The vocabulary of listings, defined simply. Each term links to the practical guide where it matters most.
Active listing
A property currently for sale and available on the market. Compared against recently sold listings in a comparative market analysis.
Comparable sales (comps)
Recently sold homes similar to a subject property in location, size, age, and condition — the basis for pricing. Sold comps matter far more than active (still-for-sale) listings.
Comparative market analysis (CMA)
An estimate of a home's market value built from recent comparable sales and current competition, used to set or evaluate a list price.
Days on market (DOM)
How long a listing has been actively for sale. A high DOM signals to buyers that something may be wrong, which can become its own drag on the sale.
List price
The advertised asking price of a home. Distinct from the sale price, which is what a buyer actually pays.
Price position
Where a home's list price sits relative to comparable sales and active competition — under, at, or over market. A core score in a Listino report.
Price reduction
A lowering of the list price. One decisive reduction into the range of sold comps usually outperforms a series of small cuts that trail the market.
Listing description
The written marketing copy for a listing. Strong descriptions lead with the single best feature and sell the lifestyle rather than repeating facts the photos already show.
Lead photo
The first image buyers see in search results. Because most buyers decide whether to click based on it, it is the single most important photo in a listing.
Photo sequencing
The order in which listing photos are presented. A deliberate sequence (exterior, main living space, kitchen, primary suite, and so on) tells the home's story and holds attention.
Virtual staging
Digitally adding furniture and decor to photos of empty rooms. Generally must be disclosed as virtually staged per MLS rules.
AI photo touch-ups
Photorealistic cleanup of real listing photos — decluttering, greening a lawn, brightening an overcast exterior — without misrepresenting the property. Disclosure norms vary by MLS.
Listing appeal
How attractive a listing is to buyers across photos, description, and presentation — independent of price. A core score in a Listino report.
Market competitiveness
How a listing stacks up against the other homes a buyer is actively considering in the same area and price range.
Listing Health Score
Listino's 0–100 grade of a listing across price position, description strength, and photo quality and order, with specific fixes.
Listing readiness
How prepared a property is to go on the market — pricing, presentation, and marketing — assessed in a Pre-Listing Prep report before going live.
Pre-listing
The period before a home is publicly listed, when pricing, repairs, staging, and marketing strategy are decided.
Showing
An in-person visit by a prospective buyer. Online views that don't convert to showings usually point to a price or lead-photo problem.
For sale by owner (FSBO)
A home sold without a listing agent. FSBO sellers handle pricing, marketing, and negotiation themselves.
Listing appointment
The meeting where an agent presents their pricing and marketing plan to a prospective seller in order to win the listing.
Expired listing
A listing whose agreement ended without a sale. Usually a sign of a price, presentation, or promotion problem rather than an unsellable home.
Coming soon
A pre-launch status that builds anticipation before a listing goes fully active, concentrating early buyer attention.
Syndication
Distribution of a listing from the MLS to portals and partner sites so it reaches the widest possible buyer audience.
Net proceeds
What a seller actually keeps after the sale price minus mortgage payoff, commissions, and closing costs. Optimizing a listing aims to improve net proceeds, not just speed.
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