An automated valuation averages. An appraiser adjusts. That difference is your entire listing presentation.
Pick three comps you could defend in a deposition
Same submarket, same style of home, closed in the last 90 days, similar GLA within about 15%. Three defensible comps beat nine convenient ones.
Adjust in this order
1. Property rights and financing — cash vs. seller-concession-heavy deals.
2. Market conditions — time adjustment if the market moved since closing.
3. Location — busy road, backing to commercial, school boundary.
4. Physical — GLA, bed/bath count, garage, lot, condition, view.
Each adjustment gets a stated dollar basis. If you can't say where the number came from, don't make the adjustment.
Reconcile, don't average
Weight the comp that needed the fewest adjustments. A $610K, $640K, $700K set doesn't mean $650K — it usually means $612K with an outlier you should explain.
Write the narrative
Sellers argue with numbers and accept stories. Two paragraphs: what the market is doing, and why this house sits where it sits inside it.
Run yours through the [Comparative Market Analysis](/comparative-market-analysis) tool.