Yes, ChatGPT can help you research your home's value. But should you use ChatGPT to decide what price to put on your home? That's where I would be very careful. I use AI in my own business. I think it's a fantastic tool for helping organize information, research questions and work through large amounts of data. But there is one very important rule with AI: What you put into it can completely change what comes out. And when we're talking about the value of your home, the information that isn't entered can sometimes matter just as much as the information that is. I ran into a perfect example of this recently. The Seller Had Already Priced His Home With ChatGPT A seller called me who had unfortunately already listed his home with another agent. As we talked, he mentioned that he had used ChatGPT to help determine his listing price. His agent had agreed with the number. The home was listed at $925,000 . The seller was actually concerned that they might have priced it too low. There was just one problem. After nearly a month on the market, they hadn't had a single showing. That got my attention. So I pulled the comparable sales. The Same Floor Plan Sold From About $730,000 to $1.23 Million This wasn't a situation where I had to compare completely different homes. I found several sales with the same model or very similar homes. And the price range was enormous. One had been completely gutted and beautifully redesigned. It looked like professional design work had gone into nearly every part of the house. That home sold for approximately $1.23 million . Another had received quite a few updates, although it wasn't completely remodeled. That one sold around $900,000 . Another still had much of its original older style and finishes. It sold around $850,000 . And another had visible wear, few updates and needed work. That home sold for approximately $730,000 . Same basic house. Very different presentation. Very different condition. Very different sale prices. There was roughly a $500,000 spread between the lowest and highest sales. That's where simply finding a "model match" isn't enough. A Comparable Home Isn't Automatically an Equal Home This is where experience comes into the pricing process. The $1.23 million sale showed us what that model could potentially command when beautifully remodeled. It did not mean every home with that floor plan was suddenly worth $1.23 million. Likewise, the $730,000 sale didn't mean every home with that floor plan was worth $730,000. The real question was: Where did this particular house fit within that range? That's the part that requires interpretation. Buyers Don't Put a Dollar Value on Every Update The seller's home had some very nice features. It had beautiful travertine flooring. It backed to a wash, giving it one of the better lots. It also had owned solar. But the interior was extremely personalized. There were many different paint colors, sometimes multiple colors within the same room. The kitchen had several cabinet colors and finishes along with multiple competing tile designs. The primary bathroom also had several different tile selections. A seller may love those choices. Another buyer might, too. But when I'm pricing a home, my job isn't to determine whether I personally like someone's decorating style. My job is to consider how the largest pool of likely buyers may respond to it. Highly personalized finishes can reduce that pool. And that's something a computer can't fully understand simply by knowing the square footage, bedroom count, lot size and recent sales. Sometimes the Best Features Are Already There—We Just Can't See Them One of the things that immediately stood out to me was the travertine flooring. It was beautiful. But instead of being a focal point, it was getting lost among all the competing colors and finishes. I suggested that the seller consider painting the interior a soft neutral white. I also suggested bringing the upper kitchen cabinets back to the same brown tone as the lowers and removing the decorative tile above the cabinets. Those weren't suggestions designed to turn the home into the $1.23 million remodeled comp. They were designed to quiet everything else down so buyers could actually notice what the home already had going for it. There's a big difference. Price Isn't the Only Problem When a Home Doesn't Sell The home had another major advantage: the lot . It backed to a wash. Yet buyers scrolling through the listing wouldn't see the backyard until approximately photo #91 . Think about how people shop for homes online. How many buyers are going to look through 90 photos before deciding whether a house deserves a showing? One of the home's strongest features was essentially buried. The listing also wasn't highlighting the owned solar , another feature that could matter to buyers. So now we had several issues working together: The price didn't match the home's current condition. The interior presentation was likely limiting buyer appeal. One of the best features of the property was buried deep in the photos. And another important feature wasn't being properly marketed. That's why selling a house isn't simply about calculating a price per square foot and putting it into the MLS. What Would I Have Done Differently? After reviewing the home and the comparable sales, I told the seller something he probably wasn't expecting. I would not have agreed to list his home at $925,000. In my professional opinion, I didn't see the market supporting that number based on the home's current condition and the competing sales. Taking a listing at a price I don't believe has a realistic path to a sale doesn't help the seller. It also costs me marketing dollars and time without a likely positive outcome. Instead, I suggested making a few strategic changes. Neutralize the interior paint. Simplify the kitchen finishes. Let the travertine become an asset instead of competing with everything around it. Then completely rethink the marketing so the wash lot and owned solar were front and center. With those changes and the right marketing, I felt the home could potentially compete around the $800,000 range , based on the information I reviewed at that time. There would still be some challenges. The highly personalized tile selections in areas such as the primary bathroom weren't inexpensive things to change, so we would need to position the home knowing some buyers would factor those finishes into their offer. That's the kind of conversation I believe a seller deserves before putting a home on the market. So, Can AI Tell You What Your Home Is Worth? AI can be an incredibly useful tool. I use it myself. But I use it to help me organize and analyze information. I still interpret that information based on my experience selling homes and watching how buyers respond to them. And I know that the quality of an AI answer depends heavily on the information it receives. Did it know the $1.23 million comp had been completely redesigned? Did it know another model match had significant wear? Did it understand that your lot was superior? Did it know buyers would likely view some of your finishes as updates while viewing others as projects they would need to change? Did it know your owned solar wasn't even being marketed? That's where the human part still matters. There's another advantage an experienced real estate agent has that a homeowner—and AI—doesn't. I'm an unbiased third party. Sellers understandably have emotional attachments to their homes. They remember what they paid for an improvement. They remember choosing the tile, painting the cabinets or remodeling the bathroom. I don't have that attachment. I'm looking at the house through the eyes of the buyers we're going to ask to purchase it. And sometimes that means telling a seller something they don't particularly want to hear. I'd much rather have that difficult conversation before we list than spend a month wondering why nobody has walked through the door. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use ChatGPT to estimate my home's value? You can certainly use AI as a research tool. Just remember that an estimate is only as good as the information being analyzed. Condition, remodeling quality, lot location, buyer appeal and competing homes can all affect value. Why can't I just use a home that has the same floor plan as my comp? A model match can be an excellent comparable, but you still have to compare condition, upgrades, lot, location and presentation. In this example, similar homes had sold across roughly a $500,000 range. Do renovations always increase my home's value? Not dollar for dollar. Some improvements can increase value and buyer appeal, while highly personalized renovations may appeal to a smaller group of buyers. Does a premium lot increase home value? It can. Views, washes, privacy, lot size and location within a neighborhood can affect buyer demand. The amount depends on the specific property and current market. If my home isn't getting showings, does that mean it's overpriced? Not automatically, but a lack of showings is important market feedback. Price, photography, presentation, competition and marketing can all affect showing activity and should be reviewed together. Should I remodel my house before selling? Not necessarily. Sometimes a few strategic changes can have a much better return than a major remodel. I look at what buyers are purchasing in that specific market before recommending where a seller should—or shouldn't—spend money. Thinking About Selling? Before choosing a listing price from an online estimate or AI tool, let's look at what buyers are actually paying for homes like yours—and more importantly, why they're paying it. At Rover Realty, we don't just pull comparable sales. We look at where your home fits among those sales, what buyers are likely to see as an advantage or disadvantage, what may be worth changing before you list, and how we can market the features that make your property stand out. Because finding the comps is the easy part. Knowing what they mean is where experience matters.
Join Rover Realty and Attorney Kimberly Hansen on December 8th for a free estate planning conversation. At Rover Realty, we help people make some of life's biggest decisions. Buying a first home, selling a longtime family home, downsizing, or moving closer to loved ones are all major life changes. But here's something we don't always think about. When life changes, does our paperwork change with it? That's the idea behind our upcoming event, Life On Paper, with Attorney Kimberly Hansen on Tuesday, December 8th. And here's the best part. This event is completely free. We're not selling anything. We simply want to provide an opportunity for our clients and friends to get useful information and ask important questions. Life Changes. Your Paperwork Should Keep Up. Think about how much can change in just a few years. Maybe you've purchased a new home, gotten married, welcomed grandchildren, lost a loved one, or decided it's time to simplify your life. Even moving from one state to another can make a big difference. Arizona's laws may be different from those in the state where you originally created your will, trust, or other estate planning documents. That doesn't necessarily mean your existing documents are no longer valid, but it does mean having them reviewed by an Arizona attorney may be a smart move. And while most people know they should have an estate plan, it's easy to put it off. Even those who already have one may not realize their documents no longer reflect their current wishes. That's why we wanted to create an opportunity for our clients and friends to learn more. Your Home Is Often One of Your Biggest Assets As real estate professionals, we see firsthand how important it is to have your affairs in order. We regularly work with families selling homes held in trusts, handling inherited property, or working through probate after losing a loved one. Sometimes everything is well organized, and the process moves smoothly. Other times, families discover that important paperwork was never updated, property ownership isn't what they thought it was, or they aren't sure who has the legal authority to make decisions. Those situations can create stress, delays, and unexpected expenses during an already difficult time. We believe a little education today can help families ask better questions and prepare for tomorrow. What Is Life On Paper? Life On Paper is a free educational event where we'll be joined by estate planning attorney Kimberly Hansen to discuss the documents that help protect your wishes and guide your loved ones. Some of the questions we'll explore include: What's the difference between a will and a trust? When should you review or update your estate plan? What happens to your home when you pass away? Does moving to Arizona mean you should update your documents? Who can make decisions if you're unable to? How can you make things easier for your family? Whether you've already created an estate plan or haven't started, this is an opportunity to learn and ask questions. There is no cost to attend, no sales pitch, and no obligation to purchase any services. Our goal is simply to help you become better informed. Because Our Relationship Doesn't End at Closing At Rover Realty, we believe helping people goes beyond buying and selling homes. Of course, we want to be there when you're ready for your next move. But we also want to be a resource for the many decisions that come before and after it. That means connecting our clients and friends with knowledgeable professionals, sharing useful information, and creating opportunities to plan ahead. We're not attorneys, and we don't give legal advice. But we know the value of having the right people available when important questions come up. That's why we're excited to host Life On Paper with Attorney Kimberly Hansen. Join Us December 8th! We would love to have you join us for this special conversation. Event: Life On Paper Guest Speaker: Attorney Kimberly Hansen Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Cost: FREE Hosted by: Rover Realty Space is limited, so we encourage you to reserve your seat early. Because the life you're living today should match the plans you've made on paper. We look forward to seeing you! Angela Tauscher Broker/Owner, Rover Realty Real Agents Helping Real People
This is one of those real estate questions where the answer surprises a lot of sellers. Should I get my house appraised before I put it on the market? In most cases, I would say no. There are exceptions. If you own a very unusual property, a luxury home with few comparable sales, or a property that's particularly difficult to value, a pre-listing appraisal may be worth discussing. But for a typical home, I generally don't recommend spending the money on an appraisal just to determine the listing price. Here's why. A Pre-Listing Appraisal Doesn't Set the Price One of the biggest misunderstandings is that an appraisal gives us the "official" value of a home. It doesn't quite work that way. An appraisal is an opinion of value prepared for a specific purpose at a specific point in time. If you pay for an appraisal before listing your home, the buyer's mortgage lender will not use that appraisal in place of its own lender-ordered appraisal. And here's something that surprises many sellers. In my conversations with appraisers over the years, they've told me they won't even look at a seller's prior appraisal. They want to complete their own independent evaluation without being influenced by someone else's opinion of value. So you could spend hundreds of dollars getting your home appraised before listing, only to have the buyer pay for an entirely new appraisal after you accept an offer. That's one reason I generally don't recommend that expense for a typical home sale. Then How Do We Determine the Listing Price? This is where a good real estate agent earns their keep. When I'm helping a seller determine a listing price, I'm not simply pulling three nearby sales and averaging the price per square foot. I'm looking at the home the way I expect buyers to see it. What has actually sold? What's currently for sale? What's sitting on the market? What went under contract quickly? What didn't sell at all? How does your lot compare? Have you remodeled? Do you have owned solar? Does the home back to a busy road? Are you competing against new construction offering below-market interest rates and closing-cost incentives? Is your floor plan desirable? What condition is the home in? And most importantly: What are buyers actually paying for homes like yours right now? That's a different question from simply asking what a home appraises for. I've Seen Pre-Listing Appraisals Miss the Mark After selling hundreds of homes, I've seen something interesting more than once. A homeowner obtains an appraisal before selling, and the value comes in lower than I believe the market will support. Then we list the home. A real buyer makes an offer at a higher price. The buyer's lender orders an appraisal. And that appraisal comes in at or very close to the contract price. That may sound strange, but there is an important difference between the two situations. With a pre-listing appraisal, there isn't a buyer yet. With a purchase appraisal, there is now an actual contract showing what a ready, willing and able buyer agreed to pay for that particular property in the current market. The contract price doesn't automatically determine the appraised value. The appraiser still has to independently analyze the property and comparable sales. But that contract is another piece of information that didn't exist when the home was appraised before going on the market. An Appraisal and Market Value Aren't Exactly the Same Thing This distinction matters. An appraiser is developing an opinion of value using appraisal standards and available market data. A real estate agent should be helping you determine how to position the property in the current market. Those two jobs overlap, but they aren't identical. There are features buyers may pay more for that can be difficult to measure using comparable sales alone. Maybe your home has the best lot in the neighborhood. Maybe buyers love your floor plan. Maybe there are very few homes available in your price range. Maybe your backyard is exactly what buyers have been struggling to find. Or maybe the opposite is true. You could have expensive upgrades that you love but that buyers aren't willing to pay extra for. That's why pricing a home requires more than plugging numbers into a formula. When Would I Consider Getting an Appraisal Before Listing? There are situations where I may suggest that a seller talk with an appraiser or another appropriate professional before we list. A highly unique property is one example. A luxury home with very few comparable sales could be another. There may also be situations involving estates, trusts, divorce, tax matters or other legal or financial needs where an appraisal is being obtained for a purpose completely separate from setting the listing price. In those situations, the seller should follow the advice of their attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional about the type of valuation they need. But if you're simply wondering: "What should I list my house for?" An appraisal usually isn't my first recommendation. What I Would Do Instead Before spending money on an appraisal, I would start with a detailed market analysis from an experienced local real estate agent. And I mean detailed . I want to see the home. I want to understand the lot, condition, upgrades, floor plan and competition. I want to know what's happening in that specific neighborhood and price range. Then I want to look at the property through two different sets of eyes: What will a buyer think it's worth? And: Can we support that price when the buyer's appraiser eventually arrives? Those are both important. The goal isn't to find the highest number someone is willing to put on paper. The goal is to determine a price that gives the seller the best chance of actually reaching the closing table with the strongest possible outcome. Frequently Asked Questions Do I need an appraisal before selling my house? Usually, no. Most sellers do not need to obtain their own appraisal before listing a typical residential property. Can I give my appraisal to the buyer's lender? A seller's pre-listing appraisal will not replace the appraisal ordered by the buyer's mortgage lender when one is required. The lender has its own appraisal requirements, and the new appraiser must develop an independent opinion of value. Is an appraisal the same as a Realtor's market analysis? No. An appraisal is an appraiser's opinion of value prepared for a specific purpose. A real estate market analysis helps determine how a property may compete and sell in the current market. What if my appraisal says my house is worth less than my Realtor thinks? That's when I would want to dig into the data. Neither number should simply be accepted because someone put it on a piece of paper. Look at the comparable properties, adjustments, current competition and what buyers are actually doing in your market. Are there times when a pre-listing appraisal makes sense? Yes. Very unique properties, certain luxury homes and properties involved in some legal, estate, trust or financial matters may benefit from or require an appraisal. The reason for the appraisal matters. Will the buyer still need another appraisal? If the buyer is financing the purchase and the lender requires an appraisal, yes. The lender will order a new appraisal according to its own process. Some loans qualify for an appraisal waiver, and cash buyers generally aren't required to obtain an appraisal. Thinking About Selling Your Home in the Phoenix East Valley? Before you spend money on an appraisal, let's take a look at what your home is really competing against. At Rover Realty, we don't believe in guessing at a listing price or telling sellers whatever number they want to hear. We study the market, evaluate your home's features, look at the competition and build a pricing and marketing plan designed to attract qualified buyers. Whether you're selling in Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Chandler, Apache Junction or another community across the Valley, we'd be happy to help you understand your options. Rover Realty | Real agents helping real people.
