How To Read A Real Estate Listing

Posted on: 9 November 2015

Unless you are a real estate broker, the lingo used by a brokerage listing can be confusing. You must understand what the terms stand for or you may end up saying a bathroom instead of a bedroom. That is one of the reasons an agent can be helpful. However, this list may be helpful for your reference.

  • 5/4/2 means you have five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a two-car garage
  • Ac is acres but a/c is air conditioning
  • Br is bedroom but ba is bathroom
  • Btsa is a bonus to selling agent

Are you confused yet? Here are some more confusing but necessary terms.

  • Ch/a is central heating and air conditioning
  • Fixer upper means there is a lot of work to do
  • Frbo means for rent by the owner
  • Fsbo means for sale by the owner
  • 1 / 2 bath is a bathroom with a sink and a toilet
  • Full bath means there is a bathroom with a sink, bathtub, shower, and a toilet
  • Glfp is a gas log fireplace

This list is far from complete, but it shows how confusing life can be if you do not understand the terms used in a listing. Many clients look at the pictures and draw a conclusion. You have to be cautious of some of the wording such as a great starter home, cozy, quaint, or intimate. You should be looking for dimensions of a room, not a vague description.

Have you ever had a listing with such vague terms? Others include quiet (maybe the back of a building) or it needs some TLC (you find out it needs major renovation). Others to be cautious of are as-is or estate condition. The piece of real estate could have been vacant for years. What about the original condition? That could mean cracking linoleum or olive green cabinets.

More Realtor Lingo

  • CMA is a comparative or competitive market analysis.
  • Closing costs are expenses paid by the seller and buyer when the sale is closed.
  • Contingency is an agreement provision keeping the deal from completion until specific conditions are met.

Hopefully, this list of terms and explanations will aid you in your home search. The lingo is an acquired language understood by real estate agents. That is why agents receive commissions; for the education acquired over the years. It takes time, patience, and education to grasp what the listings mean. Don't assume you understand the terms, be sure!

To learn more, contact a company like Two Rivers Investment

Share