Le mot juste applies to housing too

Diction is important for all forms of writing. Applied to real estate, the right word (le mot juste) or sets of words can make a monetary difference.

The online real estate company, Trulia, has studied the words and phrases commonly used to sell homes. Trulia’s Real Estate Lab report shows some of the phrases associated with the most and least expensive homes for sale on their site through November 2012.

Homes priced at $3 million or higher contained these terms:

1. parlor floor
2. formal gardens
3. paneled library
4. magnificent estate
5. Lutron lighting
6. public rooms
7. once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
8. highest level
9. motor court
10. two powder rooms

Homes with the lowest asking prices contained the following terminology:

1. minimum commission applies
2. lead based paint notices
3. mold-like substance
4. defective paint
5. city inspection
6. repair plumbing system
7. cute little bungalow
8. septic repairs
9. HUD owned offered as-is
10. home investment property

Just as certain terms signal price category, others denote location. Hyperlocal phrases like “Whole Foods” or “lanai” are most frequently found in property listings for San Francisco and Hawaii, respectively. Sellers seeking to market their properties well can tap into hyperlocality, using phrases that potentially catch the attention of buyers. Tuned-in buyers who read the marketing copy may appreciate the finer details.