real estate grammar: Why proofreading your own work is so hard - 02/09/24 04:42 PM
We've discussed how important proofreading is and how frustrating it is to publish something and THEN catch the mistakes.
We've also discussed different methods for catching them. Among them are reading the copy aloud and reading it backwards. Also, most of us agree that setting the work aside for a few hours or a day is helpful.
But why, when it is so easy to see other people's mistakes, is it so difficult to see our own?
Making mistakes is easy...We all know how easy it is to make mistakes. Often, our minds are traveling far ahead of our fingers as we … (15 comments)

real estate grammar: A picky grammar problem - 02/08/24 12:16 PM
You probably don't think much about the words "fewer" and "less" unless you see a sentence that jars or you are trying to decide which to use in a sentence.
I happen to be thinking about them today because I was jarred by a sentence in an email.
Some sentences do jar, but leave you going back to see why. The meaning is clear, so?
For example: "The cashier wished less people would complain to her about the grocery prices."
You know exactly what it means, and yet it feels wrong. It should have said "fewer people."
Is there a rule for that? Of course.The general … (18 comments)

real estate grammar: One more reason why grammar matters - 01/27/24 09:24 PM
Back in October I wrote a blog post about why grammar matters.
The biggest reason was that good grammar and correct spelling lead to good communication. And why should you bother to write or speak at all except to communicate?
The blog post broke it down into components, but communication was at the root.
This week I learned another reason why good grammar is important: it's because Google cares!
In a Success Works blog post, Heather Lloyd Martin quotes Google’s John Mueller as saying “we try to find really high-quality content on the web, and sometimes it can appear that a page is lower … (27 comments)

real estate grammar: Don’t let them notice your words! - 01/07/24 04:07 PM
Don’t let them notice your words!
When you’re working hard to write a blog post, a letter, or any other kind of marketing materials, your goal is, of course, to get your message across.
One way to make that happen is to write in such a way that your readers don’t notice your words. Instead, they should simply absorb your message. I know – you’ll want them to remember what you said, but that’s different than noticing the words.
If they notice the words, understanding may be lost. Why? Because when a reader notices a word or phrase it is generally for one of … (35 comments)

real estate grammar: Do you misuse that and which? - 11/10/23 09:44 PM
And... do you know if you’re misusing them?
It seems like a lot of people think the two words are interchangeable when used as conjunctions, but they’re not.
Sometimes you might read a sentence and just feel that it is a little bit "off," without figuring out why. It could be because the writer should have used "that" but used "which" instead. Or - the other way around.
That and which are not the same. One introduces a restrictive clause. One introduces a non-restrictive clause. Put another way…
One introduces a clause that is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.
One introduces a clause … (17 comments)

real estate grammar: For real estate grammar, choose medium-well - 11/04/23 12:57 PM
Your real estate grammar is important, because communication is important. When you add content to your web pages, write a blog post, or send a prospecting letter, you hope that readers will understand your message, react positively – and choose YOU for their agent.
Grammar is defined as the whole system and structure of a language. For our purposes today, I’m referring to the whole thing: not just spelling, punctuation, proper use of singular and plural, choice of pronouns, etc. I’m including tone, and word choice with reference to its degree of casualness or formality.
You’ve noticed that some people speak more formally (and … (14 comments)

real estate grammar: What happens if you choose the wrong word? - 10/27/23 03:40 PM
If you choose the wrong word, you'll hurt yourself!Using the wrong word in real estate marketing materials will hurt you in two ways. First, it will detract from your message. Your readers might be going merrily along, absorbing your marketing message and even agreeing with you.
Then all of a sudden, there’s a word that doesn’t belong.
It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t make sense with the rest of the sentence. It’s like a big stop sign in the middle of the message.
All the momentum you’d gained is lost. Now they’re not absorbing your message, they’re stopping to figure out what … (29 comments)

real estate grammar: Be careful: A Real Estate Grammar Error to Avoid - 09/15/23 02:02 PM
It’s been a while since I nagged about the importance of grammar in your blog posts, letters, and emails to clients. Therefore, it must be time to revisit the subject.
It is important. In fact, studies such as those conducted at North Carolina State University, the University of Michigan, and Undercover Recruiter, found that readers judge strangers in an unfavorable light simply because of writing errors.
And when it comes to real estate, clients are wise to be leery if you don’t know your way around words. After all, when you help them write purchase offers or counter-offers, the words must be clear. … (36 comments)

real estate grammar: Small errors can have a large effect. Avoid these! - 05/19/23 01:50 PM
It’s amazing how such small errors can cause such big fails
Call them stop signs, speed bumps, or potholes, these seemingly small errors can interrupt the flow of your messages, rendering them useless.
Readers who had been nodding their heads in agreement or thinking “I didn’t know that,” will suddenly stop reading.
They might re-read the last sentence or two to try to decide what you meant. Or, depending upon the problem, they might read them again and think “There’s something off about this, but what is it?”
What small things can cause this abrupt halt? The three most common culprits are:
Misused words Misplaced … (13 comments)

real estate grammar: Read what you write... - 04/07/23 07:02 PM
Misplaced modifiers - or modifying phrases - can get your readers confused. Or, when they're really silly, they can give them something to chuckle over.
That was the case with the instructions I received with a new dog grooming brush.
It said to remember to remove the hair from the brush and store it in a dry place. I think no. I think maybe I'll put it in the trash or put it out for the birds to use for nesting.
I always appreciate a good chuckle, and in this case, no harm was done. I'd already purchased the brush, and I've been alive … (19 comments)

real estate grammar: Real estate grammar: in vs. within - 03/31/23 02:52 PM
While reading an article about the benefits of staging, I came across a sentence that said, in part: “…so buyers can see themselves living within the house.”
“Within the house” hit a jarring note, so of course I had to find out if it was “just me” or if that truly was the wrong word to use.
It wasn’t just me.
As it turns out, there are times when either word will do, However, according to  https://grammar.yourdictionary.com , “…“within” and “in” do have a few subtle differences that make one choice better than another.”
“Use “in” to show something definite, to substitute … (22 comments)

real estate grammar: Do you need a little help with grammar? - 02/10/23 03:32 PM
Many real estate agents do struggle with grammar. And that's too bad, because grammar goofs make agents look unprofessional.
Since your written words are often the first impression potential clients have of you, looking unprofessional could mean that it's the last impression.
That's why I wrote A Grammar Guide for Real Estate Agents.
I pulled together the most common grammar mistakes made by real estate professionals and put them in one comprehensive, easy-to-read e-book. 
If you're making even one of these mistakes, you could be losing clients. Because while many prospective clients won't notice, some will. And right after they cringe, they'll move on to … (12 comments)

real estate grammar: Why do smart people write "Call I?" - 01/12/22 04:46 PM
Have you noticed?
Smart people who are otherwise well-spoken are still using the word "I" as an object.
If you're like me, it's jarring to read. Kind of like driving the car into a foot-deep pothole. But jarring is the least of your worries.
Using words incorrectly can cause some prospective clients to form a negative impression of the writer.
I don't understand why this error persists.
Nobody would actually write "Call I," but they write "Call Joe or I." They also write things like "Our son and daughter-in-law invited my wife and I for dinner last night." This year I also saw "Happy New … (29 comments)

real estate grammar: Attempt at sophistication leads to grammar errors - 11/16/20 01:04 PM
Two words that are routinely misused when the speaker/writer is trying to sound proper and sophisticated are “myself” and “whom.”
 
Myself
I don’t know, but I suspect the problem with “myself” has something to do with people trying to avoid saying “I” or “me.” Or, it could just be that "myself" sound more professional and sophisticated to some ears.
Whatever the reason, they use it far more often than they should – and in places where it doesn’t belong.
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun. It’s always an object word, and when used properly it always refers back to the speaker/writer.
For instance:
“Speaking for … (55 comments)

real estate grammar: When you’re proofreading… - 05/23/20 11:55 AM
When you proofread what you’ve written, you’re probably looking for mis-used or misspelled words, extra words, and typos. But don’t stop there…
Your purpose in proofreading is to remove all the “stop signs” that make readers think about your words, rather than your meaning.
Misplaced modifiers are huge stop signs, and they are all too common. Even professional writers sometimes forget to re-read their work to make sure it makes sense.
Here are examples I found just yesterday:
From an on-line article:
“The Police Department warned individuals to stay out of the area and then informed the public when the suspect was apprehended through social media.”
“The … (36 comments)

real estate grammar: Actions may speak louder than words, but… - 04/22/20 04:43 PM
When people haven’t met you or witnessed your actions, they WILL judge you by your words.
I know I harp about this a lot, and on March 31, I devoted my whole Thursday post to reminding agents to work on their websites.
This week I was reminded once again that words on a website do matter.
It’s primary season here in Idaho, so I’ve been trying to choose between two men who are running for County Commissioner. That meant visiting their websites.
The challenger had 4 or 5 paragraphs about how he’ll run the County. He mentioned honesty, integrity, and making wise decisions. He said … (21 comments)

real estate grammar: Communication in real estate – be careful with those idioms - 02/07/20 12:47 PM
 
For many, both real estate sales people and their clients, English is a second (or 3rd or 4th) language.
I have great admiration for those who can master it and communicate clearly. Judging by how many who were born in the U.S. can’t manage it, it’s truly an outstanding accomplishment.
These folks not only have to navigate our often tricky rules of grammar, they have to deal with the idioms that most of us use without even thinking.
I started thinking about that this morning after seeing a clip in which a Congresswoman was upset over the use of the idiom "pull yourself … (18 comments)

real estate grammar: By request: When to use who vs. whom - 12/06/19 04:14 PM
This one has always given me trouble. My Mom and Grandmother were generally big on using good grammar, but for whatever reason, nobody in my family ever used the word “whom.”
My only point of reference has always been the phrase “For whom the bell tolls.” That says that “whom” is an object word, since it follows the word “for.”
But… it doesn’t always follow a preposition, so…?? I never was good at diagraming sentences, and when sentences are inverted, I do have trouble deciding which is an object word.
For instance – if you answer the phone and the callers says “Who is … (30 comments)

real estate grammar: Easily confused and perhaps the wrong word altogether… - 12/05/19 03:57 PM
While reading an agent website I came across the word “discrete.” It looked wrong, so of course I looked it up.
What I found was that the agent probably intended to write “discreet.” But then, I thought even that was not the word that fit the sentence. I think that since the agent was talking about a listing consultation, the word should have been “confidential.”
What do you think?
Discrete means distinct or unconnected; constituting a separate entity Discreet means inconspicuous, intentionally unobtrusive, proper, or private. The “private” part fits.. However, I think “confidential” is still a better choice, because it conveys the … (31 comments)

real estate grammar: Remember who you are! - 11/22/19 10:06 PM
When you sit down to write about yourself – whether for a bio / profile or for an ad or other marketing piece, do try to remember who you are.
Today’s message comes to you thanks to our "sort of local" give-away advertising newspaper. In it I found an ad that read:
“#1 Female real estate agent in sales at___ in___ (Then she listed 8 of the past ten years.) Sam has sold over 600 homes and 155 million in sales. I’ve been a Top Producer for 14 years.” After that was a free CMA offer, her whole name, contact information, and the … (9 comments)

 
Marte Cliff, Your real estate writer (Marte Cliff Copywriting)

Marte Cliff

Your real estate writer

Priest River, ID

More about me…

Marte Cliff Copywriting

Address: 1794 Blue Lake Road, Priest River, ID, 83856

Office: (208) 448-1479



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