NEW YORK—What are the words associated with the most expensive real estate listings? What about the cheapest listings? Real estate listing giant Trulia combed through millions of listings to find out.
The Luxury 10
With terms like “motor court” and “formal gardens,” the list of words associated with the most expensive listings is a great way to expand one’s luxury real estate vocabulary. The term that topped the list with the highest average listing price is “parlor floor.” Homes that sport that feature fetch an average listing price of almost $5 million.
“The parlor is traditionally the grandest floor in the townhouse and almost always has the building’s highest ceilings,” according to Patrick Lilly’s TheTownhouseSpecialist.com.
“Historically, these floors were primarily used for entertaining with two rooms separated by a staircase.”
Second on the list is the term “formal gardens,” averaging just over $4 million per listing. Formal gardens are meticulously designed along geometric lines and require regular trimming for maximum effect. Other classical features on the list include a “motor court,” “two powder rooms,” and “paneled library.”
A much more modern feature, “Lutron lighting,” is ranked fifth. Lutron is best known for its 1961 introduction of a dimming light switch, which incorporates customization, aesthetic, and energy-saving qualities. Lutron now makes proximity sensors that will turn lights on and off once a person enters a room as well as a wide array of residential and commercial lighting solutions.
Other luxury brands, including Miele, Viking, and Sub-Zero, were associated with million-dollar homes as well, according to the Trulia Trends blog post.
The top 10 list is not made up entirely of actual features. Promotional terms like “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and “magnificent estate” ranked Nos. 7 and 4, respectively.
Words That Scream Discount
Some words scream luxury, while some are a sure sign of a lower priced property. Among the words associated with the least average price tags are “septic repairs,” “defective paint,” and “lead-based paint notices.” Most of the terms on the list are defects or dangerous conditions requiring additional investment to repair.
Listings with the words “cute little bungalow,” “starter home investment property,” and “minimum commission applies” are the only terms on the list not associated with an undesirable feature.
Getting Local
Trulia also compiled words that are hyperlocal—phrases that are 10 times more likely to appear in a given metro area than nationally. For example, “mirrored closet doors” is 10 times more likely to be a listing feature in Ventura and Orange counties in California than nationwide. “Whole Foods,” meanwhile, is a listing feature most likely to be used in San Francisco.
For a complete listing of Trulia’s findings, see “Real-Estate Listing Words: The Good, Bad, and Hyperlocal” at the Trulia Trends blog.
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