Yes, the speed and price are unbeatable, but Nila June's Greg Williams aims to win on quality
Q&A with Greg Williams, co-founder of Nila June Instant Property Descriptions
Qwerticulation note: Instant property description? Yep. We’ve tried Nila June, and this is how it works:
A listing agent answers a series of online questions about the home. Nila June automatically creates two professional-grade property descriptions. There’s a shorter version, for use where space or character limits are an issue, and a longer version for use everywhere else. It costs only $20, with no contract or subscription. But as much as he might be selling speed and economy, Greg Williams insists that Nila June’s main product is the writing.
Q: How did you come up with the concept of Nila June and automated property descriptions?
GW: Well, I’m a business information product manager, with an eye toward smoothing my customers’ workflows. I’m also a published novelist and journalist. Throughout my career, I’ve looked for ways to pair my technical and writing skills.
The property listing description seemed like the perfect opportunity. Here was this required writing task, or at least an expected writing task, that was falling to every single listing agent, regardless of their comfort at the keyboard. Even the agents who love to write would rather be shaking hands and showing houses.
One thing that has been a little surprising is how quick the experienced listing agents are to use Nila June. We had thought that maybe new agents would be first over the fence. But we are seeing very successful agents like Willie Ibarra and Deborah Spence work Nila June into their workflow. It makes sense that successful agents like Willie and Deb embrace technologies that help them give maximum service to their clients.
Q: How do you make sure the property descriptions don’t all sound the same?
GW: The simple fact is that, without Nila June, the property listing descriptions on major platforms do often sound alike. With Nila June, there is increased variability on the platforms, and the listings that use our property descriptions really stand out. Within our system, we’ve programmed tons of variability, and we’re always adding more, without sacrificing accuracy or readability.
We’ve also taken the opportunity to eliminate common errors of overuse in property descriptions that are written by humans. Homes don’t “boast.” They don’t write in all caps. Not every view is “stunning.” And buyers don’t know what the MLS abbreviations mean. Don’t use them.
Finally, although many agents will publish our descriptions straight out of the box, most will make small improvements based on their personal knowledge of the home, neighborhood, or town, or the seller’s preferences. Our descriptions are meant to be publishable right away, but editable right away, too.
Of course, for each house, the data provided by the listing agent also varies slightly, supporting even more variation in the text.
When you combine all of the above, no two Nila June descriptions are exactly alike
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge so far?
GW: It’s really just getting listing agents to try it the first time. To some of them, it sounds like science fiction. But once they try it, there is a very high chance that they will become repeat customers. Nila June becomes part of their workflow. We’ve never once had a request for a refund.
It’s satisfying to go onto Zillow or Homes or any of the other major listing sites and see our work associated with their listings.
To get in front of even more listing agents, we’re open to integrations with listing platforms and real estate companies that want to offer this service to their customers and listing agents.
Q: Any complaints?
GW: Zero. Our customers are real estate professionals who see the value in what we provide. They understand that the property description says as much about them as agents as it does about the house. It is a personal real estate marketing tool for them.
I really think that all of those articles out there called “How to write a great property description,” or something similar, should be revised. The first step in how to write a great property description is to go to Nila June. On our site you’ll find samples and examples of the writing. You could study those and try to improve your own writing, but all you really need to do is take our property briefing survey.
Q: Tell us about the name.
GW: The company is named after my grandmother, Nila June Abbott Repass, “Granny June” to me. She was a real estate agent in East Tennessee some forty years ago now. I remember always being impressed as a kid when my younger brother and I would go to her office. She seemed to know everyone in town. As an adult all these years later, I remain influenced by the example of her interactions with others. She was warm and respectful with the waitress at the diner. Milkshakes for the boys! Or sometimes root beer floats. She was always happy to greet the friends we would run into in and around Maryville, Tennessee. They obviously thought highly of her. She loved to show off her grandsons.
When I started working on instant property descriptions, I wanted a name that would inspire me. Not a single person that I’ve spoken to likes the name, until they hear why I chose it. Some have suggested that I should change it. But I would not have worked so hard on the company if not in part to honor my grandmother. Because of what we’re doing, maybe there’s a listing agent or two out there who gets to have an extra milkshake with the grandkids.
Q: How did you come up with the concept of Nila June and automated property descriptions?
GW: Well, I’m a business information product manager, with an eye toward smoothing my customers’ workflows. I’m also a published novelist and journalist. Throughout my career, I’ve looked for ways to pair my technical and writing skills.
The property listing description seemed like the perfect opportunity. Here was this required writing task, or at least an expected writing task, that was falling to every single listing agent, regardless of their comfort at the keyboard. Even the agents who love to write would rather be shaking hands and showing houses.
One thing that has been a little surprising is how quick the experienced listing agents are to use Nila June. We had thought that maybe new agents would be first over the fence. But we are seeing very successful agents like Willie Ibarra and Deborah Spence work Nila June into their workflow. It makes sense that successful agents like Willie and Deb embrace technologies that help them give maximum service to their clients.
Q: How do you make sure the property descriptions don’t all sound the same?
GW: The simple fact is that, without Nila June, the property listing descriptions on major platforms do often sound alike. With Nila June, there is increased variability on the platforms, and the listings that use our property descriptions really stand out. Within our system, we’ve programmed tons of variability, and we’re always adding more, without sacrificing accuracy or readability.
We’ve also taken the opportunity to eliminate common errors of overuse in property descriptions that are written by humans. Homes don’t “boast.” They don’t write in all caps. Not every view is “stunning.” And buyers don’t know what the MLS abbreviations mean. Don’t use them.
Finally, although many agents will publish our descriptions straight out of the box, most will make small improvements based on their personal knowledge of the home, neighborhood, or town, or the seller’s preferences. Our descriptions are meant to be publishable right away, but editable right away, too.
Of course, for each house, the data provided by the listing agent also varies slightly, supporting even more variation in the text.
When you combine all of the above, no two Nila June descriptions are exactly alike
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge so far?
GW: It’s really just getting listing agents to try it the first time. To some of them, it sounds like science fiction. But once they try it, there is a very high chance that they will become repeat customers. Nila June becomes part of their workflow. We’ve never once had a request for a refund.
It’s satisfying to go onto Zillow or Homes or any of the other major listing sites and see our work associated with their listings.
To get in front of even more listing agents, we’re open to integrations with listing platforms and real estate companies that want to offer this service to their customers and listing agents.
Q: Any complaints?
GW: Zero. Our customers are real estate professionals who see the value in what we provide. They understand that the property description says as much about them as agents as it does about the house. It is a personal real estate marketing tool for them.
I really think that all of those articles out there called “How to write a great property description,” or something similar, should be revised. The first step in how to write a great property description is to go to Nila June. On our site you’ll find samples and examples of the writing. You could study those and try to improve your own writing, but all you really need to do is take our property briefing survey.
Q: Tell us about the name.
GW: The company is named after my grandmother, Nila June Abbott Repass, “Granny June” to me. She was a real estate agent in East Tennessee some forty years ago now. I remember always being impressed as a kid when my younger brother and I would go to her office. She seemed to know everyone in town. As an adult all these years later, I remain influenced by the example of her interactions with others. She was warm and respectful with the waitress at the diner. Milkshakes for the boys! Or sometimes root beer floats. She was always happy to greet the friends we would run into in and around Maryville, Tennessee. They obviously thought highly of her. She loved to show off her grandsons.
When I started working on instant property descriptions, I wanted a name that would inspire me. Not a single person that I’ve spoken to likes the name, until they hear why I chose it. Some have suggested that I should change it. But I would not have worked so hard on the company if not in part to honor my grandmother. Because of what we’re doing, maybe there’s a listing agent or two out there who gets to have an extra milkshake with the grandkids.