Some people think that spelling well is obsolete or, at the very least, no big deal. And in many venues it isn’t. If you’re talking to a friend on instant messaging about your problems with “selling Victoriun houses in the reseshun” nobody really cares. If you’re trying to sound like a professional on your website about the real estate industry, it matters.

Spelling is important as a medium of communication, as an indication of education and as a mark of attention to detail. It is a formidable weapon in your arsenal of subtle look-I’m-awesome-hire-me messages you hope you’re conveying into your potential client’s mind. Some people really do revise their opinion of you when they see misspelled words on your websites or in your listings.

Accurately and smoothly conveying information is the prime function of spelling. Every misspelled word jars someone out of their reading “flow” as they have to spend a fraction more time to puzzle out what you mean. Most of the time it’s easy to understand what a person means when they spell something wrong, but it breaks up the flow of reading and is an annoyance. Annoyances are counterproductive to your image as a professional who makes things easy. And when spelling is so bad that it completely changes what you’re trying to say? It’s a nightmare that the client will be only too glad to get rid of by clicking the X button.

Spelling indicates that you are educated. People respect education. The person who speaks well and writes well will always look better than the person who does not. Education indicates experience and competency. People are less likely to assume that they can intimidate or fool you. They will also be more likely to assume that you know what you're talking about.

In real estate, many transactions start at the website and end with a huge stack of legal papers. Spelling correctly on your website and listings indirectly reassures the person hiring you to do much of the drawing-up and writing-out of the various legal documents associated with a real estate transaction that you know what you’re talking about and can fill out paperwork and compose offers competently. You don’t want someone thinking, “Well if this person can’t be bothered to spell “recession” correctly , what ELSE doesn’t he bother to pay attention to?”

You don’t have to spell well in order to make sure that your website and listings are correctly spelled and have good grammar. Use a spell check or hire a writer. Someone who can take your notes, ideas and information and then craft a well-worded page, article or listing is invaluable to your web marketing strategy. You can also improve your vocabulary by reading and looking up words in the dictionary.

Having a website and listings that are correctly spelled is imperative for your online presence. Spelling indicates that you’ve studied, you know what you’re talking about and that you have a wholesome regard for the niceties of communication that will be appreciated by clients who are about to make the biggest purchase of their lives.  Carolyn Capalbo