I love creating writing and so one of the simple pleasures of working in real estate is in writing listing descriptions of homes I’m selling. For most homes, the description isn’t THAT important; good photos are much more important.
But many potential buyers still read the description and will do searches based on keywords. So it’s gotta be good. There is also a word count that you have to meet and dutiful agents trying to sell a home need to be creative.
Descriptions, like anything else in real estate, can be prone to fads and a lot of strange adjectives describing homes have exploded in popularity. I’m here to translate them for you, (for entertainment purposes only), so that the next time you look at a home for sale and see one of these words, you know what they mean:
Cozy: “Just a heads up, the space is very small, please be open-minded. Maybe this is a good chance to grow closer together to loved ones.”
Charm/Character: “This home is either old-fashioned or quirky. The kitchen may be the size of a closet. There’s a lot of walls. There’s probably not enough bathrooms.”
Opportunity: “The current owner didn’t have enough money to fix this place up, would you like to take a shot?”
Modern Updates: “It looks like a cross between an IKEA and a hotel inside. The opposite of charm.”
Recently Updated: “The homeowner can’t remember when, probably after 1995.”
Boasts: “It’s boring to say a house ‘has’ a feature, so we use the word ‘boasts’. This house boasts 3 bedrooms.”
Open Concept: “Somehow, the kitchen island is the only thing in this house.”
Well-establish Neighborhood: “Everyone’s old and the sidewalks are cracking, but it’s quiet!”
Laid-back HOA: “We know people hate HOA’s, we swear this one is different, totally a cool HOA that won’t complain about how many Amazon deliveries you’re getting.”
Good Bones: “There’s not anything truly wrong with this house but it’s old and ugly. Please buy.”
Brand New Construction: “Everything is new, including the problems.”
Nestled: (one of my favorites) “This home has a small yard and/or close neighbors.”
Move In Ready: “Nothing is new. Sure you COULD update everything, but the house is in great shape, why fix what ain’t broke?”
What are your favorites? Let me know and I’d be happy to translate them too.
Market Update
Because rates have remained where they are, I expect to see a slower summer season that we’re used to. With more inventory but also more price cuts and more homes sitting.
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Michael Perrone is a licensed managing real estate broker in Washington State and is the owner of The Perrone Real Estate Group. You can reach his office at 425-224-6040 or by subscribing and responding to these newsletters.