Brokers in the Great White North are seeing an awful lot of green these days, and we’re not talking about what’s hidden under melting snow.

Though the country is a latecomer to the multimillion-dollar housing market, and property remains relatively inexpensive when compared with cities like London, New York and San Francisco, Canada’s real estate market is on the rise. And while the American dollar might buy you a slightly larger McMansion there than in the U.S., the asking prices are no bargain.

“The housing market has been robust and is related to the overall good health of the economy,” says Phil Soper, the president and CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services–one of the country’s largest brokerages–referring to low unemployment, strong consumer confidence and modest interest rates. “In particular, there is a lot of wealth in the Baby Boomer demographic, which drives a lot of the high-end transactions and pushes up the values of luxury homes.” Read more

Words matter. Wars have started over them. Civilizations have collapsed because of them. And it would appear that the speed with which a house sells may be determined by them.

As listings grow old on the vine in this flush-with-inventory market and frustrated sellers grapple for the slightest edge, the findings of several academics may offer some guidance.

For example, a Canadian professor, as part of a broader study on real estate sales patterns, found that homes where the seller was ‘motivated’ actually took 15% longer to sell, while houses listed as ‘handyman specials’ flew off the market in half the average time.

‘It surprised even me,’ said researcher Paul Anglin, who teaches real estate and housing trends at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. The study dissected the wording of more than 20,000 Canadian home listings from 1997 to 2000.

What surprised him most was how the buying public put style over substance. Words that denoted ‘curb appeal’ or general attractiveness helped a property sell faster than those that spoke of value and price.

Homes described as ‘beautiful’ moved 15% faster and for 5% more in price than the benchmark. ‘Good-value’ homes sold for 5% less than average. Read more