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When we talk, we say what we want to say, but not everyone will understand it the same way. I don’t think its unique or new, but all of a sudden it seems anyone I listen to must correct me when I try to confirm what I heard. And those that I say something to cannot repeat back to me what I just said as they understood it in a different way than what I meant to say; what I wanted them to hear.
Today’s award for the most creative language in a real estate ad goes to about 150 brokers who are all using the same words in their advertising text.
My current favorite is NESTLED. You can find the word nestled in approximately 422 real estate listings. I suspect it comes from a thesaurus and referenced how a home is sited or positioned on a piece of land. But how does one know if a certain home was nestled or not nestled? One might wonder if it is partially bermed into the side of a hill that might be the dictionary definition of nestled. For the record, dictionary.com has this:
1. to lie close and snug, like a bird in a nest; snuggle or cuddle.
2. to lie or be located in a sheltered spot; be naturally or pleasantly situated: a cottage nestling in a pine grove. Archaic: to make or have a nest. 2. to make one’s home; settle in a home.
4. to settle or ensconce snugly: He nestled himself into the hay for a short nap.
5. to put or press confidingly or affectionately: She nestled her head on his shoulder.
6. to provide with or settle in a nest, as a bird.
So yes there are some references to one’s home along with some bird images and snuggling.
The next home I buy should be nestled and there should be lots of snuggling and birds.
Second favorite: PERCHED. I know, you immediately pictured a bird perched, right? But these are houses for sale, so unless it looks like a bird, this home has been perched or is perching at this moment. Homes that sit on the top of a hill or near the top might be imagined to be perched. They might also be exposed to more wind and have less privacy than those nestled homes.
Next I really enjoy OASIS. When one is in the high desert, an oasis is a real treat to find. It may mean that natural springs are flowing on the property; fragrant and clear water bubbling up from below. Or it could mean the property owners and landscaping workers have watered the heck out of the property so it feels like an oasis, although the water might be chlorinated or mineral laden coming from a known source that is not a naturally occurring spring.
Then there is VIEWS. Which should have some measure of qualification, because almost every home has views except maybe those with serious nestled locations. You have heard of million dollar views? Maybe that’s the ticket: rank the views from a home based on a dollar value. A home that just sold for $295,000 might just have million dollar views, while a home that sold for $1,080,000 might have $575,000 dollar views. Then we might want to clarify if those views are from every window, from the rooftop deck or from the master bath soaking tub. Maybe they are from the garage. I have seen homes perched on a hillside with a detached garage that has better views than the actual home. There were serene.
And we must not forget LOCATION. Always an important word to any potential buyer, location of a home is relative to what it is near. Is Canyon Road a great location or just a desirable address? Is being walking distance to Trader Jose’s and the Farmers Market a location to be featured in marketing writeups, or is it just a nice feature since not everyone is able to walk. Family homes don’t exist any longer because we would be discriminating against non family units if we called a home a wonderful family home.
I guess any number of bedrooms would not guaranty a good nights sleep so we should no longer mention the number of bedrooms? Or just the ones that have soundproofing and black-out curtains?
The list is endless. Solar, energy efficient, Santa Fe style, fixer-upper, handyman’s special (or should we say handyperson’s special?), new roof (now that’s a good one), bedroom separation (the owners have their own respective bedrooms?), cook’s kitchen, radiant heat, oh my word I am running out of steam. If you see a word in a marketing piece and it kind of makes you wonder, what does that mean, you could ask the listing broker or look up some similar words to find out what nestled (for example) means. And when you see reference to birds nests, then you will know.
