Top Five Mistakes Commonly Made by Real Estate Agents

With millions of new property listings appearing online every day, it is an increasing struggle to make yours stand out amongst the crowd.

By identifying common advertising mistakes and recognising what makes a strong, quick-to-sell listing, agents can ensure that their properties grab the attention of potential buyers and renters.

Online property portal Lamudi takes a look at the five most common mistakes made by real estate agents, in order to help improve listings and sell property faster.

1. No or only a few photographs. Marketing your property online means that the listing has to be visually appealing. Many real estate agents do not include photographs of the property in the listing. Make sure to make at least five high-resolution pictures in different rooms of the house or apartment. Dimly lit rooms will not grab the attention of home buyers, neither will the one and only picture of the house.

2. Bad language. Grammar plays an important role in selling real estate, so make sure you double check spelling and sentence structure before you list your property. Property descriptions with no grammatical errors in the title statistically get more views. Descriptions including persuasive language such as: “In a Hurry to Sell” or “Motivated to Sell” deter potential buyers, as this leads the buyer to question why the agent wants to sell so fast.

3. Vague neighbourhood descriptions. Listing all the high quality amenities that are nearby is important, however many real estate agents limit the description of the surrounding area. A home buyer wants to know as many details as possible about future neighborhood, such as if it welcomes pets or is cyclist-friendly. By including these details, listings are likely to get more attention from house-hunters. The same applies to neighborhoods that have a low crime rate or those that foster a sense of community and are vibrant and diverse. Make sure to include all of a neighborhood’s assets in the description of a property.

4. No sign of home upgrades. Energy-efficient homes and renovated houses sell faster, yet many real estate agents undervalue these upgrades and do not list them in the descriptions. Don’t forget to highlight energy-saving aspects, such as the amount of natural light, or the temperature in the winter, which may save tenants money should they purchase the property.  

5. No extra benefits. Extra benefits are hardly considered when creating listing descriptions, yet they may be game changers when it comes to selling a house. If home appliances are covered by warranty or if the house has the latest home security installed, make sure to list these selling points in the description.

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 500,000 real estate listings across its global network.