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Real Estate's 7 Dirty Words
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 With apologies to William Safire, this post focuses on the language of selling real estate.
It is probably true that with the clear shift toward shopping online for properties – some 80% of home buyers begin their searches online, according to the National Association of Realtors – posting high-quality photos of a house is far more important than what the ad copy says. But the adjective-laden descriptions, written with the goal of attracting a buyer, are worth a look and a laugh.
I know this because I write them as part of my job in real-estate marketing.
When so many houses on the market look just like, well, other houses for sale, it’s up to the ad copy to grab a buyer. This must have been the reason last year that a real-estate agent advertising in “Homes & Land” magazine plastered the headline “HOLY CRAP! DOUBLE LOT!” on an ad for a home in northeast Philadelphia. Another winning house headline on the same page: “YIKES!” I don’t recall what was so scary about that home, but indeed, these ads won my attention (though they would have caused me to fire my agent had they been used for my property).
Watch What You Say
When writing about houses, the rules everyone in the real-estate business must follow are set by the federal government in the form of the Fair Housing Act. Beyond those guidelines, most state real-estate commissions also set rules about what can and cannot be said and even what size type certain information must be in classified and display ads and in online ads such as those running on craigslist.com. For example, according to the Pennsylvania real-estate commission, a real-estate company’s name and main office number must always appear in the ad, and this information must appear in type the same size or larger than the agent’s name and phone number.
There are plenty of more subtle legal issues as well. Not long ago, I submitted a classified real-estate ad to a major city newspaper that stated a house was, among other things, on a quiet block. The newspaper refused to run the ad until “quiet block” was removed, telling me this phrase was not permitted under the rules of the Fair Housing Act.
Similarly, ads that state, “Perfect for family living” or use language that might be interpreted to mean buyers without families aren't welcome are a no-no. Individual Realtors still use that language in their marketing efforts, but for legal reasons I must delete it when I see it.
Real-estate ads also must avoid making claims that could be shown later as untrue. This is why ads can promote “Award-winning public schools” but not “best local school district,” if indeed the school district was given an award by the state or other organization.
So Many Elegant Houses, So Little Time
Frankly, legal concerns weren’t the main impetus for this post. Adjectives were: Elegant, charming, luxurious, quaint, magnificent, spectacular and private. Those are the seven dirty words in real estate, descriptors so overused or inaccurate, they have lost their meaning. Start reading real-estate listings, and you’ll see my point. Similarly, “estate home” often is used to describe many houses with large square footage rather than properties that fit its true definition (courtesy of dictionary.com):
“a piece of landed property, esp. one of large extent with an elaborate house on it: to have an estate in the country.” Who is to blame for these bland bits of copywriting? It could be agents, homeowners or people like me who work in real-estate marketing. An agent-colleague of mine is well known for writing property descriptions that she admits are trite, but she says she wants to, “say something without saying anything,” her way of avoiding any claims that could lead to legal trouble.
I routinely see ad copy for houses in which a room “boasts” a particular feature or “says” quality. A recent ad in “Homes & Land” magazine reads, “This stone front home on a [sic] an eloquent property…” Ugh. The writer probably meant “elegant,” but I’m not sure that is a better word choice, either.
Seven Less-Dirty Words
And then there are those favorite phrases that appear over and over -- industry shorthand of sorts:
- Gourmet kitchen: This once used to mean a large room with custom cabinetry, restaurant-grade range and anything-but-Formica counter tops; now it is often used to describe any newer kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
- Motivated seller: A term that suggests the seller is divorcing, relocating or has run out of money; make an offer.
- Awaits your finishing touches: This means the seller has run out of money or wisely decided to let the buyer choose his or her own kitchen and bathroom details, a good idea with a high-priced home.
- Needs TLC: Translation... leave room in your budget for everything from minor remodeling to major mechanical repairs.
- Being sold ‘as is’: See “Needs TLC” above.
- Professionally manicured grounds: If you see this in an ad, just know that you will need to hire a lawn service to keep the property looking good.
- Step-saver kitchen: An oldie but goodie that means small, galley-style layout.
Deleting the ‘Luxury’ from Luxury Real Estate
There may be a word shift on the horizon, however. With the economy sliding and stagnating, and slow housing sales in almost every price category, there has been a change in the language used to describe many high-priced properties. As the New York Times recently reported, touting a home’s luxury finishes and brand-name designers is out; “priced below construction costs” is in.
The thinking goes something like this: Most Americans, even wealthy ones, are all about frugality these days. If you want someone’s attention, emphasize value, attractive pricing and appealing financing.
But don’t yell “fire sale.” Even desperate home sellers don’t take kindly to the super lowball offers these extreme descriptors attract. A genteel “newly priced” is more acceptable.
According to the Times article, real-estate ads are now promoting responsible spending and comfort, and leaving out such details as the $200,000 Italian kitchens with fine-tuned German appliances. The old sales pitch used to focus on these ultra-luxe finishes because buyers wanted to purchase status; the new approach might suggest that this property is a smart buy because of the long-lasting (i.e., you won’t need to replace the kitchen in 10 years) quality of its materials.
In this economy, it’s one more sign that even among the wealthy, it’s all about value and guilt-free consumption.
How would you describe your own house if you were putting it on the market? Would you take a straightforward approach or add some flourishes?
-- Valerie Patterson oversees all online and print marketing efforts at Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty, a privately-owned real-estate firm based in the Philadelphia area. Prior to joining Kurfiss, she was the producer of The Wall Street Journal's free real-estate site, RealEstateJournal.com.
Message Edited by Val_A_Patterson on 03-24-2009 12:07 PM
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