selllive from the mls180 days of salesboyenga team at compass
The Listing Language Lab
Every listing description tells a story. The Listing Language Lab reads the descriptions of homes sold in the last 180 days, checks them for 31 phrases, from “new roof” and “ADU” to “cozy” and “as-is”, and shows how the homes that used each phrase sold compared with the ones that didn’t.
- sales read…with a description, last 180 days
- median sale-to-list…all of those sales
- sold over asking…share of those sales
- median description…length of the listing copy
the words
How homes that used each phrase sold in Sunnyvale
Each row compares the median sale-to-list of sales whose description used the phrase with sales that didn’t. Black bars sold higher relative to list price; striped bars sold lower. Grayed rows had fewer than 15 sales.
Sale-to-list is the sale price divided by the final list price. Phrases travel with the homes they describe, so a gap shows what kind of home tends to use the phrase, not what the words do on their own. Phrases are read automatically and can miss a variation or catch a word used another way.
This city has more sales than the page reads at once, so the figures use the most recent 2,000 sale records.
the checker
Check your listing description
Paste a draft of your listing description. The checker lists the tracked phrases it finds and how homes that used them sold in the city you picked, suggests specific features worth naming if your home has them, and flags phrases fair housing guidance warns about.
The checker runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent to us or saved.
the nerd check
Words that help, words that hide
If you’re selling
- Lead with what’s true and specificFeatures buyers can verify, such as a new roof, owned solar or a permitted ADU, carry more weight than adjectives. Only name what your home has, and have the permits and records ready.
- Read the gap as a market picture“Remodeled” tends to come with a finished home, and “as-is” with work ahead. The gaps show what buyers paid for those homes, not what a word can do for yours.
- Describe the home, not the buyerFair housing rules apply to listing copy. Skip phrases about who should live there, and describe rooms, features and location facts instead.
- Keep the copy and photos consistentCalifornia’s AB 723 requires a disclosure when listing photos are digitally altered, with access to the unaltered images. Make sure the description, photos and disclosures tell the same story.
If you’re buying
- Read the condition words“As-is”, “TLC” and “bring your ideas” usually signal work ahead, and sometimes room to negotiate. Check how those homes sold in your city before you write an offer.
- Look past the adjectives“Charming” and “cozy” tell you little. The floor plan, square footage, permits and disclosures tell you much more.
- Verify every featureAn ADU, solar or a new roof should come with permits, records or warranties. Ask for them; the Disclosure Decoder and Inspection Decoder help.
The lab is a mirror of the market, not a formula. A listing that names real, verifiable features is easier for buyers to trust, and that’s the standard we write to. We’ll pull the recent sales near you and help you describe your home accurately and specifically.
questions
Questions we hear
How does the lab read listing descriptions?
Each time the page loads, it reads the descriptions of homes sold in the city over the last 180 days, from the MLS through our IDX feeds, and checks each one for 31 phrases. Repeat records from different feeds are removed, and descriptions under 20 words are skipped.
What does “vs sales without it” mean?
It’s the difference between the median sale-to-list of sales whose description used the phrase and the median of sales that didn’t. +2.0 pts means homes that used it sold for about 2 percentage points more, relative to their list price.
Does using a phrase make a home sell for more?
Not by itself. Phrases travel with the homes they describe, so treat the numbers as a picture of the market and only describe features your home actually has.
Is my draft saved or sent anywhere?
No. The checker runs in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to us or stored.
Why are some phrases grayed out?
Fewer than 15 sales in the city used them, so the comparison is shaky. Phrases used by fewer than 5 sales aren’t shown.
more to learn
Keep going
- Launch LabPlan your listing launch, from photos to Coming Soon.
- Prep LabRoom-by-room prep, a budget and a countdown to list day.
- Offer LabHow far over or under asking homes are selling.
- Feature FinderSearch homes for sale by feature, such as a pool or an ADU.
- Disclosure DecoderWhat each California disclosure form covers.
- Seller PlaybookEvery step of a California home sale, with a disclosure builder.
Based on sales reported to the MLS through our IDX feeds over the last 180 days, read live each time the page loads. Shown as reported and not guaranteed; repeat records are removed. Phrases are matched automatically and may be incomplete.
talk to a property nerd
Getting ready to list?
We’ll pull the recent sales near you and help you describe your home accurately and specifically, with the permits and records to back it up. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
