Real Estate Glossary (A thru Z)


Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Glossary

Glossary - E

Earnest money deposit




Effective age


Effective gross income




Eminent domain


Employer-assisted housing



An improvement that intrudes illegally on another’s property.






Signing one's name on the back of a check.

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)






Escrow account


Escrow analysis

The periodic examination of escrow accounts to determine if current monthly deposits will provide sufficient funds to pay taxes, insurance and other bills when due.

Escrow collections

Funds collected by the servicer and set aside in an escrow account to pay the borrower’s property taxes, mortgage insurance and hazard insurance.

Escrow disbursements

The use of escrow funds to pay real estate taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance and other property expenses as they become due.

Escrow payment




Estoppel Certificate

A legal instrument executed by the one taking out the mortgage (i.e., mortgagor). The owner of a property may require an individual leasing a property to sign an estoppel certificate, which verifies the major points (e.g., base rent, lease commencement and expiration) existing lease between the landlord and tenant.


The lawful expulsion of an occupant from real property.

Examination of title


Exclusive Agency

An agreement in which one broker has exclusive rights to represent the owner or tenant. If another broker is used, both the original and actual broker are entitled to leasing commissions.

Exclusive listing




External economies

Savings or cost-cutting allowances realized by firms or industries within a given city that are primarily due to the advantages of sharing production inputs, information, and infrastructure and/or possibly linked to a city's comparative advantage to support a given activity.

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