The language of selling houses

In an increasingly competitive housing market, the first impression potential buyers will have of a given property is extremely important, and the property listing is a big part of that. Professional photos and a descriptive write-up are a good way to draw potential buyers to your property. Many will be searching for properties online, and if the listing doesn't make an impact, it could simply be passed over in favour of another. A recent study from Point2Homes analysed 40,000 property listings Canada-wide to compile a list of keywords that are most often used to attract potential buyers, yielding some interesting results.

One of the most common terms used in descriptions of Canadian homes is "hardwood floors". "Beautiful" ranked high on the list, as well as "huge", "perfect" and "quiet". Homes in Saskatchewan are commonly referred to as "spacious", while Ontario homes talk about electric light fixtures. The study also showed how Canadian listings differ from the U.S., as a Canadian listing is likely to mention a home is close to schools, while an American listing is more likely to advertise that the home is priced to sell, or mention add-ons like a pool.

Click here for the full article from the Ottawa Citizen.