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Leading estate agencies banish ‘master bedroom’ from their listings

Both Wetherell and Andrews Estate Agents say the term is no longer acceptable to many younger clients and it is time to use 'principal' or 'main' instead.

Nigel Lewis

principal bedroom

Two leading estate agencies have revealed over the weekend that they are to stop using the phrase ‘master bedroom’ in their property descriptions because of its sexist and slavery connotations.

Both leading prime London agency Wetherell and national chain Andrews have issued statements saying they are making the move, which follows similar developments in the US where there has been an ongoing campaign over the use of the phrase.

Last week a leading American property industry grouping – the Houston Association of Realtors – said it was in the process of replacing “master bedroom” and “master bathroom” with “primary bedroom” and “primary bathroom” on its property listings database.

And the National Association of Realtors also said it ‘did not oppose’ agents using different phrases to replace ‘master bedroom’.

CIELAIn the UK, Peter Wetherell, the MD of Wetherell, told The Times that he was to remove ‘master bedroom’ from all his listings.

“These changes are being driven by political correctness and dramatic transformations in the buyer demographic across prime central London. “The typical buyers are now aged from their early twenties to their mid-forties and from all over the world.

“This young demographic tends to be very broad-minded and find any form of racism or sexism deeply offensive.”

David Westgate, CEO of 50-branch  chain Andrews Estate Agents said that the Black Lives Matter movement had made the company more aware of its behaviour and wanted to ‘make sure people are treated with respect’.

Instead of saying ‘master’ agents on both sides of the pond are opting to use ‘principal’ or ‘main’ instead.

 

July 6, 2020

3 comments

  1. What do we ban it for next ? No more ‘Master Craftsman’? Do we ban the Star Wars films for having Jedi Masters? How about no longer officially referring to boys as Master so-and-so? Does Parliament do away with the Master of the Rolls? Do we no longer obtains a Master’s Degree? Will ships no longer have a Sailing Master? Post Offices to do away with the Post Master?
    Or is this just a couple of idiots getting themselves some column inches?

    Personally, I’ll start using the term ‘Master Bedroom’ even in relation to one bedroom flats…

  2. I think some people won’t even have thought about ‘master’ being a ‘gender’ in the context that it is often used!

    ‘Master’ bedroom is just one example. Others include the term ‘master key’ as the main key that we might get other keys cut from or in the world of personal training, a ‘master trainer’ who is an elite trainer. ‘Master’ can be used in so many different contexts so it will be interesting to see whether other terms start to change.

    Will ‘master’ be eliminated from the English language altogether?

  3. Flaming crackers. Why are people so intent on destroying everything to do with the past? Nobody calls their husband/father/employer ‘master’ any more, what’s the problem? We will continue to refer to the main bedrooms in our properties as ‘Master’.

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