Real Estate Patois: Cracking the Code
February 16th, 2008 Categories: Amusement, Real Estate News, Realtor Tales
In case you didn’t get a chance to read Freakanomics (Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner), there was an apt chapter on the real meaning of the words we use in real estate. I have been writing a lot of copy for new listings lately, and frankly I am worried that words that sound perfectly okay may impede my efforts to sell the house. Levitt suggests that the language used in marketing copy may have a powerful impact in determining the eventual price the seller will get for their property!
You have probably heard of the hidden meanings - in fact you probably just sense the meaning of the words in a listing. But in case you are new to the whole thing, or inclined to be trusting or literal, here are a few clues for you…
Positive words: state-of-the-art, granite, mid-century, gourmet, sub-zero, photo-voltaic, bamboo
Negative words: ! , fantastic, spacious, charming, great neighborhood
Meanings: (a little tongue in cheek here)
“well maintained” - not quite falling down (hidden message - bid low)
“fantastic” - no atributes worth mentioning
“charming” - small
“cute” - outdated
“quaint” - unlivable
“adorable” - please don’t notice how small it is
“fixer upper” - may need to be torn down, but come make an inflated offer with everyone else
“potential” - its been neglected
“deferred maintenance” - untouched since 1968
“quiet” - noisy
“won’t last” - please make an offer
“going fast” - please make an offer
“shows well” - not staged
“close to transportation” - near a freeway
“curb appeal” - seller planted pansies
“original detail” - lots of beat up woodwork
“original owner” - hopelessly outdated
“custom built” - strange floor plan
“buildable lot” - call the Building Department
“mature garden” - tree roots are clogging the sewer lines
Time to start skipping the adjectives and sticking to the hard facts. Call me on it if you find I am telling you about a fantastic, one of a kind, spacious, must-see. Or, just call me. I am Jamie Madison and I am busy selling homes in Davis.
