Pre-Listing Appraisals

A home priced too high sits on the market and eventually sells for less than it would have with the right price from day one. A home priced too low leaves money on the table. A pre-listing appraisal gives you an independent, defensible number before you set the price — not a comparative market analysis built to justify what a seller hopes to hear.

This is especially useful when a home has unusual features, a wide range of comparable sales, or when the seller and their agent want a second, independent opinion before committing to an asking price.

How this fits with a listing agent

A pre-listing appraisal doesn't replace your listing agent's market knowledge — it backs it up with a licensed, independent opinion of value your agent can point to with confidence, and that a buyer's agent or appraiser on the other side of the transaction will take seriously.

Frequently asked

How is this different from a CMA my agent already ran?

A comparative market analysis (CMA) is an agent's informed opinion based on active and recently sold listings. A pre-listing appraisal is performed by a licensed appraiser under USPAP, which is a higher, independently verifiable standard — the same one a lender's appraiser will use later in the transaction.

Will this help avoid an appraisal gap at contract?

It can. Pricing closer to a defensible appraised value from the start reduces the odds that the buyer's lender appraisal comes in below the contract price.