The Power of Words and the Human Touch

Date Published 08 September 2025

The old saying of 'a picture paints a thousand words' came well before the online era. Today it seems that memes, gifs and short videos are the modern shorthand for those with short attention spans.

When it comes to selling homes, of course images matter. The big internet property portals are the gateway for many buyers and an attractive, professionally shot photograph is essential to grab initial interest.

However, in many cases it is the words that accompany the pictures that really draw potential buyers in and make them want to book a viewing.

Selling a lifestyle
It's an open secret in the world of estate agency that our job often involves selling a lifestyle that goes with a property.

It's simple when you think about it. A young family might be more interested in what Ofsted makes of the local schools than how many cars they can fit in the garage, whilst a couple downsizing might actually want a smaller more manageable garden.

Then there are other aspects such as commuting, local amenities, access to beaches or open spaces and so on. All of these things can come together in a different mix for each potential buyer - and the only way they'll find out about them is by reading the words that go with the images.

Words sell homes
When 95% of buyers find their next property online it's obvious that listings need to be carefully crafted to include expertly written descriptions.

In today's world it's already far too easy to use a free online AI to write something. You might be surprised at how many estate agents already use these applications for their content, with everything from property listings to letters and emails being 'written' by an automated process.

This goes against everything we stand for! At Stafford Johnson we have always taken great pride in our person to person, face to face human touch. It has always been something that has set us apart from others and today it is even more important.

Our property descriptions tell you the story of a home, how it stands out from other properties in the area, what the location has to offer and sets out why it will appeal to buyers who will be serious about making the right offer.

Say no to AI
This is something that an AI simply can't do. The fact that it is simply an algorithm, albeit a very sophisticated one, means that it can never truly create anything. It will always simply rewrite what it has 'read' online.

For a lazy estate agent this is absolutely perfect - it even saves them the bother of personally copy and pasting a previous or similar listing!

For us it is unthinkable to use a tool that simply has no appreciation of what it is writing about, or how the property might appeal to a real person.

Modern methods
Having said all of this, of course we are not Luddites. We embrace new ways of doing things and mix them with our tried and tested traditional methods. But one thing always has to be clear - our values will not be compromised, and chief among them is giving all of our clients a truly personalised service.

If you are thinking of selling your home in and around West Worthing, Goring and Ferring talk to us - we're real people! Call 01903 501105, email Stewart or come in to see us in the office at 325 Goring Road.