Words Matter When Selling Your Home

In a research study conducted in the early 2000’s, a Canadian professor found that homes where the seller was “motivated” took 15 percent longer to sell, while houses listed as “handyman specials” flew off the market in half the time. “It surprised even me,” said researcher Paul Anglin, who teaches real-estate and housing trends at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Other findings from the study: Words that denoted “curb appeal” or attractiveness helped a property sell faster than those that spoke of “value” and “price.” Homes described as “beautiful” moved 15 percent faster and sold for 5 percent more. “Good-value” homes sold for 5 percent less than average. And “must see” didn’t make any difference.

I couldn’t find a more recent study, but I bet many words would be similar today...except perhaps for “granite,” which was one of the top selling words for the late 90’s. How would you describe your home in a listing? Call if you’d like help.