We asked real estate agents to nominate their real estate word of the year for 2025.
As usual, a slew of strong contenders filled the comment sections, and likes piled up for words that resonated most deeply with agents across the U.S. and Canada.
Last year, about this time, the word of the year was “compensation.” A year before that, in 2023, “lawsuit” took the number one spot.
The word that rose above the rest in 2025?
AFFORDABILITY
Whether you see 2025 as a slow but meaningful shift toward improved affordability or you’re thinking, “You forgot the words ‘lack of…’” you have to admit the word has been popping up a LOT over the past 12 months.
The BAM Instagram post alone garnered over 230 comments from agents all over.
View this post on Instagram
Housing affordability has become a buzzword at FOMC press conferences, too, though the word “uncertainty” might have an edge over it.
Oxford’s 2025 word of the year is “rage bait,” which feels appropriate given the tone that often goes with the word “affordability” (especially on social media).
Read on for our take on why affordability took the top spot.
Why Affordability Won 2025 Real Estate Word of the Year
If you’ve been active this year working with buyers and sellers, this probably isn’t a tough one to guess. Folks across the country (in some markets more than others) have been struggling with the higher cost of financing a home purchase, with potential buyers recoiling from higher monthly payments and sellers locked into sub-4% rates.
The benefits of homeownership are a moot point for buyers looking at a potential mortgage payment that’s significantly higher than their current rent (especially if moving isn’t a must).
Agents, too, have felt the pinch with clients deciding to put off buying or selling, waiting for rates to go down or for more homes in their price range to hit the market. Attracting motivated clients and closing deals has gotten noticeably more challenging since 2021, which is probably why we also saw words like “quit” (with 45 votes), “survival,” and “Darwinism.”
The good news? With mortgage rates dropping to around 6.3% this year, the monthly savings has motivated some buyers to make meaningful moves toward a home purchase, especially if life events are pushing them in that direction.
Even modest monthly relief is enough for some, whether it comes in the form of lower rates, a mortgage rate buy-down, or timely concessions from a motivated seller.
Runner-Ups for 2025
Commenters on Instagram, Facebook, and X gave us plenty to work with. So, aside from affordability, here are some of the top offerings:
- Hyperlocal
- Survival / Survived
- Compass
- Powell
- Uncertainty
- Withdrawn / Cancellation
- Resilience
- Respond (as in “Answer your phone”)
- AI / ChatGPT
- Tariffs
- Balance / Reset
- Relationships
- Speed
Responses also included an assortment of phrases, including one popularized by Ryan Serhant.
- “It’s nobody’s market”
- Apocalypse in south FL
- Stricter-licensing-requirements
- ThanksfornothingNAR
ChatGPT’s Favorite RE Words for 2025
I asked ChatGPT for a list of its top five real estate words of the year for 2025, and here’s what it gave me:
- Transparency
- Alignment
- Trust
- Value
- Positioning
Pretty spot on, actually. These words have come up again and again in relation to both agent tactics and marketing. And it’s a trend that’s been building for a few years now.
When the word “compensation” overtook “commission” in 2024, that, too, signaled a language shift more aligned with the value of transparency. The emphasis shifted from “how agents are paid” to “what agents are compensated for.”
Consumers expect transparency. They expect quick responses to their questions. And they won’t hesitate to drag any brand that doesn’t live up to the sales pitch, agents included.
With more consumers speaking out against deceptive clickbait and boycotting products and services that don’t keep their promises, transparency has become essential to building a real estate brand people trust.
Without that trust, more buyers will be looking to AI solutions that cut out the agent to save them money in the short-term (at least on paper). And if you’re a skilled and knowledgeable real estate professional, you know how the short- and long-term risks of that choice tend to add up. Friends don’t let friends, etc.
So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree that affordability is the real estate word of the year for 2025? Head on over to Instagram to share your thoughts.
