The text that accompanies your listing as it appears in the Steamboat Springs MLS listings is called upon to do more heavy lifting than you might think. If it reads something like:
THREE BEDROOM ranch style Steamboat Springs charmer with 2 ½ baths, attractive kitchen, and fully landscaped backyard…
—then it will only be serving half-duty. A blurb like this does succeed in emphasizing basic nuts-and-bolts details, but every Steamboat Springs listing already includes the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and the rest. What’s missing is the story part of the story—the human element that strikes a chord with a reader’s own personal experience. It’s the pathway to emotions that astute marketers strive to reach. Successfully employed, it adds power to any Steamboat Springs listing.
One way to think of the “story” is the way a property’s features combine to create an experience that sets it off from its neighbors. Most of the time, serious prospective buyers will have visited a number of other properties. That makes memorability important—a necessary ingredient for being included in the prospect’s list of finalists.
Deciding on the right story for your own home isn’t always an easy call. If location is clearly its captivating feature—as when a killer view or waterside location is a hallmark that everyone will automatically be drawn to—the story is evident. Then the listing might read:
GLORIOUS SUNSET VIEWS will have you hurrying home to your 3-bedroom, 2 ½ bath retreat with its newly remodeled kitchen and…
If the story isn’t so obvious, sometimes the story surfaces in some unique feature that might not seem to be dominant—but which has proved to be charming and memorable for the family that’s lived there, as in:
THE BACKYARD TREEHOUSE is a memory-making extra with this immaculate three-bedroom, 2 ½ bath open-concept ranch with newly remodeled kitchen …
But what if no story presents itself—no matter how hard you search? Instead of abandoning the quest for an emotional hook, when all else fails, you can always think forward. The fact is, the next owners will ultimately supply their own stories. In situations where the most memorable property points aren’t memorable enough, a little creativity can be brought to bear, as in:
IT’S WAITING FOR YOU—this immaculately presented three-bedroom, 2 ½ bath open-concept ranch, awaiting only your personal finishing touch…
It’s one part of my job to help identify the winning story that distinguishes your home’s compelling Steamboat Springs listing. Give me a call to get started!