Listing of the Day - Fargo ND

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



18th St. South, Fargo ND 2 + 1 1/2 $125,000

http://www.harmonhomes.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/North-Dakota/Fargo/detail/41234326


The first impression of this listing advertisement is not positive at all. Some of the advertising copy appears to bleed into the photo making it hard to tell whether or not that is planned. The photo itself is not visually appealing. Frankly, it looks like a photo taken from the back of the unit featuring 3 separate garages. It is nearly impossible to tell whether a small tree at the lower right corner of the home is growing into the the upstairs overhang or was being thrown out at the time of the photo.

Worse yet, this advertisement does not show an address. (I got the "18th Street South" location from the map link.) People looking on this site (and other advertising web sites) have plenty of other properties to choose from that give the exact address. Not showing this probably eliminates potential buyers seeking a particular neighborhood and/or school district. In this case, this is one of the higher priced listings for a 2 bedroom home.

Adding to the confusion is that the beginning of the description tell us this is a "twinhome". Then, the remainder of the description fails to clarify whether or not this is a shared property and whether or not the land and entire building are included within the price. This is not sufficient information to entice a potential investor either.

The first line of the description copy refers to the $4,000 price reduction. However, the price reduction shows as being from November 16, and I found this advertisement 40 days later. Sorry, but more than 10 days later it tells people who were aware of the price reduction that there still hasn't been activity on the listing, and it tells those "new" to this listing that this property has been sitting on the market.

Next, the first reference to what is inside the home tells us that it includes "windows, light fixtures, and floor covering - carpet and vinyl". To put it mildly, that description doesn't exactly make this home seem like the greatest listing ever. Especially when this listing is among the higher priced ones in the market for 2 bedroom homes!

In the next sentence we learn of the "large deck with a restive view of the backyard". Restive? Then, we learn that "Plan includes living room, kitchen/dining area with access to deck....".

Finally, the last sentence of the description says "Get ahold of us for more details". There is no such word as "ahold", but I'm probably the only person to still be reading that far.

All anybody learns from this advertisement is why this property has been on the market for so long.

GRADE: F



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!