One of the challenging tasks when marketing a historic home is writing the ad copy for the newspaper and online advertising. In the real estate classifieds, you’ll see the same words again and again- “lovely,” “beautiful,” “spacious,” “charming” and a few others. They may be true, but they’re pretty boring and overused, and not especially meaningful.
A good real estate ad, one that catches the reader’s attention and holds it, appeals to buyer’s emotions. It uses descriptive words that capture the flavor and personality of the advertised house. The ad reaches out, grabs the reader, and wraps them in the feeling, ambiance, and aura of the home that could one day be theirs. That’s especially true for advertising historic homes.
Using “old” in describing a house just makes it sound a little decrepit and, well, old. “Historic” and “antique” are good, but can get overused and don’t always paint interesting mental pictures. The best ads tug at those emotions… readers ought to be able to experience something of the house through the ad’s words. So…you need the right words. Here is our list of useful adjectives to use in advertising the older home. Some are descriptive, some evoke certain emotions, some tap into old memories. Keep this list handy and let us know what words you’d add to the list.
| Adjectives that suggest Age and “Oldness” | Vintage Classic Traditional Timeless Venerable Aged Long-Established age-old time-honored Antique Historic Ancient |
| Adjectives that suggest authenticity- It’s a “real” old house with “real” old house features. | Original Authentic Genuine Pedigreed Period well-preserved Treasured Storied Legendary |
| Adjectives that express antique qualities | Picturesque Nostalgic Old-Fashioned Old World Finely Crafted Elegant Graceful |
| Some useful Nouns often associated with older houses | Craftsmanship Character Warmth Grace Elegance Dignity Charm Style |
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If you’re ever at a loss for descriptive ad copy, try combining one of the adjectives from the first three categories with a noun from the last- advertise a house with “vintage style,” “timeless elegance,” “nostalgic charm,” “period craftsmanship,” “classic character,” or…. you get the idea.
Are we missing any words or phrases you’d include ? Have a great idea for an ad ? Add your comment below or send them to us- we’ll feature the most creative examples in future posts, along with a link back to you and your house listing.
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| Watch for Part 2 for more copywriting advice you can use and… we’ll search for some different ways to express that frequently-used chestnut- “yesterday’s charm with today’s conveniences.” |
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