I’ve learned the hard way how many real estate lies can be contained in a newspaper ad or real estate listing. That’s because I’ve bought 8 homes in 4 cities and read thousands of real estate listings over the years.

It’s a real emotional roller coaster searching for a home. We’ve all been taken in by misleading adjectives like “cozy” and “country living.”

Since my real estate dream is to have a home with a water view one day, my pet peeve is “listen to the waves,” when the house is 10+ blocks from a lake or ocean. I would never hire a real estate agent that works that way.

Before you get all excited about your next dream home and book a real estate showing, watch this short Barb Corcoran video where she translates the fancy adjectives for The Nate Berkus Show and tells you what these real estate lies really mean.

I’d love for you to add to this list of real estate lies and what they really mean:

• Cozy = small
• Original condition = appliances more than 20 years old
• Country living = really far from shopping, hard to get to
• Handyman’s special = tear down
• Charming = hasn’t been redecorated in many decades (and not in a retro way)

What real estate adjectives have sucked you in? Please share in the comment section!

Debra Gould, President Six Elements Home Staging and Interior Redesign

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. which operates Six Elements Home Staging and is the creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with over 7,000 students in more than 20 countries. An entrepreneur since 1989 and author of several staging guides Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and uses her expertise to train others worldwide.

Learn more about how Six Elements can help you with home staging advice and real estate advice to get the most equity out of your home when you sell, and help you sell faster.

Tagged as: barb corcoran, real estate lies, real estate listings