My neighbor sold for X — what does that mean for my home’s value now?
This comes up almost every time.
A neighbor sold recently.
Zillow shows a number.
And naturally, you’re wondering what that means for your home today.
It’s a reasonable place to start.
It’s just not enough information on its own.
Most sellers don’t realize how quickly context changes.
Why that sale may not mean what you think
A sale from last year, or even several months ago, doesn’t automatically translate to today’s value.
Appraisers focus most heavily on recent sales, typically within the last ninety days. Older sales don’t disappear, but they carry less weight as market conditions, buyer behavior, and inventory shift.
Two homes on the same street can sell for very different prices, depending on condition, presentation, timing, and who the buyers were at that moment.
That’s why looking at one number without context often creates more anxiety than clarity.
Where Zillow fits in
Most sellers tell me the same thing.
“I know Zillow isn’t accurate, but it’s the only reference point I have.”
That makes sense.
Zillow can be a starting point, but it can’t see what buyers actually respond to. It doesn’t walk through the home. It doesn’t see condition. It doesn’t understand preparation, presentation, or how competitive the current buyer pool really is.
It shows a number, not a strategy.
How value actually gets determined
Price isn’t just about what a home could sell for in theory.
It’s about how buyers experience the home, what they’re comparing it to right now, and how confident they feel when they walk through the door.
Condition, preparation, and presentation shape buyer perception. Buyer perception shapes competition. Competition shapes price.
Without understanding those pieces, numbers tend to feel arbitrary.
That’s also why preparation decisions matter more than most sellers expect:
→ Do I really need to fix things before selling?
How I approach pricing
When I look at a home, I’m not just pulling comps.
I’m thinking about what the home is competing against today, who the likely buyers are, and how the home fits into the current market landscape. I look at what buyers will notice immediately, what will help the home stand out, and what will affect negotiation once offers come in.
That’s how pricing becomes intentional instead of reactive.
What this really comes down to
Every home sells.
It’s just a question of who the buyer is and at what price.
My role is to help you understand what your home is worth in today’s market, not last year’s, and to build a plan that reflects reality rather than guesswork.