I got my personals ad format from our dear Havi, and it has 3 parts:

What I Want
Ways It Could Happen
My Commitment

If you want to see the original ad I wrote for our rental property, it’s here.

I don’t think there’s really a wrong way to do it, but I believe being specific about what you want is important. I can’t claim to know why it works, or even if it always works, but there’s intrinsic value in getting clear for yourself about what it is you are wanting. Because when you are clear about what you want, it’s a lot easier to analyze opportunities to see if it moves you toward – or away from – whatever it is.