---
title: Sexy Trumps Love in Real Estate
description: An analysis found the word “sexy” attached to higher-end home offerings
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published: '2016-02-11T22:43:49.000Z'
modified: '2016-02-11T22:43:49.000Z'
section: Lifestyle
tags:
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  - loving
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word_count: 210
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> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

![Home For Sale sign with lipstick mark](https://img.money.com/2016/02/160211_rea_sexyseductive.jpg)

We all know that love hurts and love scars, but it turns out it can also [hurt](http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-real-estate-love-hurts-and-sexy-sells-1455203911) the value of your home.

That’s according to an analysis of 1.6 million home real estate listings by Realtor.com, which found the word “love” used more often in property descriptions of lower-priced homes, whereas the words “sexy” and “seductive” were used more often in homes priced on the higher end.

“When you talk about extreme wealth, you’ll see terms like ‘sexy’ bandied about,” Adam Alter, an associate professor of marketing at the New York University Stern School of Business, told [the Wall Street *Journal*](http://www.wsj.com/articles/in-real-estate-love-hurts-and-sexy-sells-1455203911).

According to Realtor.com’s analysis, homes with the word “love” in the description were on the market for a median asking price of $250,000—the variation “loving” accompanied the lowest median asking price of the terms analyzed, at $195,000.

Contrast that with properties listed as “sexy,” with their median asking price of $620,000; or “seductive,” on the market for a median $640,000. Topping out the list was the word “romance,” which appeared in listings for homes with a median asking price of a whopping $640,000.

And if you believe that carefully placed words are all it takes to sell a house then I’ve got a seductive bridge to sell you. Romance.

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