Vocabulary matters
WHAT’S ONE WORD WORTH? IN REAL ESTATE, POTENTIALLY A SALE
A few well-chosen words can really spur buyers to visit a home that’s listed for sale.
Words such as “cozy,” “beautiful,” “spacious,” “charming,” “open,” “gourmet,” “fantastic,” “bright,” “quaint,” “gorgeous” and “cute” are all found to increase the number of potential buyers who actually go and physically tour the home, a key step in getting the home sold.
That’s according to a new study “that considers the words real estate agents most frequently use and how these signals are received by buyers,” explains Michael Seiler, a real estate and finance professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and one of the study’s authors.
The study is built upon past research that examines factoring influences on home sale time and price.
Earlier research found that buyers tend to look longest at the first — and usually largest — photo of a home listed online. Moreover, if a buyer doesn’t like that first photo, he or she is likely to move on to another listing.
The new research looked at whether professional real estate agents and home buyers ascribe the same positive or negative sentiments to common listing descriptors, and whether highquality photos or words with favorable associations were most likely to persuade a buyer to tour a home.
“Importantly, positive words have the most significant influence,” concludes the study, although Seiler also emphasizes that a quality photo remains important.
Those “positive words” aren’t just descriptors of the home itself. Terms describing the neighborhood — such as “excellent schools,” “prestigious neighborhood,” “quiet,” “great location,” “desirable” and “exclusive” — also help spur buyers to see a home in person, the study found.
Just as researchers found certain words had positive associations, they also discovered terms that turned buyers off such as “must-see,” “price reduced” and “perfect for empty nesters.” Sellers can benefit from reviewing the word choice in their home listing with their agent.