Home value reports are offered nearly everywhere, but where can you get the best one? Let me explain to you how we do it.

We do the entire report by hand. You can try Zillow’s Zestimates, but they use an algorithm that utilizes public records and MLS information, and it’s often inaccurate. Zestimates find the ballpark value about 80% of the time, but that means it’s nowhere near the correct value the other 20% of the time. 

I had a client who believed his home was worth $275,000 because of the Zestimate, but in reality, it was worth about $100,000 less. Of course he wanted to believe his estimate was true, but you simply can’t trust an algorithm. So when I’m asked about a home value report, I use the same records, but I also use my experience and knowledge about the marketplace to find out what a home is worth. I ask questions before I even set foot in the house, and the answers matter when it comes to value.

“Zestimates find the ballpark value about 80% of the time, but that means it’s nowhere near the correct value the other 20% of the time.”

Online calculators simply ask about the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, square footage, and the address. There is so much more that goes into finding a home’s value than these four things. Here are some examples:

  • Bathroom renovations, colors, etc.
  • Type of roof
  • Garage utilities
  • Electrical lines
  • Nearby road traffic
  • Number of stories in the home
  • AC units
  • Type of flooring
  • Age of windows

I can get a pretty accurate idea of your home’s worth through a simple phone conversation, and I’m happy to do so. If our ideas of what your home is worth match up, then it’s time for me to take a visit and really lock down the right price. There’s just too much that goes into the value of a home for you to leave it up to online calculators.

If you want to get started, visit www.BeckyIvins.com and go to the home value button. You’ll see the same information that’s found on other sites, but after you submit your query, you’ll receive a phone call in order to answer some questions. From there, we schedule a personal visit and get the ball rolling.

If you need help getting the value of your home, have any questions, or need further information, feel free to call me at 405-722-3232 or email Becky@BeckyIvins.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.