One Language of Real Estate

Let’s face it – measuring residential square footage will never be an exact science. But that’s okay. In my state (N.C.) they suggest that agents have a five percent margin of error when reporting finished living area. To me, a professional real estate expert, who is paid accordingly, should be able to provide measurements within three percent, when following a standard of measurement. Think about those numbers. A 1,000 sqft house could have a 30 sqft error on a 40×25 house. A 2,000 sqft home could have a 75 sqft error on a house measuring 50×40. And, a 5,000 sqft home could have a 150 sqft error at 3% and a 250 sqft error at 5%. If you adhere to a specific standard, even with rounding issues, etc., a 250 sqft error is a LOT of difference. Even 150 sqft is a LOT of difference. But, we need a bar set somewhere and a number that professionals strive to achieve. We need a mandatory standard of measurement, it needs to be taught in pre-licensing, and there needs to be a national help line to call with measurement issues. Sure, some measurements will always require subjectivity, but we have to start the process of making residential square footage consumer friendly in this century. It’s time for One Language of Square Footage!