Overused Words in Real Estate Advertising

It has come to my attention that there are certain words that are being overused in real estate advertising. I believe that the overuse of these words are the real cause of the current market slouch.

1. STUNNING
If I read one more ad that describes a particular abode as 'stunning', I am going send the realtor responsible a flaming bag of poo.

To my mind, if an apartment is 'stunning', it needs to be pretty spectacular. And apartments are, well, stacked compartments of space. They don't really have the appropriate sweep and drama required of all things stunning.

It reminds me of when Tom Cruise called Katie Holmes "magnificent".

2. SPARKLING
Just because Merry Maids came in and swabbed the place down with a few squirts of cleanser does not render a place 'sparkling'.

3. LOFT

According to dictionary.com, a loft is:

1. 1. A large, usually unpartitioned floor over a factory, warehouse, or other commercial or industrial space.
   2. Such a floor converted into an apartment or artist's studio.
2. An open space under a roof; an attic or garret.
3. A gallery or balcony, as in a church.
4. A hayloft.

So NO any apartment with another apartment above it is NOT a loft, no matter how white you paint it.

3. MOTIVATED
It would appear that every seller is motivated. Well duh. A seller is hardly going to be unmotivated. In reality a motivated seller is the seller who will take the first offer at or above the asking price. So the person asking $525,000 for the 500sf studio on Beacon Hill is not going to take $425,000 cash no matter how motivated they are.

And I speak from experience when I say that they are definitely not motivated about an offer of $150,000.

4. GLEAMING
As in hard wood floors. I don't care what other word is used (glossy, shiny, slick, radiant), but the phrase "gleaming hardwood floors" has to go.



Oh yeah, and if it's molding, it's dentil, NOT dental.