The vast majority of headlines used in real estate are generic, boring, repetitive, and ultimately useless.
The headline is the first thing people see and the LAST thing they’ll look at if it’s bad.
Whether you’re writing an ad, an email, an article, or a magazine, the headline is always the most important piece.
“The ad of your ad”
Imagine how many women rush through the grocery store and glance at a magazine while passing by. If the headline isn’t extraordinary, they’re not buying it.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” they might say…
But that’s not really how it works, is it?
Your content can be excellent. You could be revealing the exact location of the Ark of the Covenant, but if you don’t grab attention at first glance, how many people are going to take the time to read something that didn’t catch their eye amidst 2.000 other options?
It’s simple: you have 5 seconds to grab their attention.
However, most ads circulating out there attract less attention than a cat in a library.
And they always make exactly the SAME mistakes.
The two executioners of any headline
In my initial analysis of clients’ strategies when we start working together, I’ve noticed that they always start with the same thing:
John Doe (their name)
Real Estate Agent
Re/Max Select Agent
Every single time we review ads that didn’t work, my clients start by talking about themselves.
Let’s be realistic. No one really cares who you are, what you do, or how good you are at it. Unless you give them something that benefits them, you’re not going to matter.
Stop focusing on yourself and start understanding your clients.
I’m sure if you have some experience dealing with them, you already know exactly what pains them and why they work with you; you just have to apply that in your ad.
Be persuasive and focus on THEM and how you can help. Talk about their problems, their fears, their desires. Whatever it is, make them feel understood.
But please, don’t be obvious.
How many times have you received an email from a company trying to sell you something and didn’t even open it because it’s the same thing every single time?
I’m sure that when you think about the headline for your ad, only those kinds of “hooks” come to mind. It’s normal; that’s what you’ve been exposed to for years after all…
The toxic relationship in sales
The vast majority of people hate dealing with salespeople. They’re used to someone showing up, giving them a pitch, and then pushing them to hand over their money. In that case, people simply put up a guard, ignore everything the salesperson says, and look for the smallest pause to escape.
We need to understand that people love to buy, but they hate being sold to.
This is the love-hate relationship you need to keep in mind.
You can’t go straight into selling something. Don’t sound like the typical pushy salesperson.
Lead them to buy, but do it subtly. Make small suggestions and wrap it in a way that makes them want to buy, feeling like it was their own idea.
Successful negotiation consists of getting the other party to work for us. To go where we’re going - said Chris Voss in one of his books.
Crafting the perfect headline
To lead them where we want to go, we need to make the audience feel something. To feel identified, understood, part of something…whatever it is, give them a reason to stick around.
Only then will they lower their guard.
Now that you know what you need to avoid, let’s get to writing an effective headline.
Remember, it can’t be too obvious that you’re selling something, and you can’t just talk about yourself…
90% of people who make ads get this wrong: It doesn’t have to be super complicated, it doesn’t need to sound clever, nor does it have to be a play on words. Keep it simple, precise, and clean. Your ads will thank you.
So, how about we start with something simple that catches the attention of those who are looking for us?
How about something like… “Are you selling your house?” or “Are you looking for a new home for your family?”
If you reach the right person, they’re just going to respond with a firm YES! and keep reading.
With that, you’ve got your chance to hold their attention a few seconds longer and lead them to your offer.
But if you want to go a step further and stand out from your competition, you can also target more specific segments and suggest your expertise in that area:
Are you looking for a new home in Las Condes?
Are you newlyweds looking for a place to live together?
Need to sell your house in under 45 days?
This will help you reach more precise people according to your specialty and goals.
In short, 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 polish it.
You’ve learned that you need to focus on the client and what they need, not on you.
So let’s get to work.
But if you still feel like you don’t know where to start and you’d like me to give you the title that will bring more results than you’ve ever had before, fill out the form here and request a Free Marketing Consultation, where in addition to giving you the exact steps to dramatically improve your results, we’ll provide you with a guide of 100 successful title examples so you have the biggest range of options.
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