The Crime Everyone Commits Against Their Ads… And How To Fix It!

The vast majority of headlines in real estate ads are boring, generic, repetitive and ultimately pointless.

They’re the first thing people see… and the LAST if it’s bad.

Whether you’re writing an ad, email, article or social media post the headline is always the most important part.

Because it's:

“The Ad For Your Ad”

Imagine how many people rush through shops, glancing at magazine covers while passing by. 

If the headline isn’t strong enough they won’t even give it a second look, nevermind buy it.

The saying is “don’t judge a book by it cover”…

…but we both know that’s not really how it works, is it?

You could have the best content in the world. Maybe you’ve found the cure for cancer.

But if you don’t grab your reader's attention at first glance, they won’t take the time to look at the rest of your content, especially when there’s million other things out there calling for their attention.

In reality, you have about 5 seconds to grab them.

But most ads out there attract less attention than an explosion in a paint factory.

And they always make the exact SAME mistakes:

How To Ruin Your Headline

Most real estate ads start with the same things:

- Person’s Name

- Their Job Title

- Their Company

It’s always about themselves.

But let’s be realistic: no one really cares who you are, what you do, or where you work.

Unless you tell your customer something that benefits THEM, they won’t take much notice.

So stop focusing on yourself and step into your client's shoes.

You probably already know exactly what pains them and why they come to you to solve it; you just need to convey that in your ad.

Be persuasive and focus on their needs and how you can help. Talk about their problems, their fears, their desires. Make them feel understood.

But… don’t be obvious!

How many times have you received an email from a company trying to sell you something and you didn’t even open it because you’ve seen it a billion times before?

When you think about the headline for your ad, those kinds of “hooks” come to mind. 

It’s normal. It’s what we’ve been exposed to for years after all…

The Toxic Relationship In Sales

Most people hate dealing with salespeople. 

It’s annoying when someone shows up, gives you a pitch, and then pushes you to hand over your money. 

People usually put their guard up and ignore everything the salesperson says before looking for the smallest chance to run away.

We need to understand that people love to buy - but they hate being sold to.

It’s this love/hate relationship you need to keep in mind.

You don’t want to sound like the typical pushy salesperson and go straight into selling something.

The best way is to subtly lead them into making the decision themselves. 

Find out what they’re looking for and tell them you might be able to solve their problem. If you do it right, your customer will feel like it was their idea all along.

“Successful negotiation consists of getting the other party to work for us. To go where we’re going.” - Chris Voss.

Writing The Perfect Headline

If you want to lead your target audience to where you want them to go, you need to make them feel something first. 

To feel identified, understood, valued… whatever it is, give them some reason to stick around.

Only then will they lower their guard.

Let’s get into writing effective headlines!

Remember it can’t be too obvious that you’re selling something. And you can’t just talk about yourself…

90% of people that make ads get this wrong. 

It doesn’t have to be super complicated, it doesn’t need to sound clever, and it doesn’t need to be a play on words. 

Keep it simple, concise and clean. Your ads will thank you for it.

So how about something that catches the attention of those looking for your service?

Like: 

“Are you selling your house?” 

or 

“Looking for a new home for your family?”

If you reach the right people, they’ll respond with a solid “YES!" and keep on reading.

With that, you’ve got your chance to hold their attention a few seconds longer and show them what you have to offer.

But if you want to go one step further and stand out from the competition, you can also target specific market segments and suggest your expertise in that area:

- “Are you looking for a new home in xyz area?”

- “Newly married and looking for a place to live together?”

- “Looking to sell your house in under 45 days?”

This will help you reach the perfect people for your speciality/goals.

The headline is by far the most important part of your ad. In most cases, it’s what makes the difference between a successful ad and a useless one, so take the time to nail it.

Talk soon,

Pritesh Chauhan

If you still feel like you don’t know where to start and you’d like us to write headlines that’ll bring you more results than you’ve ever had before, fill out the form here to request a Free Marketing Consultation!