Some landlords think that bigger and bolder attention-grabbing headlines and text are the way to gain more tenants. However, that isn’t always the case. While it may catch a rental hunter’s attention for a few seconds, when he or she reads the listing and realizes it doesn’t make sense, your listing will easily get skipped.
Wow, there is a lot going on in this Craigslist subject line: random capitalization, all caps, symbols and punctuation.
This is a weak Craigslist subject line because it doesn’t communicate much information. One would think that a listing like this would attract attention, since it sounds almost musical (however, the music notes make you think it should be sung). The unnecessary capitalization, punctuation and symbols communicate nothing about the unit.
The only four valuable details we got from the subject were the cost of rent, number of bedrooms, there are no fees and location. Other than that, all the other characters are a waste of space. If those four details do not resonate with the prospective renter, then this landlord will be out of luck.
Big, Bold and Unclear.
In the listing, after scrolling through a few pictures and bullet points, this bold, red text appears (note: text was about 20-point size font). Large, bold lettering isn’t a problem; just make sure that its message is clear.
“Already” two bedrooms has an unnecessary word and incorrect punctuation (it’s a backwards appostrophe). Why include “already” when stating “2 bedrooms” will communicate the same thing.
The last two-thirds of the text is especially confusing, especially when read together. “Walls up. Won’t Last.” makes it seem like the walls are built in the unit are bound to collapse.
The lesson to be learned from this listing is that bold statements and eye-catching elements like icons aren’t always the best idea. The space that you take up on Craigslist is valuable, even if it’s costing you little to nothing. Every character you choose to place in your subject line and in your post counts. Write about the benefits and features your unit offers. Once you lose a prospective tenant’s interest, your rental lead will be lost.
