Zillow and Redfin don't use the term "master bedroom" anymore & homeowners had to update their language.

Question

But for the “ordinary people with normal jobs” camp, the language absolutely changed and you had no say in it. You can check Zillow and Redfin right now- they do not have “master bedroom” anymore. Every homeowner had to update their language.

Answer 1

This claim is partially false. A simple search on both redfin and zillow prove that the terminology "Master bedroom" is still in use on Zillow but Redfin operates in a form where filtering refers to the number of rooms.

Here is one example of a Zillow listing with the term in question: https://www.zillow.com/b/immaculate-unit-with-two-master-bedrooms!-redmond-or-9VRZh2/

Ultimately, in the case of Zillow this claim is false. In the case of Redfin there is no way to state that this claim is true as the website is set up in a format where you would not use the term "master bedroom" to search.

Comments

Very quick and effective fact check! I have heard about the term master bedroom being frowned upon recently but never truly checked if it was still in use. One interesting thing that I found about Redfin is that they have referred to master bedrooms in the a blog I found from 2014(https://www.redfin.com/blog/unreal-estate-of-the-week-master-bedrooms/), but can't seem to find an other references to the term. I don't exactly know if they specifically stopped using master bedroom because of the terms controversy or just found using the system they use now more effective.

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Great fact check! I don't know if I would go so far as to say it's false, as the vast majority of listings on both sites use the term 'primary bedroom', but I agree that this post is at least misleading.

Answer 2

While some real estate platforms, like the Houston Association of Realtors, have stepped away from using the term "master bedroom", it is still an active term used on Zillow. Therefore, this claim is somewhat false. I found a listing straight from the source on Zillow that is titled "3920 Prentiss Drive- Bedroom 3c- Master". This clearly uses the term "master" and indicates that Zillow has not removed the phrase and multiple listings include it, even in descriptions. It is true that some real estate platforms have transitioned toward more inclusive language and replace the term "master bedroom" with "primary bedroom". However, Zillow still is in use of this term. With Redfin, the site has a different format that doesn't support the kind of keyword filtering that Zillow's site offers. I don't believe it has anything to do with omitting the term on purpose, it just looks like it has more of a structural purpose. According to this article below from CBS, the topic of removing the term "master" has been in debate for years because the word has roots in slavery. I can definitely see real estate platforms changing their language in the future to be more inclusive and close out any possible issues that could come from the root of the word, but right now, Zillow is definitely one that is still using the term "master bedroom".

https://www.zillow.com/b/3920-prentiss-drive-bedroom-3c-master-decatur-ga-ChFxqh/

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/realtor-groups-drop-master-bedroom-bathroom-terms-listings-71552673

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/realtors-master-bedroom-bathroom-terminology/

Comments

This is a really great analysis of this claim. Using 3 sources to back up your claim while also doing a bit of etymology really enhanced the credibility of this response. Additionally, while the other responses to this claim feel pretty biased and influenced by the users' personal beliefs, this is straight fact and is unable to be argued with.

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Fantastic fact check! I was curious how you found the uses of Master bedroom, because after looking through many different locations on both sites, the only term I could find is 'Primary Bedroom"

Answer 3

The claim comes from a user on BlueSky social media. A platform where anyone can post almost anything making it an unreliable source. The user's posts seem to be mainly just thoughts that they wanted to share, with no research-based claims. While the website Zillow itself has stopped using the term ‘Master Bedroom’ and switched to ‘Primary Bedroom. I included a link by the New York Times stating that many real estate websites including Zillow have chosen to use different terms. However, some descriptions for the houses written by agents or owners still have ‘master bedroom’ used in them. I included a link with a listing using master bedroom in the description while Zillow uses primary bedroom. This appears to be the same with RedFin where the website does not use the term master bedroom but the descriptions from the users may have it. So the claim is partially true, the websites do in fact no longer use the term, however, homeowners do not have to update their language.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/realestate/master-bedroom-change.html

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5444-NE-Prescott-St-Portland-OR-97218/53829749_zpid/

Answer 4

I would count this claim as exaggerated. The context for it rests in the movement among some realtors to refrain from using the term "master bedroom" because of its slavery-related connotation, according to Caitlin O'Kane's 2020 article for CBS and Sydney Franklin's 2020 article for the New York Times. 

Some realtors no longer using "master" to describe bedrooms and bathrooms - CBS News

The Biggest Bedroom Is No Longer a ‘Master’ - The New York Times

While Zillow nor Redfin specifically have a "master bedroom" search category or any allusion to the term on their sites, I feel that it is important to note that the descriptions of the homes on these sites are written by realtors, and so the presence of or absence of the term "master bedroom" comes down to the individual realtors' sensibilities. As a test, I looked up "house with huge master bedroom redfin" on Microsoft Edge and a result for a realtor-written description including the phrase "master bedroom" did populate.

1906 Brimberry St, Houston, TX 77018 | For Sale ($499,999) | MLS# 30263138 | Redfin

Finally, I looked into Michael Aloysius, the Bluesky user who originally posted this statement. In his feed, I see that he has defended the Trump Administration from criticism from another Bluesky user, and he has also complained about the lack of right-oriented (i. e. politically conservative) users on the platform. Considering this, Aloysius may be reactively exaggerating the reach of a movement seen to be of liberal origin, as much of the push to replace the term "master bedroom" came as a response to George Floyd's death in 2020, according to Franklin in the New York Times.

The Biggest Bedroom Is No Longer a ‘Master’ - The New York Times

Ultimately, it is true that some realtors have stopped using the term "master bedroom." However, there is no evidence to suggest that Zillow and Redfin have specifically stopped using this term, especially because much of their content is independently generated by realtors. Lastly, this claim was made by someone likely to oppose the movement against the term "master bedroom" because of their own political leanings, meaning they would have a motive to exaggerate this claim. 

Answer 5

This claim is misleading, and it is partially false.

A user on Bluesky going by the name of Aloysius Micheal made a post which claims that popular real estate apps Zillow and Redfin no longer use the term "master bedroom" on their websites. The user does not include any sources to back their claim, and their account does not have any additional information that can prove this person credible.

According to an article on CBS, it is true that the term "master bedroom" has been used less in real estate listings because of the term's historical background related to slavery and sexism. Terms like "primary bedroom" and "primary bathroom" have been encouraged to be used instead. This change started around 2020, and many platforms have switched to using those new terms. Another article from New York Times says that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development declared in 1995 that the term "master bedroom" was not discriminatory and did not violate any fair housing laws. Different platforms and brokerages have chosen to adopt new terminology, but my online searches show that listings on Zillow still use the term "master bedroom" in housing descriptions. One quick search shows a listing named "1089 D Street - Rooms Only - Room #5 (Master Bedroom), Hayward, CA" Tracing the claim back to the original context, while the term is eliminated in many listings, it's not completely gone. It looks like it depends on the preference of the agent or homeowner. Using the term "master bedroom" is not mandated by any laws, but many platforms have chosen to use new terms in order to be more aware and sensitive.

So, yes, the claim is partially true. Many platforms have started using the new term "primary bedroom," but this change is not mandated, and some homeowners still use "master bedroom."

The Popular Housing Term Our Favorite HGTV Shows Stopped Using & Why

The Biggest Bedroom Is No Longer a ‘Master’ - The New York Times

Some realtors no longer using "master" to describe bedrooms and bathrooms - CBS News

Answer 6

As far as I can tell, this claim is mostly true. This Claim comes from a user on BlueSky, Michael Aloysius (https://bsky.app/profile/michael-aloysius.bsky.social). After going through multiple listings on both Zillow and Redfin, they all use the term 'Primary Bedroom' instead of 'Master Bedroom.' (https://www.redfin.com/OR/Eugene/3323-Ginkgo-Way-97404/home/26198578) (https://www.redfin.com/OR/Portland/3230-SW-Dolph-Ct-97219/home/26342413) (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/445-Hazel-Ct-Eugene-OR-97401/48386584_zpid/) (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2037-Golfview-Ct-Eugene-OR-97403/2067400010_zpid/)