How a Home Valuation Works, Step by Step (and What You Get at the End)

Short answer: you share your address and a few property details, a licensed broker pulls recent sales and competing listings nearby, adjusts them for differences with your home, and sends you a written value range with the supporting comparables — usually within 24 hours, free and with no obligation.

Step 1: You share the basics

Address, property type, bedrooms, bathrooms and anything notable — a renovated kitchen, a finished basement, a new roof, or known issues. Photos help. The more accurate the details, the tighter the range.

Step 2: Comparable sales are pulled

The broker looks at recent firm sales of similar homes in the same pocket, plus current active listings (your competition) and homes that failed to sell (a signal of where the ceiling is). Days on market and sale-to-list ratios show how hot or soft the micro-market is.

Step 3: Adjustments are made

Want a real number for your own home? Request a free written valuation — usually back within 24 hours.

• Lot size and frontage
• Above-grade size, bedrooms and bathrooms
• Renovations and overall condition
• Basement finish or legal suite
• Parking, exposure and age
• Timing — how the market has moved since each comparable sold

Step 4: You receive a written range

Rather than a single number, you get a realistic range with the comparables behind it and notes on what could move the value — small fixes, staging, or timing.

Valuation vs appraisal

A market valuation is a broker's opinion of market value. It is not a bank appraisal, which is a formal report by a licensed appraiser ordered by a lender. For deciding whether and when to sell, a valuation is usually what you need.

Ready to see yours?

Request a free written valuation using the form on the homepage. There is no obligation to list.