Watch your semantics when it comes to selling your home
The ‘right’ words are important ingredients in your home’s marketing strategy.
Experienced sales agents choose words carefully for property advertisements, and they know there are some words that are more likely to sell and some that more likely to deter a sale; however, there is still the subjective nature of buyer and seller impressions to be considered.
In 2012, the Real Estate Institute of Victoria analysed 3.78 million words used by agents to sell homes.
It found ‘space’ and ‘family’ were key attractors while ‘must sell’ was the top detractor.
The study suggested the right phrasing could speed up a sale and even boost the final price, with terms highlighting a home’s proximity to good schools and the presence of high end features drawing favourable response from top-end buyers.
Investors were more attracted to an emphasis on cost and potential returns with wording such as ‘per week’, ‘portfolio’, ‘vacant’ and ‘first-home buyer’.
The study concluded that buyers were least likely to be motivated by ‘motivated seller’, ‘cute’, ‘charming’ and ‘needs some TLC’.
Words and phrases that often raise an eyebrow when poorly used include:
Cozy – no more than two in the dining space
Efficient – reach everything in the kitchen without taking a step
As is – warts and all. What you see is what you get.
Fixer-upper – though possibly better demolished unless you are a Reality TV show producer
Minutes from shopping and entertainment – shared back fence
Must see inside – no street appeal
Charming – struggling to find something good to say
Unique – as above
Advertising cannot be deceptive in its wording. For example, ‘panoramic view’ necessitates there being one! The thing is, even if someone gets the words a bit wrong or the seller sees their home through rose-coloured glasses, all will be reveled when the buyer experiences the property for themselves.
LYN COX
Public Relations
- 0061 418 793 096
- lcox@remax.com.au