Have you ever noticed that Realtors have code names for properties? Certain key words or phrases have special meaning for Realtors, although the public may think the word or phrase is just a cute description. There’s no such thing in real estate advertising. Every word is carefully chosen, but did you know there are code names full of meaning that only Realtors know? Once you learn to decrypt the code, you may find yourself laughing at what the true meaning is.
Realtors and Their Code Names
If you know how to interpret an advertisement for a home, you may find yourself much better equipped to quickly filter out the ones that you know you are not interested in. Perhaps some examples will help.
“Charming cottage” means old and small. “Centrally located” means right downtown on a busy street. “Cute house” means your grandmother would like it. “Quaint” means your great grandmother would like it. “Roomy” means it’s drafty, and “well insulated” means it has small windows. “Priced to sell” means no one wants it, and “a great value” means it’s overpriced.
The funny thing is, in real estate advertising, words don’t always mean what you think, and sometimes they actually mean the opposite. “Water view” sometimes means peek-a-boo water view (unlike the photo above which is a real water view), and “low maintenance property” means a postage sized lot. A “master garden” means it will take 20 hours a week to maintain. “Very private” usually means no one can see into the house but it also means there’s nothing to see from inside the house. “Lovely” means out of date, and “old world charm” means antique. “A workman’s paradise” means uninhabitable to the average person. “Cozy” means cramped, and “modern” means newer but cheap.
Realtors and Advertising
I am a Realtor, but because of the code meanings of many of the phrases used by Realtors, I avoid these words like the plague. They aren’t any help to buyers anyway. In fact, they can be deceiving. So next time you’re reading ads written by Realtors, look beneath the surface and imagine what the words really mean. This can be a good source of humor, and as someone wise once said, “humor is medicine for the soul.”
Last Updated on September 21, 2019 by Chuck Marunde
