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Ad Copy: An Art and A Science

April 24, 2015

As a leasing professional, your first contact with prospective residents is often the ad copy advertising your community. It is important to make a good impression because your words alone could decide whether or not the prospect calls or visits the community. We’ve put together a few tips on how to write top-quality ads for your communities. If you’ve been in the business for any length of time these might be second nature, but if you are new these are important guidelines to follow for effective advertising.

  • An eye-catching headline is everything. People will skim over your ad unless you catch their attention with an effective, specific headline. Vague headlines are easily looked over and do not grab the attention of the reader.
  • Start with a strong statement about the community. Write something short and sweet that sums up the best points of what the community has to offer.
  • List key elements. The next section should list unique amenities and primary features such as the number of rooms, square footage, local schools, and amenities like a pool or tennis court.
  • Location. Next you should name the benefits of this specific location. This could include proximity to places like grocery stores, restaurants and shopping, as well as major interstates and intersections.
  • Use positive words: cozy not small, charming not old, etc., but stick to the facts. It is not a good idea to spin a community so much that it is unrecognizable, or portrays your community to be something it is not.
  • Be sure to include market-rate pricing information. Save your potential deals and lower pricing as an incentive to offer your prospects when they are on the fence about your community.
  • Create a sense of urgency. In any market, a sense of urgency can encourage a prospect to move quickly once they find an apartment they like.
  • Embrace the unique factors. People like living in a home that has character so don’t gloss over it, embrace it!
  • Use suggestive language. Use phrases that tell prospects what they’ll think such as, “you’ll love this”.
  • Use a closing statement and a call to action. It is good practice to suggest what actions should be taken next to see the community.

We know that writing good ad copy is both an art and a science. You can follow a formula, but it is your choice of words and your turn of phrase that will get the job done. We hope these suggestions give you some ideas on how to get started.

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