That process starts long before you actually show up to look at a house—way back when the real estate agent writes up the property listing. We all know that listing descriptions are marketing copy, but even if you read them with a skeptical eye, you might not spot some of the misleading words and phrases peppered in there because they seem so innocuous. Most of these hidden red flags aren’t exactly lies—they’re just efforts to obscure the truth with softer vocabulary. Here’s what to look for.
The red flags
Cozy. Probably the most over-used word in real estate listings, “cozy” is weaponized to conjure up images of comfort and familiarity. But any real estate pro will tell you that “cozy” really means just one thing: small. Sometimes the placement of the word can give you some hints—for example, if it’s a “cozy garden,” the house itself might be spacious enough.
Convenient location. Look for what it’s supposedly conveniently located near. Easy access to main roads could mean there’s an on-ramp right nearby. Local bars and restaurants? In that case, “convenient” translates to “noisy.” What you’re really looking for is “walking distance.” Things are only convenient when they don’t adversely affect your life when you’re not using them.
Quiet. This might seem perfectly reasonable—people do often want peace and quiet in their homes. But seeing this word in a listing should prompt some questions about why the agent felt the need to underscore that aspect of the property. Often this is included because the property is in a noisy area, so stressing that it has good windows and you can’t hear all that traffic or crowd noise when you’re trying to sleep can head off concerns. If "quiet" is also one of the first things mentioned, that might imply that it’s the sole selling point of the place.
Vibrant. This word paints a picture of a cool, hip neighborhood filled with people from all over. What it usually means, though, is "loud."
Green belt. This one is tricky, as it’s factual, but crucial information is often omitted when it appears in a listing. A green belt is desirable because it’s a patch of nature that can’t be developed, so if the lot backs up to a green belt, you’ll potentially have a gorgeous, unspoiled view and possibly access to some wilderness without the threat of someone developing the land into an eyesore. But greenbelts aren’t always nature preserves—they often obscure power lines or other infrastructure, so finding out the purpose of the green belt is essential.
Generous (size). There aren’t any standards when it comes to describing the size of things in a house, and the word "generous" is so open to interpretation as to be useless. It feels big, though—if you get a "generous" portion of something, it’s big, right?—so it’s often deployed when the rooms or other aspects of the property are actually average size to embiggen the place and make it seem grander.
Well-maintained. This innocuous phrase sounds great—no one wants a house that isn’t well-maintained. Except that well-maintained is kind of the baseline for a property. Stressing this usually means that the house hasn’t been renovated, remodeled, or significantly improved in a long time. Sure, everything works, but you’re probably going to spend money in the near future to bring it out of the last century.
Spotting one or more of these hidden red flags in a property listing doesn’t necessarily mean the place isn’t worth looking at—but it does mean you should be prepared to dig into the reality behind the marketing copy.
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