How to Write a Listing Description for a Property With Unusual Features

Every agent has had that listing. The one with the converted grain silo master bedroom, the basement bowling lane, or the geodesic dome greenhouse attached to the back of an otherwise ordinary ranch house. Your instinct might be to downplay it, bury it in the middle of the description, or write around it entirely. That instinct is wrong.

Unusual features do not hurt a listing when they are written correctly. They hurt a listing when agents handle them with uncertainty. Buyers who encounter vague, apologetic copy about something that does not match the standard template will assume the worst. Buyers who encounter confident, specific copy about the same feature will either self-select in or self-select out, and both outcomes save everyone time.

The goal of any listing description is not to appeal to everyone. It is to attract the right buyer and give them enough specific information to schedule a showing. Unusual features, handled well, actually accelerate that process. Here is how to do it.

Identify What Makes the Feature Unusual and Why That Matters

Before you write a single word, you need to understand whether the unusual feature is a functional asset, a lifestyle differentiator, or a structural consideration. These three categories require completely different copy approaches.

A functional asset is something uncommon that directly adds utility. A detached workshop with 220-volt service and a built-in dust collection system is unusual in a residential neighborhood, but it solves a real problem for a specific buyer. A 1,200-square-foot guest house above a four-car garage is unusual, but it carries obvious rental income or multigenerational living potential. Your job is to name the utility plainly and let buyers do the math.

A lifestyle differentiator is something that defines how a person lives in the home rather than what they can do with it practically. A rooftop deck accessible from the primary suite, a saltwater lap pool positioned inside the main structure, or a full recording studio soundproofed into the lower level all speak to how someone spends their time. Copy for these features should anchor to the experience, not just the square footage.

A structural consideration is the hardest category. An unusually low ceiling height, a round room without standard-size window options, or a property that combines commercial and residential zoning are features that carry real implications for the buyer. Do not hide these. Describe them accurately, include the relevant measurements or zoning designations, and trust that the buyer who wants this property knows what to do with that information.

Lead With What the Feature Does, Not What It Is

The most common mistake agents make with unusual features is leading with classification rather than function. Writing that a property has a 'yurt' tells a buyer almost nothing useful. Writing that the property includes a 34-foot diameter permanent yurt structure with radiant floor heat, full electrical, and a private deck overlooking the lower pasture tells the right buyer exactly what they need to know.

Specificity does two things simultaneously. It filters out buyers for whom this will never work, and it creates a vivid picture for the buyer who has been searching for exactly this. Both outcomes are valuable. Vague copy wastes showing time because buyers arrive without accurate expectations. Specific copy produces showings from buyers who already want what the property offers.

When you write about the feature, lead with the experience or utility and follow with the technical detail. Not 'the property includes an indoor koi pond.' Instead: 'The main living area opens to a 400-gallon recirculating koi pond built into the floor plan, with a dedicated filtration room accessible from the utility corridor.' That second version tells a buyer whether this is maintenance-heavy or manageable and what living with it actually looks like.

Match the Feature to the Right Buyer Without Fair Housing Violations

When you write copy that implicitly targets a buyer type, you need to stay on the right side of Fair Housing law. You can describe what a feature does and even suggest uses, but you cannot steer toward or away from protected classes through the language you choose.

You can write that a detached structure has been used as an art studio and includes north-facing skylights for consistent indirect light. You cannot write copy that implies only a certain kind of person would want this. You can describe a multilevel property with a main-floor primary suite as ideal for buyers who prefer single-level living. You cannot tie that description to age or disability in a way that excludes other buyers from considering the home.

The practical rule is this: describe what the feature is, what it does, and how a buyer might use it based on its physical characteristics. Skip any language that narrows the buyer profile to a protected class. If you are uncertain about a phrase, flag it before the description goes live. Tools like Montaic include a Fair Housing compliance check built into the generation process, which catches these issues before the copy reaches MLS.

Structure the Description So the Unusual Feature Is Not the First or Last Thing a Buyer Reads

Placement matters. If you open the listing description with the unusual feature, you risk losing buyers before they understand the overall property. If you close with it, buyers may forget it or read it as an afterthought. The most effective position is typically the second paragraph, after you have established the property's core appeal.

Open with the property's primary strengths: location, scale, condition, or standout standard features. Then introduce the unusual element in the second paragraph using the specific, functional language described above. Follow that with additional details about the rest of the home, so buyers leave the description with a complete picture rather than a lingering question mark.

This structure also gives you room to contextualize. A 1920s craftsman with an underground cinema that seats fourteen is still primarily a 1920s craftsman. Lead with the period details, the quality of the restoration, the neighborhood. Then introduce the cinema with specifics: seating capacity, projection setup, acoustic treatment. Buyers who want a craftsman but have no use for the cinema can still fall in love with the property. Buyers who want both are going to schedule immediately.

Use Comps and Context When the Feature Has No Direct Equivalent

Sometimes there is no comparable feature in your market at any price point. A converted water tower residence, a property built into a hillside with three subterranean levels, or a working olive grove attached to a residential parcel may have no MLS equivalent. In these cases, buyers cannot calibrate their expectations from prior experience, which means your copy has to do more work.

Contextualize unusual features by anchoring them to something familiar. You would not describe the water tower as simply 'converted' and move on. You would note the diameter, the ceiling height at each level, what the structural shell is made of, how the mechanical systems were integrated, and what the finished interior materials are. Give buyers a walkthrough in words, because they have no mental template to fill in the gaps on their own.

You can also address the question buyers will inevitably have about insurability, financing, or maintenance without editorializing. A brief factual note that the property has been insured under a standard homeowner policy, or that the septic system was inspected and certified in a specific year, removes an obstacle before it becomes one. Buyers asking those questions during a showing is fine. Buyers not scheduling because they assumed the answer was bad is a problem you can prevent in the copy.

Write a Separate Agent Remarks Section That Goes Further

The public-facing MLS description has word limits and a broad audience. The agent remarks field is where you can be more direct with buyer's agents and give them the information they need to pre-qualify interest before booking a showing.

In the agent remarks, name the unusual feature explicitly and answer the logistical questions. If the grain silo addition required a variance, say so and note whether the variance runs with the property. If the indoor pool carries a specific insurance requirement, note the approximate annual cost. If the recording studio was built to professional acoustic standards and the seller has documentation, say that. Buyer's agents will ask these questions before scheduling, and having the answers in the remarks cuts the back-and-forth by days.

Also include your showing instructions with context. If buyers need to see the unusual feature first to make a decision about the rest, structure the recommended showing path accordingly. Some unusual features are disorienting if buyers encounter them mid-tour without context. A brief note to agents about how the seller typically walks the property makes a practical difference in how buyers receive the home.

Montaic generates both the public MLS description and the agent remarks from a single property input, so you are not writing two documents from scratch. The platform applies your existing voice across both, and the Fair Housing check runs on the public copy before it goes anywhere near the listing portal. Try it free at montaic.com/free-listing-generator.