1. Start With Closed Sales, Not Asking Prices
A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) evaluates recently closed properties, pending contracts and active competition near your home. Closed sales are evidence; asking prices are wishes. Automated estimates lean on broad algorithms and cannot see a finished basement, a new roof, or which side of a school boundary a home sits on.
2. The Adjustments That Move the Number
- Finished basement quality — egress windows and a full bath change value materially.
- Mechanicals: furnace, A/C, water heater and roof age.
- Lot position: cul-de-sac and wooded lots vs. backing to a busy road.
- Kitchen and bath updates, weighed against the updates in the comps.
- Garage count, square footage and functional layout.
Each comp is adjusted up or down toward your home until a defensible pricing band remains. That band — not a single magic number — is what a good CMA delivers.
3. Launch Price Is a Strategy, Not a Guess
Roughly 80% of listing traffic and the highest offers occur in the first 14 days. Precision pricing inside the CMA band invites competition; pricing above it donates your best two weeks to your competitors. Get the band first with a free valuation, then choose where in it to launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CMA and how is it different from an appraisal?
A Comparative Market Analysis is a broker price opinion built from recent comparable sales — it is not a licensed appraisal. Lenders order appraisals after a contract is signed; a CMA is the pricing tool you use before listing to set an asking price the market will support.
How far back and how close should comps be?
The strongest comps are recently closed sales as close to the subject home as possible — ideally within about half a mile — adjusted for beds, baths, square footage, basement finish and mechanicals. Pending and active listings show your competition, but closed sales prove value.
What happens if I overprice to leave room to negotiate?
Overpriced homes sit, accumulate days on market, and attract low offers once buyers sense staleness. About 80% of listing traffic and the highest offers arrive in the first 14 days, so the price you launch with does most of the work.
