How Long Should a Real Estate Listing Description Be?

Short answer: aim for 150–250 words, front-load the best sentence, and don't trust your MLS's character counter to match what actually shows on Zillow or Realtor.com.

Why there's no single official number

Every MLS sets its own character limit for the description field, and it varies a lot by region — some cap around 500 characters, others allow 1,000+. There is no nationwide standard. What's consistent is what happens next: when your listing syndicates to Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and other portals, each one applies its own truncation and formatting rules on top of your MLS's limit. A description that fits perfectly in your MLS can still get cut off mid-sentence on a portal.

The practical target: 150–250 words

This range works because it:

• Fits inside almost every MLS character limit without hitting "field full" errors
• Leaves enough room that portal truncation cuts off supporting detail, not your lead sentence
• Matches how buyers actually read — skimming, not studying. Past ~250 words, engagement drops off fast.

Put your best sentence first — always

Because you can't control exactly where truncation happens, the single most important length decision is what goes in the first sentence. Assume everything after sentence two might get cut on some portal, and write accordingly:

• Lead with the property's strongest, most specific selling point — not "Welcome to this beautiful home"
• Put beds/baths/square footage early if space allows; buyers scan for these first
• Save neighborhood color and closing calls-to-action for the back half — nice to have, not essential if trimmed

When shorter is actually better

Rentals and lower-price-point listings benefit from staying closer to 100–150 words — renters and first-time buyers scan fast and respond better to clear facts (price, availability date, pet policy) than to lifestyle copy. See rental listing examples for the pattern.

When it's worth going closer to 250–300

Luxury and unique architectural properties can justify the higher end of the range, since buyers at that price point read more carefully and expect context (provenance, craftsmanship, view rights). Even then, cut anything that isn't a specific, verifiable fact. See luxury listing marketing.

For the full workflow — from gathering facts to a length-appropriate draft — see how to write a listing with AI, or let our free Listing Description Generator hit a portal-safe length for you automatically.