This is a simple question... I have asked it before and the answer has always been a resounding "because that is how we have always done it." What am I talking about?
Why is it that MLS entries are ALL CAPS?
It doesn't make sense. It is common knowledge that ALL CAPS is the www version of yelling. And it isn't like this is a new thing... Even back in the days of BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems) that we had to dial into, ALL CAPS was yelling. This isn't a new etiquette.
I have talked to agents, brokers, admin people... and none of them know why... they all type in ALL CAPS when they are putting stuff on the MLS, but they don't do it otherwise... in fact, many of them think it is rude.
So, why YELL at buyers?
Oh those many (less than 5) years ago that I got into real estate, my office support person typed in my first listing in ALL CAPS. I asked her why. I went back and changed it. At my request she was quite willing to not type in ALL CAPS, but I was the oddity.
Strangely, I had a buyer contact me BECAUSE I didn't have descriptions written in ALL CAPS. As most of us agree, it is more difficult to read a paragraph written in ALL CAPS. Further, it makes it quite difficult to stress some feature of the property. Everything all blends together.
Let's start a REVOLUTION...
We can produce the listings that stand out. By putting the CAPS where they belong, altering the leading picture to NOT look like every other home, and writing descriptions that don't read like every other listing on the market, we will be unique. I think that most buyers would respond to NOT being yelled at while looking for homes.
I'd love to hear what you think, especially if you are a buyer or seller. Does it make a difference?
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