Focusing on Fundamentals: Spelling, Grammar and Turns of Phrase

It's the cornerstone of early education and although most of us improve at it over time, there is still plenty to be said about the importance of proper spelling, grammar and usage of common phrases, especially when it comes to blogging for your brand.

As a real estate professional, your name is indelibly linked to your business and to your brand, which is why you'll want to take every step possible to ensure that everything attached to your name is of the highest quality, including the editorial prowess of your blog. Studies show that potential home buyers and sellers thoroughly vet potential real estate professionals. This includes perusing all their printed materials and looking out for spelling errors, malapropisms and other typos.

Malapropisms can be especially difficult to spot as they can often go undetected by spell check. Some common phrases that can be misused in the real estate industry, include: "curve appeal," "walking closet" and misplaced instances of "than," "that," "if" and "of."

According to the results of a recent study from Grammarly, 43 percent of 1,291 respondents said they would be less likely to tour a home if the online listing connected to it contained spelling or grammar issues. Obviously, nobody is perfect and even the most seasoned editors can let grammar and spelling issues slip through to press.

In order to give yourself the best chance at creating the cleanest and most professional copy possible, limit the word count for your home listings. In fact, the majority of the study respondents said they actually prefer a home description of around 50 words. Shorter can be better, as it can be punchier and highlight only the most important aspects of the residence.