What Every House and Property Listing Should Include

Basic details you cannot leave out

Every listing should include at least:

• The price, and whether it is negotiable.
• The location: the street or development, the neighbourhood, and the city. If you do not want to share the exact address yet, give the nearest landmark.
• Land area and floor area in square metres, or square feet if that is the local norm. For land, give the dimensions too, for example 8 × 15 metres.
• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
• The number of floors and which way the property faces, because both come up often.
• The electricity supply and water source, for example the capacity of the connection and whether water comes from the mains, a well, or both.
• The width of the road in front, for example "wide enough for two cars to pass".

Photos without these details force buyers to ask one question at a time, and some decide not to ask at all.

Legal status: the part that matters most

A property's legal status decides whether a buyer can get a mortgage and how safe the transaction is. Be honest about:

• The type of title: freehold, or leasehold with the date the lease expires. If the property has no registered title yet, for example land held under older documents or only a sale-and-purchase agreement, say so plainly.
• Whose name the title is in: the owner, heirs, or a developer.
• Building approval: whether the property has the building permit or approval required where you are, and whether any extensions were approved too.
• Property tax: whether it has been paid up to the current year.
• Whether the property is mortgaged: whether the title is currently held as security by a bank. This is common for homes whose mortgage has not been paid off.

If there are special circumstances, such as an inherited home that needs the agreement of several heirs, explain this from the start. The buyer will find out anyway during the legal process, and hiding it only wastes everyone's time.

Transaction costs

First-time buyers are often surprised that the price of the house is not the only cost. A good listing at least says who pays for:

• Transfer taxes and fees, which differ by country and region, including any tax the seller owes on the sale.
• Notary, conveyancer, or lawyer fees for the sale contract and the transfer of title.
• Mortgage costs, if the buyer borrows from a bank, such as arrangement fees, a valuation, and insurance.
• For new homes from a developer: any sales tax or VAT, plus other costs such as estate service charges or connecting electricity and water.

Taxes and fees follow local rules and can vary from one area to the next. You do not need to give exact figures, but do say how they are split, for example "transfer tax paid by the buyer, seller's tax paid by the seller", and suggest that buyers confirm the calculation with a notary, conveyancer, or lawyer.

Payment options

List the payment options that are genuinely available:

• Cash in full: paid at once or within a short period.
• Cash in instalments: how many instalments, and over what period.
• Mortgage: which banks you work with (for developers), and the estimated deposit.
• Taking over an existing mortgage: if the home is still being paid off, give the outstanding balance, the remaining term, and the lending bank. Taking over a mortgage informally, without the bank's knowledge, is risky for the buyer, so this should go through the bank.

Building condition and surroundings

Buyers will judge for themselves at the viewing, but honest information up front builds trust:

• The year it was built and the date of the last renovation.
• The condition of the roof, walls, and drainage. Any history of leaks or flooding should be disclosed.
• Furniture or appliances included in the sale, such as air conditioning, a water heater, or a fitted kitchen.
• Neighbourhood facilities: 24-hour security, a gated entrance, and distances to schools, hospitals, shops, motorway junctions, or stations.
• Regular neighbourhood charges, such as monthly security and cleaning fees.

Flood history is often kept quiet, yet it is the information most likely to cause a dispute after the sale. If the area has ever flooded, explain how high the water rose and how often it happens.

Photos and floor plans

• Take photos in daylight with natural light.
• Order photos the way a visitor walks through: the front, the living room, the family room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, then the garden.
• Include photos of the street in front of the house and the surrounding area.
• If you have one, include a simple floor plan with room dimensions.

Avoid heavily edited photos. Buyers who feel misled at a viewing rarely go any further, even if the house is actually quite good.

Common mistakes that get listings ignored

• No price. "Contact us for price" makes many buyers move straight on, because they cannot tell whether the property is within budget.
• The same property listed several times at different prices. This often happens when several agents market the same home, and it makes buyers wary.
• Status not updated. A property that has sold but is still listed wastes buyers' time and makes them trust your other listings less.
• Overblown descriptions. "Super strategic location" means nothing without clear distances and travel times.

Example listing summary

This example uses made-up details. Adjust every figure to match your property.

Two-storey house in [Development], [Neighbourhood], [City]

Price $[...] (small room for negotiation). Land 120 m² (8 × 15 m), floor area 150 m². 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. East-facing. [Electricity supply], mains water. The road in front is 6 metres wide.

Legal status: freehold title in the owner's name, building permit in place, property tax paid up to this year. The title is not held as security for a loan.

Payment: cash or mortgage. Transfer tax paid by the buyer, seller's tax paid by the seller.

Condition: roof renovated in 2024, never flooded. Air conditioning in 3 bedrooms included in the sale.

A summary like this works in a caption, a brochure, or a document sent to buyers. Other details can still be discussed at the viewing.