Tell me if this sounds familiar…
You pour TONS of time and energy into creating amazing social media content.
Your posts are filled with valuable information and incredible tips that you KNOW your potential clients need to hear.
But despite your best efforts, your ideal clients scroll on by – your posts have barely any comments and your DMs are quiet.
At the end of the day, no one is going to work with you if they’re not reading your content.
So, how are you supposed to stop people from doom-scrolling and get your audience to stop and read?
It all comes down to crafting an irresistible headline.
Today, we’re going to break down how to do exactly that. We’ll talk about what makes a good real estate headline and how to make people stop to read your content every time.
Let’s get into it. ⬇️
It Doesn’t Matter How Good Your Content Is
No matter how good your content is, it won’t matter if no one stops to read it.
About 80% of your success on social media depends on getting people to stop scrolling and start reading.
You have seconds to capture their attention. Otherwise, they won’t see the rest of the valuable content you worked so hard on.
This is why having a strong headline is crucial.
Most real estate agents miss the mark because their headlines don’t hook their audience’s interest and draw them in.
Crafting a simple, engaging hook will make sure your content stands out.
This way, you get more eyes on your content and more clients reaching out to work with you.
Ditch the Formal Training
When it comes to social media marketing, forget everything you learned in school.
(Looking at you, English majors!)
For anyone with formal English writing training, you were probably taught that your first line should summarize the rest of the paragraph.
You open with a thesis statement and follow up with supporting information.
That doesn’t work when you’re creating marketing content.
Following rules about thesis statements and proper first lines is a surefire way to bore your audience.
And keep them scrolling right on by.
The right headline can make or break your content.
Instead, the first line of your post should be your version of clickbait.
It should immediately grab the reader’s attention and make them want to stop scrolling.
Your Introduction Is NOT Your Headline
Most real estate agents’ content completely lacks any kind of hook at all.
Instead, they jump right into an introduction with three common mistakes:
Introducing Yourself
First, I’ve seen many videos and reels that start with, “Hello, this is Sally Smith from XYZ Real Estate Group.”
You have only about three seconds for someone to stop scrolling.
When you start with something this generic and formal, you’re going to lose them.
Introducing Your Branding
I also see a lot of marketing videos that start with branding.
Using intros with your logo and music may look professional, but it’s not engaging.
Your audience isn’t watching your reel because they want to see your branding. They care about what you can offer them.
Starting your marketing content with your branding doesn’t provide immediate value or interest, so your viewers quickly move on.
Starting With Filler
The last common mistake agents make is beginning their post or reel by saying, “I want to talk to you about…”.
This is a classic filler line, not a proper headline. It does nothing to perk up curiosity or excitement.
You end up sounding like you’re about to give a lecture rather than deliver a juicy tip for potential clients.
Your introduction – whether it’s to yourself, your branding, or your topic – is NOT your hook.
And your intro alone is definitely not enough to stop the scroll.
80 Cents of Your Dollar Should Be Spent On Your Headline
David Ogilvy was one of the most prolific marketers of all time.
When describing the importance of your headlines, he said:
“On average, five times as many people read the headline as they read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
This quote from one of the legends of advertising shows just how much weight your headline holds.
If your piece of content is a dollar, 80 cents of your copy is spent on the headline alone.
Ogilvy was even known to rewrite his headlines a hundred times just to get them right.
While you don’t need to go that far, I recommend spending time really brainstorming your hook.
It’s the most important part of your copy and if it’s not strong enough, all of your hard work will go to waste.
What Makes a Good Real Estate Headline?
An effective real estate headline needs to attract your ideal client.
So that as soon as that potential client sees it, they HAVE to continue reading.
Headlines that evoke high-arousal emotions like shock, awe, and delight are proven tactics to get your audience to stop the scroll.
But in my opinion, the best way to grab their attention is through deep resonance.
Deep resonance comes from intimately knowing your audience and creating a headline that’s extremely relevant to them.
To help you do that, there are 5 main points to think about when writing a good and effective real estate headline:
Speaks to a very specific person – Your headline should target a specific audience. It needs to make someone think, “Oh yeah, this is for me.”
Examples:
- Ever Thought That All Real Estate Agents Do Exactly The Same Thing?
- If You’re Finally Ready To Stop Fighting Over A Single Bathroom, This Post Is For You.
Promises value – Clearly state what your reader is going to gain by reading your post. Promise a specific, valuable nugget of information and follow through.
Examples:
- 5 Quick And Easy Ways To Make Your Listing More Sellable.
- How To Become The Go To Expert In Your Niche With One Simple Post
Creates intrigue and drives curiosity – Tease content in your headline to make your audience curious. Create an information gap that leaves them eager to know what comes next.
Examples:
- How My Daily Panic Attacks Led To Impact, Purpose, And A Better Understanding Of My Clients
Speaks to a desire or result – Directly address the reader’s desires or the results they want. When targeted directly at your ideal client, these headlines fulfill a need or solve a problem immediately.
Example:
- The Three Subtle Shifts We Can Make To Your Listing To Attract More Buyers
Breaks a common belief – Challenge your audience. When used correctly, these headlines can shock or surprise readers and make them stop scrolling. Then, it will force them to keep reading to see if what they believe is correct or if they need to make changes.
Example:
- How My Client Ellie Went From A One Bedroom Condo To A Three Bedroom Townhome Without Increasing Her Monthly Payments
Use these points as a framework to craft headlines and draw in your ideal client. For more information, check out our post to learn how you can incorporate these exact headline formulas and master real estate headlines.
Foundation For A Good Hook: Knowing Your Niche
Keep in mind, none of the tips we’ve discussed so far will work if you don’t have clarity on your niche.
Your headline must be strong and attention-grabbing, but that’s impossible to create if you don’t know who you’re targeting.
You have to know who your niche is and the things they are attracted to.
Without that knowledge and intimate understanding of your audience, none of your marketing works.
None of your messaging will work if your niche isn’t clear.
When you don’t understand your audience, you don’t have the pains, problems, fears, and desires to guide your content and offer solutions.
Instead, you’ll end up relying on overly salesy, generic real estate headlines like ‘just sold/just listed’ posts that don’t cut it in today’s market.
Your audience NEEDS something that speaks directly to them and their needs.
What You DON’T Want To Do When Creating Real Estate Headlines
When crafting real estate headlines, there are a few pitfalls to avoid to make sure that your content is effective.
Don’t be overly entertainment-based.
There’s a difference between being highly valuable and setting yourself up as an authority and just trying to be entertaining all the time.
In the era of TikTok and reels, it’s fine to pepper in a few memes, silly sounds, or funny lip synching clips.
But even though they’re a lot of fun, they should not be the only type of content you post.
Entertaining content is great for grabbing attention. However, your main goal should be to lead with value and showcase yourself as an authority.
Your clients want reliable, useful information. Not just a good laugh.
Avoid being overly clickbaity.
You want your headline to be your version of clickbait in the way that it immediately attracts attention and gets people to keep reading.
However, people are tired of entirely misleading clickbait content.
When the promise in the headline never gets followed through in the body of the copy, it only frustrates your reader.
If you promise something in your headline, you need to make sure your content delivers on that promise.
Otherwise, you train people to distrust you and skip out on your content in the future.
You don’t want to be overly long.
Have you ever watched a TikTok only to realize there are five more parts?
If your videos open with a juicy hook, don’t make your audience wait for part 9 before you get to the point.
Keep your messages concise and to the point.
A great hook paired with clear and simple content will keep them engaged and more likely to follow through with your call-to-action.
Pro Tip: Repeat Headlines From Multiple Angles
Once you’ve begun to get a handle on writing headlines and start to see an uptick in your engagement, start to play around with some good headlines.
If you have a headline or post that’s doing really well, don’t just one-and-done it.
Instead, think about how you’re going to repeat that angle in multiple posts with multiple different headlines.
For example, you could have written a headline like “Five Simple Ways To Get More For A Condo In An Older Building.”
That can get turned into:
- The Cool Hack I Used To Get 10 Percent More For A Condo In An Older Building.
- What I Learned From Selling Dozens Of Condos In Older Buildings In The Past Two Years.
- My Client Asked Me Today How She Could Get More For Her Old Condo. Here’s What I Told Her.
All of this is essentially the same messaging. We’re just coming at it from different headlines and different angles.
This lets us work smarter, not harder by repurposing successful headlines and attracting even more people to our valuable content.
What Good Headlines Can Do For Your Business
Crafting good real estate headlines is more than just a marketing exercise.
Consistently strong headlines can have a profound impact on your business.
Think of the long-term benefits:
Your hooks start to get better. So, people start reading more of your content.
They open all of your emails.
Watch all of your stories.
Read all of your posts.
When people start consuming more of your content, you become a MUST-WATCH creator every time they’re scrolling.
You’re subconsciously training your audience to always stop and read when they see your name because they know they’re going to get value.
Even if they don’t have the time to read your post or watch your reel, they’ll pause to save it for later.
Because you’ve now become that person that your audience always wants to hear from.
Crafting great real estate headlines isn’t just about stopping the scroll.
It’s about building a lasting connection with your audience.
When you create consistent, engaging, and attention-grabbing headlines, you become the go-to source for valuable information.
Your audience will start to recognize and trust your name.
The right headlines can turn casual scrollers into loyal followers, and eventually, into clients.
This blog only covered the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating irresistible real estate headlines.
When you join The Listings Lab, you’ll have access to our in-depth hook training. We’ll give you the exact formula we use to create optimized headlines for your niche and keep people hooked so they stop scrolling and read your content.
Join the list of agents who consistently remain top-of-mind in their market. Apply and book a FREE call with our team here to make sure your content cuts through the noise on social media and gets you noticed.
