Real estate advertisements: The most important abbreviations and technical terms in the industry

Not only in the real estate advertisements themselves, but also in the specialist jargon used by real estate agents, terms and abbreviations appear again and again that not everyone understands straight away. We explain the meaning behind the most important abbreviations and descriptions.

EBK, FBH or Townhouse – real estate advertisements often use abbreviations or technical terms that are not immediately understandable to laypeople. We have summarized the meanings of the most important terms and abbreviations so that the next time you look at a real estate ad, you can understand exactly what is actually being offered.

Townhouse and Open House

As in almost every specialist area, English terms are increasingly used in the real estate industry. So it’s quite possible that when you look at a real estate ad you stumble across the term “townhouse”. A townhouse is basically nothing more than a terraced house with several floors, a garage and a garden. What sounds less than spectacular in German can make more of an impression on many people with a description like “exclusive townhouse in a prime location.” Real estate agents take advantage of this and often choose formulations that create the desired effect on the customer. Again and again you can find the announcement of a so-called “open house viewing” in real estate advertisements. The German real estate agents copied this from their colleagues in the USA, but this form of presentation is also becoming increasingly popular here. It sounds much more special than it actually is, as the description is simply an announcement about open viewings, which allows those interested to view the property on a specific date without obligation.

Basement, penthouse and maisonette

Apartments can be located in the basement or attic and extend over several floors. Here, too, many real estate agents use terms that make the description sound more elegant and therefore more appealing to the prospective buyer. If an apartment is in the basement or basement, providers use the term “basement”. What sounds nice actually means nothing more than that at least the floor of the apartment is below ground level. If, on the other hand, we are talking about a penthouse apartment, it is an apartment on the roof of a house, which usually also has a roof terrace with a convincing view. A maisonette apartment is also a popular expression among real estate agents and describes an apartment that extends over two floors and is connected to a staircase within the apartment itself.

WM connection, TB and 1 ZKBB

In addition to elegant wording, real estate agents usually also use abbreviations so that they can fit as much information as possible into as little text as possible. There are many abbreviations that most people will be familiar with, but others regularly raise questions. In addition to common descriptions such as “1 ZKB” for a room, kitchen and bathroom, there are also abbreviations such as “1 ZKBB” or “1 ZKBT”, which mean that it is a one-room apartment with a balcony or terrace acts. We have summarized the most important abbreviations in the real estate industry:

The type of property

1ZKB – one-room apartment with kitchen and bathroom
DHH – semi-detached house
EFH – single-family home
AB – old building
NB – New building

The equipment of the property

TB – daylight bathroom
DB – shower room (without bathtub)
EBK – fitted kitchen
SPK – pantry
WM – washing machine connection


Information about heating systems

FBH – underfloor heating
FW – district heating
GEH – gas heating
ZH – central heating


Formal

a. A. – on request
VB – basis for negotiation
WM – warm rent
KM – cold rent
Abl – transfer fee

Editorial team finanzen.net

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