We’ve all suffered the wrath of unhelpful autocorrect. In fact, general typos have been responsible for many a good chuckle in our collective day-to-day lives. However, while we can all forgive (and even enjoy) an innocent snafu from a friend, it’s not quite as cute in a professional exchange. And, when it comes to million dollar transactions, inattention to detail can really hurt your client as well as your reputation. This article looks at common real estate typos and blunders that are as hilarious as they are harmful. Read up! If you’re not paying attention, you could very well be an unassuming culprit.
Spot the Stumbles
Before we get into it, let’s play a game. Check out the listing below and count the number of mistakes you can spot.
If this listing looks pretty good to you, it might be time to accept that writing is not your strong suit. In fact, you should probably get outside help before your next listing… or it could cost you. If you’ve been able to spot 14-16 errors, you’re doing okay but it would serve you to pay attention to the rest of the article. And, if you’ve spotted all 20 real estate typos… you’ve still got a ways to go. That was a trick statement. There are actually 22 mistakes in that listing. And you should read the rest of this article even if you’ve found them all.
Here’s the listing again, with all the real estate blunders marked-up.
Blunders that Bruise
When it comes to real estate typos, it’s not always about the spelling. In fact, real estate spelling errors are the easiest to catch because we have nifty tools like built-in spell check. The bigger challenge is spotting the malapropisms, homophones, and general detail errors. Malapropisms are words that sound close to what you mean, but mean something different (e.g. “granted” vs. granite countertops). Homophones, on the other hand, sound the same but have a different meaning (e.g. “steal” and “steel” or “sealing” and “ceiling” ). And, as an example of poor attention to detail, did you catch the discrepancy in the number of beds and baths in the description compared to the displayed features? I bet most of you missed those errors… What’s more, those are the kind of thing that could turn off a potential buyer or lead to a sale falling through.
A Redfin and Grammarly study found that nearly 45% of people said they would be less interested in a property if there were obvious grammar mistakes and other errors. At best, listing errors could damage your reputation as a professional and slow the sale of your property. At worst, they could cause a sale to fall through and lead to a negligence lawsuit. And of course, that can threaten your license! So, while real estate typos can seem silly on the surface, they can also have serious consequences.
Without further ado…
Common Real Estate Typos, Blunders, and SNAFUs
- Walking pantry — walk-in pantry
- Walking closet — walk-in pantry
- Double pained windows — paned-windows
- Stainless steal — steel
- In-law suit — in-law suite
- On suite — en suite
- Quite neighborhood — quiet
- Dinning room — dining room
- Stares — stairs
- Coy pond — Koi Pond
- Sneak peak — peek
- Excepting offers — accepting offers
- Wreck room — rec room (as in “recreation room”)
- Stories — storeys
- Taylor made — tailor
- Fresh pain — paint
- Curve appeal — curb appeal
- Miner work needed — minor
- Marquis — marquee
More Mistakes Real Estate Listings Fall Prey To
- “Principle” when you mean “principal”
- “Formally” when you mean “formerly”
- Pear vs. pare vs. pair
- “Duel” when you mean “dual”
- Aisle vs. isle
- “Volted” when you mean “vaulted”
- “Except” when you mean “accept”
- “Compliment” when you mean “complement”
For more on how to write a great real estate listing, including examples, check out this article below. Inside, you’ll find an easy five-part breakdown of the anatomy of a listing description, sample text, and great tips that can help your writing in general.
Conclusion
Keep this list bookmarked and proofread your work before you hit that publish button. And remember, we at Local Leader® are on your side. For more great real estate advice, tools, and insights, sign up to our weekly newsletter.
