What Agents Say and What They Really Mean

**KevinTurner** · 08-29-2011, 05:19 PM

I was reflecting on an article I wrote some time ago where I was trying to work out why real estate agents think anyone will believe them when they say….. “This one won’t last - be quick”.

I have actually seen it used in a headline. The property is in the United States where there are something like 15 million property owners with negative equity.
Trust me it will still be there in a month or two!

Have you ever wondered what agents really mean when they say what they say?

Here are some examples….

SNEAK CITY VIEWS – “If you stand over here and lean a bit to the left you can just see the city buildings”

SALE BY NEGOTIATION – “I don’t have a clue what its worth and I am hoping you can tell me”

PRICE ON APPLICATION – “The owner wants too much and if I tell you the price you will not call”

FOR THE GARDENING ENTHUSIAST – Out of control jungle

OWNER KEEN TO SELL – “The place has been tarted up and if we sell it quickly enough the cracks won’t start to appear until after settlement”

LOVELY HOMELY FEEL – “Vey small house”

A WEALTH OF PERIOD FEATURES – Dry rot, rising damp and rubber wiring”

SECURITY SYSTEM – “Rough neighbourhood”

WELL POSITIONED – “See all the neighbours

UNUSUAL FEATURES – “Owners have bad taste but I didn’t want to tell them”

MOTIVATED SELLER – “The place has been on the market for too long and my listing is about to run out”

OFFERS OVER…… - “They want heaps more than that but at least I got your attention”

The reality is that sellers want more than the property is worth and buyers want a bargain.

Spare a thought for the poor old agent who has to bring them together.
Is that how ‘agent speak’ is created?

What are some of the more creative ways you have heard real estate agents talk?

**laura.alamery** · 09-08-2011, 03:41 PM

What you said is definitely true. As a licensed agent for 20 years, I know that sometime you have to walk a fine line by being true and honest and also pushing a sale at the same time.

Per licensing law, there are some things that definitely have to be disclosed, while others are at discretion. For instance, if there has been a murder in the house, where I am, we are not required to disclose.

One time I sold a house where a murder took place - I did not know at the time, but after some time, when I found out, it explained the big splatter stain on the wall, which looked like coffee.

**Carla Hailey** · 09-12-2011, 09:14 AM

Very eager agents..they will say anything or do just anything to sell or buy a house.

**Home Selling Consultant** · 09-12-2011, 11:09 AM

Kevin ~

Nice Post!

When I was an active realtor, another realtor in my office put an ad in the paper that read,

"Buy the house, get the mercedes". Guess what? The listing expired a few months later.

Don't realtors know it's all about PRICE & CONDITION whether a home sells!!

**pandy1021** · 09-29-2011, 08:49 AM

It's actually a good post sharing some sort of terms being used by experienced real estate agents. At least at the very edge, when they talk to people, or when someone talk to them they know what it means. Moreover, this kind of euphemisms could help agents carry up their sales.

**malcolmjohnston** · 09-29-2011, 08:55 AM

There certainly is a lot of puffery in real estate. I think most readers know to take properety descriptions with a grain of salt by now.

**BuyLandOnline** · 09-29-2011, 12:23 PM

The classic "it's funny because it's true". Great Post!

**mhomes** · 11-21-2011, 07:19 AM

I'm mostly into apartment rentals in Budapest, and what gets me upset as an agent, is when the owners try to deceit and bullshit me.... come on, you don't have to sell the property to me, I'll know the instant I enter a place what kind of renovation has been done, how much the owner spent on the furniture, etc.
But I agree, it is a fine line to walk between honesty and selling the property.
Great euphemisms, too!

**WinaltHome** · 01-16-2012, 07:52 AM

Nice share. These are some sort of sales talk used to drive clients and create leads and sales for the agents.
The problem is, most of the time, clients are already aware of this - so it mostly don't work at all.

Some agents experiment some other tricks in driving clients to buy properties ahead or whatever sales leading tactic they could have. The problem sometimes is that customers and buyers tend to lose trust on some agents who overdo it.