Have You Updated Your Property Description?

The property description on your listing may not be as eye-catching as your photos, videos, and virtual tours. But it, too, plays an important role in driving high-quality leads. As you update your listing ahead of peak leasing season, don’t overlook your property description.

This humble element of your Apartments.com listing plays a supporting role in helping you fill vacancies. To level up your listings, make sure you’re reviewing and refreshing the description for each property on a regular basis.

Why property descriptions matter

Your property description serves two purposes: discovery and education.

By featuring relevant keywords that renters are looking for, your property description can help renters find your property in their search.

For example, is your community close to hiking trails, the local library, or a major highway? When you include specific details like these in your property description, renters searching for unique keywords such as “library” or “I-75” will easily find your listing.

And once renters discover your listing, your description can help round out their picture of your community. An effective property description gives prospective residents a clear sense of what your community and units are like. This helps ensure that renters who end up scheduling a tour or applying are a good fit — and are more likely to sign a lease.

How to refresh your property description

It’s worth updating your property description at least once a year to make sure it accurately reflects your community. What should you look for when refreshing your description?

• Relevant keywords. Include the everyday words and phrases that renters interested in your community might be searching for, such as “close to Lincoln Park” or “recently renovated,” as applicable.
• Unique features and amenities. Call out anything that sets your community apart — from in-unit laundry to your new rooftop deck.
• Specific details. Don’t waste words on empty phrases. Instead of telling renters they’ll enjoy “modern living” in “a great location,” describe your walkable neighborhood “two blocks from Perimeter Mall.”
• Current information. Refresh out-of-date details, like replacing the name of the nearby restaurant that just closed with a café on the same street. Remove mentions of COVID-era policies, expired specials, and out-of-service amenities.
• Consistency and accuracy. To foster trust with your potential residents, double-check the details in your description — especially if you’re using AI tools, which may misrepresent your community with false information.
• Appropriate tone. Write in second person to create a friendly, conversational tone. To maintain a professional look, always check for spelling and grammatical errors.

Think beyond property descriptions

Once you’ve refreshed your property description, keep leveling up your listing. Consider adding individual descriptions of each available unit.

Unit descriptions are the perfect place to call out the unique features of each apartment. Think of that sunny corner unit overlooking a park, or your ground-floor studio with stainless steel appliances and easy access to parking.

These details can help renters pick the perfect unit for their needs and lifestyle. Most listings on Apartments.com don’t feature unit descriptions, but renters wish they did. In fact, 54 percent of renters say they want to see unit-specific descriptions, according to the latest Apartments.com renter survey.

Explore more ways to level up your listings

Descriptions aren’t the only way to unleash the full power of your Apartments.com listing. Stay tuned for new tips every week, and explore the latest strategies for leveling up, from multimedia to unit-specific details.

Download the checklist (PDF)