Realtors in Houston will reportedly stop using the word “master” to refer to bedrooms and bathrooms, claiming the word now has a negative connotation.
The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) switched out the terms in their property listing (MLS) database earlier this month in favor of “primary bedrooms” and “primary bathroom.”
Reports claim multiple HAR members had raised concern about the term “master”, which has also come under fire before.
“The MLS Advisory Group regularly reviews the terms and fields used in the MLS to make sure they are consistent with the current market environment,” a statement from HAR obtained by KPRC-TV states. “The updates to Primary Bedroom and Primary Bath were among nine requests for review that were submitted by members and considered at the most recent meetings.”
The statement continued: “It was not a new suggestion to review the terminology… The overarching message was that some members were concerned about how the terms might be perceived by some other agents and consumers. The consensus was that Primary describes the rooms equally as well as Master while avoiding any possible misperceptions.”
The HAR says it’s not an outright ban, and will still allow realtors to continue use the term in “marketing materials and in the Public Remarks, Agent Remarks, and photo descriptions,” according to KPRC.
The city’s demographic is also noteworthy, according to TMZ: “It’s worth noting … Houston has one of the nation’s highest African-American populations.”
According to the Trelora real estate blog, “The 1926 Sears catalog marks the first recorded use of the phrase ‘master bedroom.’”
The word “master” in the past has also been a target of radical feminists who claim the term refers to a “male head of household” and thus maintains the patriarchal status quo.
But the term, no matter its context, is under renewed scrutiny given recent Black Lives Matter protests.
Earlier this week, the Court of Master Sommeliers which grants expert wine tasters the honorary title of “master sommelier” after passing an exam, announced it would no longer place the word before sommeliers’ names.
There’s no telling where the left’s insanity will stop, notes TMZ: “There’s The Masters golf tournament, Oprah’s Master Class and Master’s degrees to name a few.”
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