Lessons learned from real-estate agents

One good thing about rainy days on a vacation - it give you time to catch up on your reading.

I've had "Freakonomics" (By Levitt and Dubner) sitting on my shelf for quite awhile.

And, yes, it does include a lot of data on online dating... but there was a section that intrigued me more.

It was a section that discussed the terms that real-estate agents use when they're describing homes.

Turns out that some of the things that sound good on paper are actually associated with lower sales prices on the home.

The terms that the authors listed?

"Fantastic", "Spacious", "Charming", "Great Neighborhood", and the use of exclamation points.

What's wrong with these descriptions?

They're vague.

They signal that you're trying to "puff up" something that doesn't have that much value.

Terms that were associated with stronger sales prices were more specific. They pointed out specifics of the home - that countertops were "granite", or that "maple" cabinets were present. They described the "state-of-the art" features, or what specific "new" items were present.

So, in the end, the homes that sold for the best prices were ones that hooked people's interest with a few specific features that made people want to take a closer look.

Which, in the end, doesn't surprise me. Because I see the same thing in online profiles.

Ones that say, "I'm wonderful, fantastic, intelligent, witty, and rich", aren't terribly effective. Because anyone can say that they're any of these things.

The ones that imply these traits with specific stories are much more successful.