Templates & Marketing ResourcesIllustrativeProperty listing description examples that work on the MLS and on video
Most listing descriptions are written for the MLS and forgotten everywhere else. These examples are built to do two jobs — stop buyers on the search page and hold them through the video.
You already know how to write a listing description. You've written hundreds. The formula is muscle memory: lead with the standout feature, work through the rooms in logical order, close with the neighborhood or the price justification.
The part most experienced agents haven't done yet: writing a description that also functions as the opening of the listing's video.
This isn't a separate task. It's the same copy, structured so the first two sentences stand on their own — the kind that can run as a title card, a caption, or a spoken hook before a buyer has seen a single photo. When the copy and the video make the same argument at the same moment, buyers trust the listing more. When they say different things, one of them feels like filler.
Below are eight examples across four property types. Each has the full MLS version and the video hook pulled out separately. Copy what fits your listing, adapt what doesn't.
What makes a good listing description?
A good listing description leads with the one feature that separates this property from comparable listings at the same price — in the first sentence, not paragraph two. The rest justifies it: the rooms, the condition, the neighborhood, the price logic. At 150 to 250 words, a well-structured description qualifies the right buyer, explains the value, and ends with a single clear action.
The dual-purpose test
A standard MLS description does three things: qualifies the buyer, justifies the price, creates some urgency. That order is fine for the search results page.
A video hook has one job. It answers a single question in under ten seconds: what is the one thing about this property that you won't find anywhere else at this price?
When the opening line of the description and the opening shot of the video are answering the same question, the listing has a clear thesis. Buyers remember listings with clear theses. They forget listings that lead with square footage and "move-in ready."
The first-frame test
Read the first two sentences of your listing description out loud. If a buyer who heard only those two sentences would want to book a showing, the hook works. If not, the memorable thing is buried somewhere in paragraph two — move it up.
Four property types, two versions each
The descriptions below are illustrative templates. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your listing's real details before publishing.
Suburban family home
The memorable thing: A backyard that changes how the house gets used.
MLS description:
Three bedrooms, two baths on a quiet cul-de-sac in [neighborhood]. The kitchen was renovated in 2023 — quartz counters, new appliances, an island that becomes the center of the floor plan the moment you walk in. Primary suite sits at the back of the house, away from the street. The backyard is why buyers keep coming back for second showings: covered patio, gas hookup, room for a table of eight. Walking distance to [elementary school]. One showing is usually enough.
Video hook:
The backyard is why people book the second showing. The kitchen is why they make an offer.
Why it works: The memorable thing is specific (the backyard, the pattern of second showings) and the second sentence explains the price. A buyer who hears only these two sentences knows exactly what this house is about before they've seen a photo.
Condo
The memorable thing: Light from two directions on the top floor.
MLS description:
Top-floor, corner unit. Views east and south — the east window catches the sunrise, the south catches the skyline. 1,100 square feet that live larger than the number suggests: open-plan main area, 10-foot ceilings throughout, two bedrooms on opposite ends of the unit. Building has a concierge, rooftop terrace, and one parking spot included. Five-minute walk to [transit line]. If you've been dismissing condos at this price point, this one is worth a look.
Video hook:
Corner unit, top floor. The east window catches the sunrise. The south catches the skyline.
Why it works: Three short sentences, one image. A buyer can picture exactly where they'd stand with their morning coffee before they've seen a single photo. That's the bar.
Luxury
The memorable thing: A pool that was designed, not installed.
MLS description:
Six bedrooms, five baths on 0.8 acres backing to protected greenbelt. Built in 2019 and shows like it. Chef's kitchen with double island, Wolf range, SubZero refrigeration. Primary suite has a separate sitting room and a bathroom agents keep stopping to photograph. Three-car garage with a finished guest suite above it. The pool was designed by an architect — lagoon style, sun shelf, cabana, negative edge at the greenbelt boundary. This is not a property where you'll find yourself making compromises.
Video hook:
The pool is the reason. Everything else confirms it was the right decision.
Why it works: Luxury buyers usually have a primary draw — the pool, the view, the kitchen. Naming it plainly, then positioning everything else as confirmation rather than justification, reads differently from standard listing language. It treats the buyer as someone who already knows what they want.
New construction
The memorable thing: Move-in ready at a price that won't hold.
MLS description:
New build, move-in ready, no wait. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, open-concept main floor with nine-foot ceilings throughout. Quartz counters in the kitchen and all bathrooms. [Builder] is known for energy-efficient construction — foam insulation, low-e windows, HERS rated. Two-car garage. This is the last unit in the current phase at current pricing; the next phase hasn't been released. If you've been watching new construction in this area, this is the one to move on.
Video hook:
New construction at this price point doesn't stay available long. This one is ready now.
Why it works: TOFU new-construction buyers track the market. They've been watching. This hook speaks to that behavior directly — it treats them as informed buyers, not people who need to be sold from the beginning.
What separates these from generic templates
Every example follows the same three-step structure:
- ✓ Name the memorable thing — the feature that makes this listing different at this price
- ✓ Lead with it — first sentence of the MLS description, not buried in paragraph two
- ✓ Pull it into a two-sentence hook — one that works before a buyer has seen any photos
The hard part isn't the formula. The hard part is identifying what the memorable thing actually is for your listing. Most agents default to "spacious" and "move-in ready" because those phrases feel safe. They're also invisible — a buyer's eye skips them the same way it skips the laundry room photo.
The question to ask before you write: if a buyer came back for a second showing, what would they say they came back to see? That's your opening line.
Not sure what the memorable thing is?
Ask your sellers. They've lived there. They know which room everyone ends up in, which detail every visitor mentions, which view they're going to miss. That's your first sentence.
How to write a property listing description that works for MLS and video
A listing description that works across MLS, social, and video follows the same three-part structure every time: a first sentence that names the property's single most memorable feature, a middle section that gives buyers the context they need to justify the price, and a close of one or two sentences that doubles as the video hook.
Write the video hook first. Every listing has one thing that stops a buyer mid-scroll. The view. The kitchen. The light in the living room at four in the afternoon. Name it in one sentence. That sentence becomes the opening line of your MLS description and the first frame of your video. When the copy and the video make the same argument at the same moment, the listing reads as intentional rather than assembled.
AI prompt: generate your MLS description and video hook together
Paste the prompt below into any AI tool. Fill in the brackets. Then test the output against one question: does the first sentence name the memorable thing, or does it open with square footage?
Write a property listing description and a 2-sentence video hook for this listing.
Property type: [e.g. 3-bed suburban home / top-floor condo / luxury estate / new construction] The standout feature: [the one thing buyers always comment on] Supporting details: [kitchen update, backyard, school proximity, views, finishes, etc.] Price: [$X] Target buyer: [e.g. families relocating / first-time buyers / downsizers / investors]
Return two parts: (1) a 150–200 word MLS description that opens with the standout feature, and (2) the video hook — the first two sentences only, written to work as a spoken opener before the buyer has seen any photos.
Before you publish
Keep
- The memorable thing is in the first sentenceNot buried in paragraph two.
- The first two sentences work as a standalone video hookRead them out loud — would a buyer want to see this property based on those alone?
- Every detail is verified against the listing sheetDon't describe a feature you haven't confirmed is accurate.
- The price feels justified by the copyThe description should make the asking price feel reasonable, not just list features.
Cut
- "Spacious," "stunning," "move-in ready" as the openerThese appear in thousands of listings. They don't differentiate.
- Bed/bath count or square footage as the first lineThat data is already in the MLS fields. Use the description for what the numbers don't say.
- Multiple calls to action at the closeOne CTA is enough. Two reads as uncertainty.
Write both versions, then let the tool handle the rest
Dunphy's listing description tool generates both versions from the property details you put in — the full MLS description and the short hook. Useful when you're moving fast and want the copy done before the photographer delivers the final set.
The video builds from the same hook. Dunphy reads the opening and constructs the video around the same thesis — so the first thing a buyer hears or reads matches the first frame they see.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a property listing description be?
Should I write differently for Zillow versus my own website?
Can the same description work as a social caption?
What is the most common mistake agents make in listing descriptions?
Do I need different hooks for different buyer personas?
How do I use these templates without every listing sounding the same?
Looking for the visuals to match these descriptions? Our guide on turning listing photos into real estate videos covers how to go from a folder of MLS photos to a finished listing video — no videographer needed.
Write the description once, use it everywhere. The listing description tool generates your MLS copy and your video hook at the same time.
Written by
Millusha FernandesIndependent Content Strategist
Independent Content Strategist helping SaaS and AI companies grow through content, SEO/AEO, and thoughtful storytelling. Fascinated by the intersection of technology and human behavior, I spend much of my time reading literature, exploring psychology, and learning about art. Writing here about marketing for SMBs, AI, creativity, and simplifying systems that help your ideas reach people.