Ah, real estate code words.
If you’ve ever looked for an apartment, you’ve probably learned the hard way that “in the sky” means an apartment up so many stairs that you feel like you’re training for a marathon.
Meanwhile, “gracious layout” means the place has a foyer or entry hall that’s big enough to dwarf an umbrella stand, but too small to place your desk.
When it comes to houses, “convenient to everything” means it is right near a busy, noisy street, while “serene oasis” means you can’t find the main road. (Thinking about buying a house? Learn what questions to ask before committing to a mortgage.)
Why The Fancy Wording?
Some words are there for a reason; agents don’t want to anger a seller by using the word “small” in an ad, but they don’t want to waste buyers’ time, either. So we have “charming” (which usually translates to “small, with architectural detail”) and “cozy” (which usually translates to “small, without architectural detail.”)
Some words, however, are there just because they’re trendy. In a slow market, one agent might put “motivated seller” in a listing, and then all the other agents in an area use the phrase, whether their sellers are motivated or not.
As a buyer, if you’re reading an ad and you come across something that looks like real-estate speak but you can’t figure it out, call the listing agent. He or she should be able to explain whether “unique” means odd décor (which you can remove or change) or an odd layout (which maybe you can’t).
Read more about decoding real estate language on LearnVest!
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