direct mail, social, etc.
Would reading this make you want to reach out to me? How would you do it?
How is the flow and rhythm of the article? Did you stumble in certain areas?

If the answers to these questions match what you’re trying to say with your copy, you’re good to go! If not, revise it and ask the individual to re-read it until you get it right.

Pro Tip

Read your writing out loud. If there are any pauses or stumbles when you’re reading it out loud, then you need to edit it to make it more easily digestible.

The full picture

Just like any other copywriting, copywriting for real estate needs to be precise, send a message and resonate with your target audience. Whether you’re a natural-born writer or need a little help from ChatGPT, the key is to make your copywriting speak to your audience and lead them to you.