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Write a Listing Description

When to use this

You've got a new listing and a blank description field. You know the facts: beds, baths, the updates, the one feature buyers will love. But turning those facts into copy worth reading takes time you don't have. Use this to get a solid first draft in one pass, then adjust it to fit your voice. It's built for a straightforward resale where you already know the property.

The prompt

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Fill in the brackets. Leave a line blank if it doesn't apply.

You're helping me write an MLS listing description. Write a compelling,
accurate description for the property below.

Property facts:
- Type: [e.g. 3-bed 2-bath ranch]
- Square footage: [e.g. 1,850]
- Standout feature: [the one thing buyers will love]
- Recent updates: [e.g. kitchen 2024, roof 2023]
- Other features: [garage, yard, floors, layout]
- Location notes: [nearby amenities — places and transit, not who lives there]
- Tone: [warm / upscale / concise]
- Length: [about 100 words, or your MLS limit]

Rules:
- Describe the PROPERTY and its features, never the kind of person who
  should live there.
- Do NOT use wording that signals a preference or limitation based on race,
  color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.
  Avoid phrases like "perfect for a young family," "great for professionals,"
  "safe neighborhood," or "walk to church." Use "primary suite," not "master."
- Use ONLY the facts I gave you. Do not invent square footage, school names,
  ratings, or amenities.
- Lead with the standout feature. End with a line inviting a showing.

Before and after

What you start with — your raw notes:

3bd 2ba ranch, 1850 sqft, updated kitchen 2024 quartz + stainless, new roof 2023, big fenced yard, 2-car garage, cul-de-sac, hardwood floors, near Lincoln Elementary and the Metra. Perfect starter home for a young family.

What you get back:

Set on a quiet cul-de-sac, this updated 3-bedroom, 2-bath ranch offers 1,850 square feet of single-level living. At its heart is a renovated 2024 kitchen with quartz counters and stainless appliances. Hardwood floors run throughout, and the big items are handled: a new roof went on in 2023. Out back, a large fenced yard and a two-car garage give you room to spread out. Lincoln Elementary and the Metra station sit within easy reach. Move-in ready. Schedule a showing to see it in person.

Two things changed. The kitchen leads instead of the bed count. And "perfect starter home for a young family" is gone — that phrase is a fair-housing risk, and the prompt strips it automatically.

Make it yours

  • Set your voice. Change the tone line to match how you write — "warm and neighborly," "crisp and high-end." Run it twice and keep the better opener.
  • Match your MLS. Set the length to your MLS character limit so you're not trimming by hand.
  • Save it as a template. Once the rules read right, keep the prompt in a note. Next listing, you only swap the facts.
  • Ask for variants. Add "give me three versions: one long, one short, one for social" to get a listing, a headline, and a caption from a single run.

Watch out for

Fair housing is the one you can't get wrong. Your description sells the home, not a buyer. Federal law (the Fair Housing Act) bars any listing that signals a preference or limitation based on a protected class. Those are race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. What matters is how an ordinary reader hears it, not what you meant. So "perfect for a young family," "great for a professional couple," "walk to church," and even "safe neighborhood" can all land you in trouble. Describe rooms, features, and places. Never the people. Read every AI draft with this lens before it goes live — the prompt helps, but you're the backstop.

Accuracy is on you too. The AI will fill a gap with a guess. Confirm the square footage, the school names, and any "walk to" claim against what you actually know. If you didn't give it a fact, it shouldn't be in the listing.