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selling a real estate

English translation: no: selling a piece of real estate / selling real estate

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:selling a real estate
Selected answer:no: selling a piece of real estate / selling real estate
Entered by: Charles Davis

04:41 Feb 13, 2017
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research
English term or phrase: selling a real estate
"Who could have thought selling a real estate would turn into a real friendship!"

This is kind of an advertising motto of a real estate agency. Their poster shows a succesful house seller that says this to the audience, meaning that he has build very good and warm relationship with the agency guys while selling his house via the agency.

My question is: Is it possible to use an indefinite article here? Afer all, he's meaning a specific house, not real estate on the whole, so...
Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 16:40
no: selling a piece of real estate / selling real estate
Explanation:
"Real estate" is uncountable, so no, you can't say "a real estate".

"real estate noun
[uncountable] (especially North American English)
1. (also realty) property in the form of land or buildings My father sold real estate."
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english...

"Selling real estate" is grammatically correct, but in this context you probably want to refer to an individual property, so you could say "selling a piece of real estate".
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 11:40
Grading comment
Lots of thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +8no: selling a piece of real estate / selling real estate
Charles Davis


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
no: selling a piece of real estate / selling real estate


Explanation:
"Real estate" is uncountable, so no, you can't say "a real estate".

"real estate noun
[uncountable] (especially North American English)
1. (also realty) property in the form of land or buildings My father sold real estate."
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english...

"Selling real estate" is grammatically correct, but in this context you probably want to refer to an individual property, so you could say "selling a piece of real estate".


Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 11:40
Native speaker of: English
Grading comment
Lots of thanks for your help!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, that's what I was doubting about. Thanks for your help Charles!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
6 mins
  -> Thanks, Yasutomo-san :)
agree  Barbara Carrara: Possibly, the indefinite article is introduced here (with an implicit 'piece') to mirror its other instance in the second half of the sentence./Sorry for stating the obvious here...
54 mins
  -> Yes, I think it is, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that; "piece" has to be made explicit. Thanks, Barbara :)
agree  Tony M: Yes, making it countable by adding the indef. article would then mean selling an 'estate' that was 'real', like 'selling a real castle' — but clearly nonsensical, and not the translator's intention.
1 hr
  -> I hadn't thought it through like that, but I suppose you're right! Thanks, Tony
agree  Jack Doughty
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Jack
agree  danya: like Tony M's addition, too
1 hr
  -> Thanks, danya :) Me too!
agree  Edith Kelly
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Edith :)
agree  Mikhail Korolev
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, klp :)
agree  neilmac
6 days
  -> Cheers, Neil :)
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