Property valuation services

Overview

Valuation comes in tiers. AI estimates and broker appraisals are quick and often free — but a broker estimate can be free precisely because the provider wants your listing, which is a conflict. Formal appraisals by licensed real-estate appraisers are paid and more defensible, though still judgment-based. Match the tool to the purpose, and remember MLIT comparables and REINS data let you sanity-check any estimate.

Fees and conflicts to check

A free broker valuation may be a bid for your listing; use MLIT comparables to sanity-check any estimate.

What to verify before you rely on it

In short: AI estimates and broker appraisals are often free but less rigorous; Broker estimates can be free because the provider seeks the listing; Formal appraisals by licensed appraisers are paid and more defensible; Choose the valuation type by the purpose (listing, dispute, tax, finance).

Whatever the category, establish three things before you rely on a provider: what kind of business it actually is (a licensed broker, a portal, a referral or media business, a manager, or an independent professional), how it is paid (by you, by the seller or lender, or through referral), and whether its advice is therefore independent of the transaction it is recommending. Ask for fees in writing, verify any licence and disciplinary record through the official registries, and treat a free service as one paid by someone else — usually an advertiser, a lender, or the seller. An English-language website tells you nothing about representation, so confirm whose interests the provider serves in your specific deal.