Our Step By Step Guide For Creating a CMA for Home Sellers

It is important to build a CMA, or comparative market analysis, for pricing your home to sell. What customers are actually willing to pay in the local market is much more relevant than what you want to ask for your house. And that's exactly what a CMA can help you decide, based largely on what similar homes have sold for in the region in the recent past. So check out this step-by - step guide for home sellers to build a CMA.

What Is a CMA?

In constructing a CMA, the first step is to understand exactly what a CMA is. In essence, a CMA is "an estimation of the value of a property based on similar properties recently sold in the immediate region." This method is used by brokers to help home sellers set a list price. But you can do your own research and build a CMA yourself as a home seller, if you know exactly what it is supposed to be and do.

A comparative study of the market lets vendors select the best listing prices for their homes. The 'best' price is the one that is not so poor that it leaves money on the table, and not so high that it doesn't sell at all. This is achieved by contrasting the home in question with homes in the immediate region of similar size and amenities. In order to arrive at fair market value, the CMA analyses the prices of such homes that have sold over the past three to six months, which is what buyers are willing to pay for a comparable home in that location.

Steps in Creating a CMA

Now let's take a look at the real steps home sellers can take in building a CMA. . .

CONSIDER THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A close look at the neighborhood will give you an idea of the values and patterns of properties. "It is significant to construct a CMA with the community in mind because" the local market will influence the accuracy of a CMA. It is important to be familiar with a neighborhood and informed about the historical and current selling and rental value of real estate there in order to set the right price.

PERUSE SIMILAR PROPERTIES IN ONLINE LISTINGS

The next step in building a CMA for home sellers should possibly be to look at online listings for homes that are similar to yours and as nearby as possible. Be sure to take age, condition, home size, lot size, type of construction, and, of course, list price into account.

NOTE IMPORTANT ASPECTS/FEATURES OF YOUR HOME

In this regard, when designing a CMA, experts recommend: "Note the most critical metrics, such as scale, layout, age, condition, finishes, and landscaping, as well as any characteristics that may add value, like a pool, finished cellar, large garage, or oversized lot." And be on the lookout for problems that could adversely impact the price, such as a roof in need of repair, poor overall condition, absence of central air conditioning, or other secret problems.

FIND AND ASSESS COMPARABLE HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The next step in building a CMA for home sellers is to find three or four homes in the immediate area that are most similar to yours in all the aspects and features we described above. After selecting a handful of similar homes, you'll need to carefully analyze them:

• Date of Sale – With a selling date as recent as possible, you want to include homes in your CMA, usually homes that do not sell more than six months sooner. Market dynamics could have changed if the sale date was too long ago.
• Exact Location – You will want identical houses, ideally in the same neighborhood or subdivision, to be as close to yours as possible. Doing so will allow your CMA for better pricing to be much more precise.
• Main Features – Then, to ensure that they are as similar as possible to yours, you need to consider the key characteristics of the homes you've selected for comparison. In particular, this aspect of constructing a CMA refers to the number of bedrooms , bathrooms, square footage, and size of the lot. Using properties of a similar construction form and architectural style when the available variety is generous.

CREATE YOUR CMA REPORT

You do the calculations in this final phase of creating a CMA and create your report on which you will base your list price. But, first, make sure to make the required price changes for variations, such as one more or less bedroom or a larger or smaller yard, between your home and the comparable homes.

After doing so, for equivalent houses, you measure the price sold per square foot. You do this by dividing the total square footage by the adjusted selling price.

Then, using the number you just derived, calculate the square footage of your house. This will yield the present market value of your house. And then you can set your price.

Should You Use an Agent?

But you might not be done yet. According to local market conditions, you can have to change your price, such as how competitive it is and what the inventory looks like. Owing to all the variables, generating an accurate CMA is actually a pretty complicated operation. Yeah, you can build a CMA yourself, but by enabling your agent to do it, you stand a greater chance of pricing to sell. Our experienced agents will help you correctly get the crucial price. Message us today.