Real estate comps (short for comparable sales) are recently sold homes similar to yours in location, size, type, and condition. They show what a buyer will actually pay for your property. To build a reliable home value estimate, you need 3 to 6 comps sold within the past 3 to 6 months, within a quarter-mile to half-mile radius, and within roughly 300 square feet of your home’s size.
Knowing how to find comps for your house is the difference between pricing confidently and guessing. The data is free, the tools are public, and the whole process takes about an hour once you know what to look for.
This guide covers what makes a valid comp, how to find comps step by step, where to pull them for free, how to run comps using dollar-amount adjustments, and how your comped value connects to your net proceeds after commission.
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What are real estate comps?
Real estate comps are recently sold homes used to estimate your property’s fair market value. The term is short for comparable sales or comparable properties. Appraisers, agents, and informed sellers all use them to anchor a price in actual buyer behavior rather than seller expectation.
A comp is not the same as an automated home value estimate. Automated tools can be off by 5% to 10% in thin markets. Comps are specific transactions, each with an address, a sale date, and a closed price reflecting what a real buyer agreed to pay.
What makes a good comp (the 5 criteria)
According to Bankrate’s comp guide, a strong comp meets five criteria:
- Location: Within a quarter-mile to half-mile of your home in suburban markets; up to 1 mile in rural areas.
- Sale date: Sold within the past 3 to 6 months. Older sales may not reflect current demand.
- Property type: Single-family to single-family, condo to condo. A townhouse comp does not apply to a detached home.
- Size: Within roughly 300 square feet of your home’s size. Larger gaps require a formal adjustment.
- Configuration: Within 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom of your count. Greater differences require dollar adjustments before you use the comp as a benchmark.
How many comps do you need
You need 3 to 6 comps for a reliable estimate. Fewer than 3 leaves you exposed to one atypical sale distorting your number. More than 6 is rarely needed unless your home is unusual or the market is volatile.
Appraisers working under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines present a minimum of 3 comparable sales per formal report. For a seller’s informal estimate, 5 to 6 comps give you a tighter value range.
How recent should comps be
Comps should come from the past 3 to 6 months. Beyond that window, price shifts, rate changes, or seasonal patterns can make an older sale a poor benchmark.
In fast-moving markets, tighten the window to 90 days. In slow or rural markets, extending to 9 or 12 months is acceptable. Note any date gaps when presenting your estimate, since lenders and appraisers may flag comps older than 6 months.
How to find comps for your house
Finding comps comes down to a five-step process. It mirrors what a licensed appraiser does, minus the formal report. Work through each step in order.
Step 1: List your home’s key details
Catalog every measurable feature before you search: address, square footage, lot size, bedroom count, bathroom count, year built, HOA status, garage type, condition, and major upgrades. You will use this list to filter and compare every potential comp.
Getting the data right matters. A 200-square-foot discrepancy between your stated size and your tax record will throw off every comparison. Check your county tax assessor record for the official figure.
Step 2: Set your search radius
Start with a 0.25 to 0.5-mile radius in suburban markets. This keeps comps in the same neighborhood, where values can shift block by block based on traffic, school zone, or lot character.
If fewer than 3 sold homes appear within that radius, expand to 1 mile. In active urban markets like Austin, tightening to 0.25 miles often produces enough data. See Austin selling tips for how local market pace affects the right comp radius.
Step 3: Filter by sold date
Apply the sold filter, not the listing filter. Listing prices show what sellers are asking, not what buyers agreed to pay. On most real estate platforms, change the status from “For Sale” to “Sold” before running the search.
Set the date range to the past 3 to 6 months. According to Zillow’s comps guide, filtering by sold date and address together produces the most comparable results. Extend to 12 months only if you find fewer than 3 matches in that initial window.
Step 4: Match property type and size
Filter for the same property type as yours. Single-family detached homes should only be compared to other single-family detached homes. Condos, townhouses, and multi-family units each have their own comp pools.
Within that filtered set, narrow to homes within 300 square feet of your size and within 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom of your count. These limits keep your adjustments manageable and your estimate tight.
Step 5: Narrow to your top 3 to 6 comps
Select the 4 to 6 homes that most closely match your property. Discard outlier sales, including estate sales, distressed sales, or transactions between family members, unless those sale types represent the market around your home.
When you apply this five-step filter consistently, you end up with a set of comparable sales that can support a defensible listing price.
Where to find real estate comps for free
Every source you need to pull accurate comps is available at no cost. The question is how complete and current each source is.
Online real estate platforms
Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com all let you filter by recently sold homes at no charge. Redfin shows sale prices directly on map pins, making it easy to spot nearby transactions visually. To search recently sold homes, switch the listing status to “Sold” and draw a radius around your address using the map view.
The limitation of public platforms is data lag. MLS records update faster than public-facing feeds. A sale may appear 24 to 72 hours later on Zillow or Realtor.com than it does in agent-facing tools.
County public records and tax assessors
Every real estate sale is recorded with the county recorder or register of deeds. These records are public, and most counties publish them online for free. Search “[your county name] property records” or “[your county name] tax assessor” to find your local portal.
County public records show the legally recorded sale price for every transaction in your area. The tax assessor database is the most complete free source of comp data and requires no account in most states. The tradeoff is a less user-friendly interface and a recording lag of days to weeks after closing.
Free MLS-connected tools
The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is the database real estate professionals use to list and search properties. Public users cannot access it directly, but several tools connect to it. HAR.com offers a free comparable value tool for Texas homeowners, providing low, mid, and high estimates based on local sold data with no account required.
If you are managing a FSBO sale, resources like the Arkansas FSBO guide walk through the full pricing process without an agent. Some local MLS associations also offer limited consumer portals; check whether your state’s MLS has one.
Free CMA from a local real estate agent
A comparative market analysis (CMA) is the professional version of a comp report. A licensed agent prepares it using live MLS data. Most listing agents provide a CMA for free as part of a listing pitch, with no obligation to sign.
A CMA pulls more detail than any public platform. It includes active listings, pending sales, and withdrawn listings that can signal pricing risk. Requesting two or three CMAs from different agents gives you MLS-quality data while you decide how to proceed.
How to run comps on your home
Pulling comps is only half the work. Running comps on your home also means adjusting each comp’s sale price to account for every way it differs from your property. This adjustment step is what appraisers use to produce a formal opinion of value. It is the step most sellers skip.
Common differences between your home and the comps
The most common differences fall into six categories: square footage, bedroom count, bathroom count, garage, condition, and lot features or amenities.
Each difference carries a dollar value. Ignoring those values produces an estimate that is too high if the comps are better than your home, or too low if your home is better. The adjustment step moves each comp’s sale price toward a fair comparison with your property.
Typical adjustment ranges
The table below shows standard adjustment ranges drawn from residential appraisal practice. These figures reflect mid-tier U.S. markets as of 2026; values vary by metro area. Per Freedom Mortgage’s appraisal guide, all adjustments are applied to the comp’s price, not to your estimated value. Price per square foot adjustments vary widely by local market.
| Feature Difference | Typical Adjustment Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Square footage | $10 to $25 per sq ft | Add to comp if your home is larger; subtract if smaller |
| Extra bedroom | $5,000 to $15,000 per bedroom | Add to comp if your home has more bedrooms |
| Extra full bathroom | $3,000 to $8,000 per bathroom | Add to comp if your home has more bathrooms |
| Attached 2-car garage vs. none | $10,000 to $20,000 | Add to comp if your home has the garage |
| Condition: updated vs. dated | $10,000 to $30,000 | Add to comp if the comp is updated; subtract if yours is |
| Pool (Sun Belt markets) | $10,000 to $40,000 | Minimal value in northern markets; higher in Florida and Southwest |
Based on standard residential appraisal practice, 2026. Verify current ranges with a licensed appraiser in your market before transacting.
Calculating your adjusted value range
Apply each applicable adjustment to every comp’s sale price. Say your home is 200 square feet larger than a comp and you use $15 per square foot. Add $3,000 to that comp’s price before using it as a benchmark. If the comp has an extra full bathroom your home lacks, subtract $5,000 from that comp’s price.
Once you have adjusted all your comps, average the adjusted prices. That average is your estimated fair market value. The spread from lowest to highest adjusted price shows how precise your estimate is. A tight spread under $15,000 means consistent comps. A wide spread over $30,000 signals an uneven market or a comp set that needs more filtering.
Use this adjusted average, not the raw sale prices, when you set your listing price.
Who uses real estate comps
Real estate comps are used across the entire transaction, not just by sellers. Knowing who else relies on them helps you anticipate how others will challenge or validate your price.
Home sellers setting a listing price
Sellers use comps to set a price high enough to maximize proceeds and low enough to attract real offers. Pricing 5% to 10% above what recent comparable sales support typically leads to longer days on market and price cuts, which signal weakness to buyers.
A comp-based price is also your strongest defense if a buyer’s agent pushes back. You can show the sold data rather than defending a number based on gut feeling.
Buyers making competitive offers
Buyers pull recently sold home data before making an offer. They use it to confirm a listed price is reasonable and to calculate how far above or below ask they are willing to go. In competitive markets, buyers sometimes offer above the highest recent comp to secure a home, accepting that the appraisal may not fully support the price.
A buyer who sees nearby sales at or above your asking price is more likely to move quickly and with confidence.
Appraisers, lenders, and tax assessors
According to Chase’s appraisal overview, licensed appraisers use 3 to 6 sold comps per Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines to produce a formal appraisal. The adjusted sale price method is the primary valuation approach for single-family homes.
Lenders will not approve a mortgage above the appraised value. If your home appraises below the contracted sale price, the buyer must cover the gap in cash or the deal renegotiates. Tax assessors use mass appraisal comp data to set assessed value for property tax purposes. Assessed values often lag current market comps by 1 to 2 years.
Common mistakes to avoid when using comps
These four mistakes account for most pricing errors sellers make when pulling their own comparable sales.
Using listing prices instead of sold prices
Filtering for active listings instead of sold homes is the single most common error. A listing price is a seller’s ask. It reflects expectation, not agreement. Only the closed sale price counts.
A home listed at $350,000 that sold at $332,000 represents an $18,000 gap. Using the listed price would inflate your estimate by more than 5%. Always filter for “Sold” status and confirm the closed date falls within your target window.
Pulling comps from the wrong neighborhood
A comp half a mile away may cross a school district boundary, a major road, or a flood plain edge. It may represent a market that prices differently from yours. In some markets, one cross-street change equals a $20,000-plus value difference.
Check that each comp falls within the same subdivision or neighborhood as your home. The North Carolina FSBO guide covers the pricing pitfalls facing unrepresented sellers in detail. Always map each comp address before including it in your analysis.
Ignoring condition differences
A fully renovated comp and an unrenovated home in the same neighborhood can diverge by $30,000 to $60,000 in mid-tier markets. If you pull comparable sales without noting which ones have updated kitchens, new roofs, or remodeled bathrooms, your estimate will be skewed.
Note the condition of each comp using listing photos or public records. Then apply the condition adjustment from the table above before averaging your comps.
Using too few comps
Two comps are not enough. A single atypical sale, such as an estate sale or a transaction between family members, can distort a two-comp analysis by 10% to 15%. On a $300,000 home, that equals $30,000 to $45,000 in pricing error.
If you cannot find 3 solid comps within your initial search parameters, expand the radius before cutting below 3 comps. Three is the minimum; 5 to 6 is the target.
How comps connect to your net sale proceeds
Your comped value tells you what the market will pay. What you actually keep depends on how you sell and what you pay in fees.
Commission costs on your comped home value
On a $300,000 home, a total commission of 5% to 6% equals $15,000 to $18,000 deducted from your net proceeds at closing. The listing agent typically charges around 2.5% to 3%, and the buyer’s agent fee has historically run at a similar rate.
Per the NAR settlement FAQ, the NAR settlement that took effect in August 2024 changed how buyer agent compensation works. Buyers now negotiate their agent’s fee separately rather than having it embedded in the seller’s commission. Sellers may still offer buyer agent compensation to attract offers, but it is no longer a mandatory MLS requirement, and rules vary by state.
How a cash offer compares to your comped price
Cash buyers use the same sold comps to calculate their offers. They typically apply a discount of 2% to 8% below market value to account for the speed and certainty they provide.
| Sale path | Comped value | Estimated deductions | Estimated net proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional agent sale | $300,000 | ~$16,500 commission + ~$4,500 other closing costs | ~$279,000 |
| Cash offer (iBuyer or investor) | $300,000 | 2% to 8% below comped value, minimal closing costs | ~$276,000 to $294,000 |
| FSBO sale | $300,000 | ~$9,000 buyer agent offer + ~$4,500 other closing costs | ~$286,500 |
Estimates based on 2026 typical ranges. Actual net proceeds depend on negotiated fees, local transfer taxes, and repair costs.
A seller with accurate comps can use that comped value as a benchmark to judge any cash offer. For a broader look at vetted cash buyer options, the best cash home buyers guide covers leading companies and what to expect from each.
Once you know your home’s comped value, you have a clear picture of what the market will pay. The question then becomes how much of that value you keep. Requesting competing cash offers through iBuyer.com puts multiple buyers against each other for your home. There is no agent commission taken from your net proceeds, no repair requests, and a close in 7 to 30 days. Use your comped value as the benchmark to evaluate each offer and decide which path puts the most money in your hands.
See competing cash offers on your home
See What Cash Buyers Offer on Your Home Compare competing offers against your comped value, no agent fees deducted.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Real estate comps are recently sold homes similar to yours in location, size, type, and condition, used to estimate your home’s market value. The term is short for comparable sales or comparable properties. Both appraisers and agents use them to anchor price opinions in objective market data rather than seller expectation or automated estimates.
Search Zillow or Redfin for recently sold homes within a half-mile radius, filtered for the past 3 to 6 months and matching your property type. Switch the status filter to “Sold” before running your search, because listed prices are asking prices, not what buyers paid. Aim for 3 to 6 final matches; if you have fewer than 3, expand the radius to 1 mile or extend the date window to 9 months.
Identify 3 to 6 recently sold properties matching your square footage and condition, then adjust each for differences. Note every way each comp differs from your home, including size, bathrooms, garage, and condition. Apply a dollar adjustment to each comp’s sale price, then average the adjusted prices to get your estimated value range.
Search your address on Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com, select the Sold filter, and limit results to homes sold in the past 6 months. County recorder and tax assessor websites also list recorded sale prices at no cost; search “[your county] property records” to find the portal. For the most complete data, a licensed agent can pull a comparative market analysis (CMA) directly from the MLS.
You need 3 to 6 comps to estimate your home’s value reliably. Fewer than 3 can skew the result if one sale was atypical. Appraisers working under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines present a minimum of 3 comparable sales in formal reports; for a seller’s estimate, 5 to 6 comps give you a tighter range.
Comps should be sold within the past 3 to 6 months. Beyond 6 months, local price shifts can make them unreliable benchmarks. In fast-moving markets, tighten the window to 90 days; in slow or rural markets, extending to 9 or 12 months is acceptable, but note the date gap when using older comps.
Comps should come from within a quarter-mile to half-mile of your home. In rural or low-activity markets, you can extend to 1 mile. Proximity matters because price can shift at a street boundary or school district line; if extending the radius is unavoidable, note any neighborhood differences when presenting your estimate.
Extend your radius to 1 mile or your timeframe to 12 months, whichever produces more matches. Rural and low-turnover neighborhoods sometimes require both expansions at once. In those cases, a licensed appraiser or experienced local agent is more reliable than a DIY estimate.
Adjust each comp’s sale price by roughly $10 to $25 per square foot for size differences and $3,000 to $8,000 per additional full bathroom. Standard mid-tier market ranges also include $5,000 to $15,000 per extra bedroom, $10,000 to $20,000 for a 2-car garage versus none, and $10,000 to $30,000 for a condition gap. Apply all adjustments to the comp, not to your home’s estimated value.
Yes, you can find comps without an agent using Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, or your county recorder’s free online database. MLS data updates faster and includes detail that public sites omit, such as concessions and condition disclosures. A free CMA from a local agent gives you MLS access at no cost and no commitment.
On a $300,000 house, a 5% to 6% total commission equals $15,000 to $18,000, deducted from your proceeds at closing. The NAR settlement that took effect in August 2024 changed how buyer agent compensation works; buyers now negotiate their agent’s fee separately. Sellers still commonly offer buyer agent compensation to attract offers, but it is no longer a mandatory MLS requirement.
Comps are data you gather yourself to estimate your home’s value; an appraisal is a formal written valuation from a licensed professional using the same comparable sale data. Lenders require a licensed appraisal before approving a mortgage and will not accept a seller’s informal comp analysis. An appraisal typically costs $300 to $600 for a standard single-family home.
Cash buyers use the same sold comps to calculate offers but typically apply a discount of 2% to 8% below market to account for the convenience and speed they provide. The size of the discount varies by buyer type, market conditions, and your home’s condition. A seller with accurate comps can use that benchmark to judge whether a cash offer is reasonable or too far below market.
The most common mistake is using listing prices instead of sold prices, which reflects what sellers asked, not what buyers paid. A home listed at $350,000 and sold at $332,000 represents an $18,000 gap; using the listing price would inflate your estimate by 5%. Always filter for “Sold” status and verify the closed sale date is within your target window.
Reilly Dzurick is a licensed real estate agent with over six years of experience and a member of the iBuyer.com Market Insights Team, covering national trends in home selling and the evolving iBuyer landscape. Her firsthand experience working with buyers and sellers gives her a practical perspective on how these platforms impact real homeowners. She holds a degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
