House hunting is, increasingly, a digital process. But scrolling through countless Zillow listings and high-def photos can leave shoppers looking for deeper info. Online home descriptions are now key to the competitive real estate landscape.
So what did they look like in 2022?
Point2, a division of Yardi Systems, looked at more than 730,000 of the site’s home descriptions to determine the year’s biggest buzzwords. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, space was the dominant feature — outranking even “beautiful.”
We know that buyers are prioritizing space in this post-pandemic world. And as such, the words “room” and “space” came in at the top of the list, trailing more predictable descriptors like “home,” “bedroom,” “bathroom,” and “kitchen.” Similarly, “spacious,” “open,” and “great” were the most popular adjectives, along with “new.”
In turn, outdoor details were also emphasized with amenities like “patio/porch” and “yard” ranking alongside other practical features “garage” and “parking.” However, more luxurious features like “fireplace,” “pool” and “stainless steel appliances” were also among the top 10 keywords.
The particulars, however, varied by region. “Garage” was mentioned most in the Midwest. In the South, it was “patio/porch.” In the West, “Garage” and “Yard” were nearly tied. And in the Northeast, the most popular term was “full bath.”
They also varied by price. For example, “yard” and “patio/porch” were the most popular words nationwide for listings under $1 million. But above $1 million, “fireplace” bumped those for the No. 1 spot. In listings over $5 million, “chef’s kitchen” came in at No. 2.
Yard2 also provided a glimpse of which product brands made it into most descriptions, with Whirlpool leading the pack.
