Which term describes exaggerating property benefits that is always an opinion?

• A. Fraud
• B. Encapsulation
• C. Independent contractor
• D. Puffins

Answer: (D)

Puffery describes exaggerated statements about a property’s benefits that are clearly opinions, not verifiable facts. When a seller or agent uses phrases like “the best deal in town” or “unbeatable potential,” they’re expressing subjective belief rather than asserting a factual truth. Because puffery is inherently opinion and not something a buyer can prove true or false, it isn’t treated as fraud or misrepresentation in the same way. Fraud involves knowingly making false statements of fact with the intent to deceive, which is a different, actionable issue. The other terms here refer to unrelated concepts—encapsulation is a programming idea, an independent contractor is a type of work relationship—while puffins is not a real term describing advertising or property claims.