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Most listing descriptions almost always fall into one of these categories.
1. Verbose or even worse- pretentious.
2. Dishonest... calling a crapshack "gorgeous".
3. Laundry list.
4. Grammatically horrendous... like a kindergartener wrote it, and with words as if from misheard lyrics.
"Curve appeal" anyone? sexyyyy.
So why even bother reading unless you want to be bored to death, or get a kick out of reading an awful one.
For almost any home, such a description would more than suffice-
"Stop reading this and come see this home. NOW."
I always read the descriptions. Sometimes they would list a feature that was not in a picture for some reason. But what started to annoy me was the excessive use of the word "boasts" as in this house boasts a polished concrete patio or this house boasts a modern kitchen..etc etc. how does a house boast about anything anyways?
I just told my realtor yesterday to revise the wording in my listing. I know when my sister and I were looking at houses we always read the listing. Sometimes there are features not shown in the pictures. In my case mentioning that there is also a family room and not just a living room was a big deal. The pictures don't show them as two different rooms.
I read the description just until I hit a particularly egregious word or comment. Yes, 'boasts' is a big turn-off. So is 'desirable' as in desirable neighborhood. Also, 'location, location, location' shows an inexperienced agent. 'Beautiful'? That is MY decision, not the listing agent's. I've also grown to dislike anything misleading, like 'landscaped' when it means the grass is cut and there are two shrubs in the front yard. OTOH, a listing of special amenities or rooms is nice, and I like to read 'one-owner', or well maintanined (if it is), or 'fenced yard', or mature trees or other informational and searchable terms.
I always do because I try to find interesting notes that might be helpful about the home. You have to learn to separate the bragging from the features that might interest you.
What bugs me the most is the listings where the author can't resist over-using the exclamation point, even when it really isn't necessary.
"Ceiling fan in living room! Linoleum in bathroom! Doggy-door! Window in bedroom!" etc.
It's also funny when they use descriptors like "spectacular" or "fabulous" for an apartment with attached photos that make it look like a crime scene.
The sad part of this is that if you are a casual shopper just getting his/her feet wet (very early in a search), you almost have to rely on the blah/overblown/poorly-written descriptions because the real estate agents hold their listings' photos and meatier details hostage behind the "You must register with the site" pop-ups. Given the pushy reputation of some real estate agents, the LAST thing I want to do is give them a means of contacting me when I'm not even ready to start the process of buying a home. I just want to "window-shop" as it were, but those quickie descriptions are typically all they will let us see without making that commitment.
My favorite listing descriptions are the ones where it's obvious the seller felt the need to add things after the agent had run the description by them. Totally random things that no one cares about and that don't affect the value of the property. I once saw a final sentence that said, "Seller replaced all bulbs with LEDs in 2014." You know the listing agent doesn't really think that will help sell the property (OK, maybe depending on your market, but I can tell you in Minnesota it doesn't matter), but the seller insisted on including it because replacing their bulbs with LEDs probably cost them a good chunk of change.
I've also learned from a home that I personally owned and another that I was the buyers' agent on that "built by a contractor for his own family" might turn out to mean "everything held together with roofing nails and 18-gauge brads." Yes, even the drywall.
I read them, and what is in those will actually stick in my head more than what I see in list form with regards to rooms/features. I, too, hate the overuse of exclamation points. I would much prefer they didn't take the time to make it all flowery, and some (most?) of the writing is just corny. I just want to know the facts. Tell me why I'll want that house, but tell me in straight language. I can see the pictures and I will see the house on my own if I'm interested. Flowery/corny language isn't what gets me interested.
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