• The free glossary could help agents and brokers tap into a growing market of homebuyers.

The U.S. has more Spanish speakers than any other nation on earth except Mexico.

But the type of Spanish spoken at home or in classrooms doesn’t typically include technical real estate terms, such as “lock-in rate” or “underwriting.”

For the vast majority of Hispanics, also known as Latinos, homeownership remains a central goal of achieving the American Dream.

To help real estate agents and brokers tap into a market that is expected to comprise more than half of first-time homebuyers in coming years, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals has created a free Spanish-English glossary of real estate industry terms.

“A home purchase is widely recognized as the most significant financial transaction most people will make in their lives. For individuals who either prefer to speak Spanish or only speak Spanish, this already complex transaction can become overwhelming,” said NAHREP President Joseph Nery in a statement.

“This glossary is intended to be a guide to corporations, practitioners and governments looking to create Spanish language resources for their clients and the general public.”

The glossary is alphabetically organized — first in English, then in Spanish. Some terms include both a formal translation and a colloquial translation that may be more familiar to consumers. The colloquial translation is denoted by a red chili pepper.

Screen shot of NAHREP English-Spanish glossary

Screen shot of NAHREP Spanish-English glossary

Using Spanish in transactions

In a recent survey, top-producing Latino agents and loan officers indicated that 40 percent of their transactions make use of Spanish at some point, and as much as a quarter of all transactions use Spanish exclusively as the means of communication, NAHREP said.

“In an already complex and increasingly regulated environment, NAHREP saw the need to provide guidance and consistency on Spanish-neutral translations of the words and phrases used most frequently over the course of a real estate transaction,” said NAHREP co-founder and CEO Gary Acosta in the glossary’s preface.

NAHREP created the glossary with the help of paid consultants and a volunteer committee of real estate professionals, including real estate brokers and mortgage lenders.

They were chosen based on their strong language capabilities, national origin and familiarity with the terminology most frequently used in real estate and mortgage transactions, according to NAHREP.

Email Andrea V. Brambila.

Like me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×