What the online numbers are good for

An online estimate gives you a rough range and a sense of whether values near you have been moving up or down. That’s useful. It can’t see inside your home, and it doesn’t know what you’ve updated since you moved in.

Why Texas is different

Texas is a non-disclosure state. When a home sells here, the price doesn’t go into the county record. Our local MLS has it for homes sold through the MLS, but many sales, including a lot of new construction, never go through it. The online sites see only part of the picture. Both Zillow and Redfin publish their own accuracy numbers, and both are much less accurate for homes that aren’t listed for sale. Until you list, yours is one of those.

What a local estimate adds

When I prepare a comparative market analysis, I start with the homes a buyer would consider alongside yours. Two houses can have the same square footage and live very differently. Walking through your home lets me account for the layout, the condition, and the updates you’ve made.

I check what similar homes sold for in our local MLS and look at seller credits or builder incentives when that information is available. Active listings show what a buyer can choose from today. Pending sales show where buyers and sellers have reached agreement. Closed sales show what buyers actually paid.

How I use the online numbers

I’ll look at your Zestimate and Redfin Estimate with you. Before I recommend a price range, I want to show you which sales support it and why they’re comparable. If there are few recent sales like yours, I’ll tell you what we know and which upcoming closings may fill in the picture.

See the sales behind the number

Want to know where your home stands? I’ll walk through it with you and bring the sales that support a price range.

Deb Siefkin · 940.240.6075 · hello@rsra.us · rsra.us

Download this guide (PDF)

Sources: Zillow Zestimate · Redfin Estimate · Texas REALTORS® on sale-price reporting