How to write an awesome listing description!

Hello hello! Match day is coming up quickly, and with it, the wave of health care workers looking for  Medical Housing! This week, we're here with tips to help your listing stand out to prospective tenants on MedsHousing!

1. Write a listing title that stops them in their tracks

The first thing that potential renters see in a listing is the title - this is your first chance to grab their attention and make your apartment part of their search! We suggest that you include:

- Number of bedrooms

- Number of bathrooms

- Location

- One great feature

Tenants are looking for price range, features of the unit, and location. The title is also a great place to highlight a major selling feature of your listing!

A great listing title could look like: 

“Spacious 2-bed, 2-bath condo in the heart of downtown Montreal, rooftop pool and in-unit laundry”

2. Highlight the best features first

It's no secret that as the amount of information available to us increases, our attention spans decrease. Seize opportunity by highlighting the very best features of your listing as soon as possible! Try to make this descriptor concise - something that tenants could use to refer to your listing when making a list with family or significant others. Some examples include:

- Backyard Sanctuary
- Urban Skyline
- Peaceful Paradise
- Tall Ceilings
- Large Windows
- Excellent Lighting

3. Pick your descriptors

The most powerful tool you can use to attract tenants is to give them the chance to imagine themselves in your space! Pick a few strong adjectives to describe your unit, and paint a picture for potential tenants! Some popular choices include:

- Cozy
- Charming
- Spacious
- Classic
- Newly-Updated
- Private
- Cozy
- Warm

Pick 2-3 adjectives from the list, or come up with your own to combine with the best features for a strong opening line.

4. Keep it concise!

After that, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Reiterate how many bedrooms and bathrooms your unit has, and give a brief description of the general area and neighborhood and distance to main hospitals or medical school.  This could look something like:

“2-bed 2-bath unit in downtown Montreal, 5 minutes from the Green Line and located within walking distance of a major hospital and several grocery stores.” 

Once folks move in, they'll be able to make their way around on their own - keep this description to the most important landmarks! For medical residents this typically means distance to hospitals, access to transit, and groceries! This can be accomplished using Google Maps - try to include both driving and transit times for students who may not have a car.

5. Specify your conditions

As much as you'd like to attract a tenant, it's also crucial to attract the right tenant for you! It's useful to state your non-negotiables in the ad itself so that tenants know whether or not to contact you. This can include

- Rent
- Pet policies
- Security, key, elevator deposit
- Smoking Vaping policy
- Utilities (included or no)
- Application, credit check, background check, vaccine policy

If everything is transparent in the ad, there should be no problem communicating with tenants who will be right for you!

Best of luck, and remember that if you need any guidance or a boost, you can contact the MedsHousing team anytime at 105,110,102,111,64,109,101,100,115,104,111,117,115,105,110,103,46,99,111,109|105,110,102,111,64,109,101,100,115,104,111,117,115,105,110,103,46,99,111,109|||| !