Your Rightmove 3 part mini course – part 3

Welcome to the 3rd and final part of your 3 part mini lesson series on Rightmove. 

Quick recap of your objective – to improve your Rightmove property advert so that more browsers click on your property. The more views on Rightmove the more actual viewings you’ll get.

In part 2, I told you all about how to use a smart ‘pricing strategy’ so that you potentially double the number of buyers who find your property on Rightmove. 

In this third and last part of your Rightmove series, I’m going to tell you all about… 
Property headlines

Headlines are meant to command your attention. Think of the front page of our daily newspapers, the News at Ten summary before the Big Ben bongs and the way our gaze is snagged by the glossy magazines headlines as they sit on the shelves, all fighting for our attention.

The same is true for property marketing. On Rightmove and the other property portals, the main description of a property is too often simply lifted and inserted on the summary page. What we end up with are flat descriptions with ellipses, as they haven’t been written to fit the summary, and so overflow. Take a look at this prime example of a yawn-inducing ‘summary’:

A modern link detached 3 bedroom family home, situated in a corner position, located in this popular village. The property also offers a stylish kitchen, cloakroom, spacious living room and conservatory overlooking the rear garden. Further attributes include a garage,...

This is a lost opportunity! Much better to have a simple and punchy headline of no more than 15 - 20 words that tells the buyer straight away why they need to book a viewing.
Here’s a list of some headlines – some better than others – but all better than a wordy description that nobody will read:

A good effort:

• Luxury period living with 21st Century refinements
• A superb architect-designed house enjoying far-reaching panoramic views over the Chloraka Hills with the magnificent mountain views in the distance
• A cosy apartment nestled in a beautiful quiet location

A bit of punch:

• Make as much noise as you want
• Possibly Paphos's finest coastal property
• Welcome to paradise

Now consider these great examples:

• If you are looking for a view it doesn't get much better than this.
• A great combination of work and home life: a true home in every sense

Some pointers to make sure your headline beats the competition:

• Use individual and unusual words – forget ‘spacious’ and ‘well-presented’, and go for adjectives that will really grab your buyer.
• Capture the essence – what is it that is unique and special about your home?
• Keep it short - the headlines above are less than around 20 words

Struggling to create a catchy headline? Email me with a link to your property advert, and I’ll see if I can help!

If you want a second opinion on what special feature in your house will make a worthy headline, one of our senior team will be happy to talk this through and give you a free market appraisal.

Till next time!

Author: Christos Nikolaou

BEng Mechanical Engineering, MSc Real Estate, ETEK Property Valuer, Register and Licensed Real Estate Agent.

Christos Nikolaou is the founder and Managing Director of Property Canvas, he holds a license as an Estate Agent from the Association of Real Estate Agents of Cyprus and he is a registered Property Valuer in the Technical and Scientific Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK). He is the author of our “Your Rightmove 3 part mini course – part 3” and is a certified advance negotiator.