The square footage figure in a Greater Boston real estate listing is not a casual estimate. It is a material representation that buyers rely on in making purchase decisions, that appraisers use in establishing market value comparisons, and that Massachusetts real estate law treats with legal significance. Listing agents who publish inaccurate square footage, even unintentionally, expose themselves and their sellers to professional and legal consequences.

What Massachusetts Law and Professional Standards Require

Massachusetts real estate licensees are bound by professional disclosure obligations that include accurately representing material property characteristics. Square footage is a material characteristic. A buyer who closes on a property based on a advertised square footage figure that turns out to be materially overstated, and who paid a price based on a per-square-foot value analysis, has a potential misrepresentation claim.

The National Association of Realtors' Code of Ethics and the professional standards governing Massachusetts licensees require that material representations be accurate. An agent who uses an unverified assessor's square footage figure, rather than a professionally measured ANSI-compliant figure, has used a measurement that may be inaccurate and has not taken reasonable steps to verify it.

Where Inaccurate Square Footage Comes From

Most inaccurate square footage figures in Greater Boston listings come from one of three sources: the municipal assessor's database (which is rarely based on professional ANSI measurement); a previous appraisal that used different measurement standards; or the seller's own estimate based on a home that has been renovated without professional remeasurement.

The agent who copies the assessor's figure into the MLS without verification has published an unverified representation. If a buyer relies on that figure and the subsequent appraisal measures the property at a materially different square footage, the listing agent is in a difficult professional and potentially legal position.

The Protection: Commission a Professional Measurement

The simplest protection for a listing agent is the simplest possible approach: commission a professional ANSI-compliant measurement before the listing goes live. The measurement establishes an accurate, defensible square footage figure that the agent can publish with professional documentation behind it. If a buyer's appraiser or a buyer's floor plan service produces a different number, the listing agent has the professional measurement as evidence that their advertised figure was based on a verified professional analysis.

Ready to Get Started?

Whether you are a homeowner, estate attorney, realtor, CPA, or investor in Greater Boston, Adam Wiener and the Aladdin Appraisal team deliver USPAP-compliant appraisals you can rely on. Call today: (617) 517-3711 | info@aladdinappraisal.com | aladdinappraisal.com