[dropcap]H[/dropcap]i, my name is Lex, the broker at Cal Agents Realty.

If you are looking to find out your home value, you are in the right place. Here I’ll show you a more accurate estimate than Redfin and Zillow, or any other online home value estimator.

If you haven’t received your home valuation report, enter your home address here and a copy of the most recent sales near your home will be delivered to your email. This report is not meant to give you a single number that tells you how much your home is worth. In fact, any home value report that tells you a single number is misleading, doing more harm than good in your home selling process.

What you will receive is home sales data near your property. Along with the methodology I’m about to show you, you can come up with your home’s value more accurate than any online estimator.

When most people want to sell a home, they call up a Realtor to get an idea of how much their home is worth. I’ll be honest with you, home value is the most common bait Realtors use to get business. Do you really need a Realtor to tell you how much your home is worth? Absolutely not. In fact, I’d argue you would be at a significant disadvantage in the home selling process if you don’t figure out your home’s value yourself.

Here are 5 reasons you should put in the effort to figure out your home’s value yourself.

You know your home better than anyone else

There is no one else in this world who knows more about your home than yourself. Estimating your home value is not rocket science.

You have all the ingredients you need

Estimating a home’s value used to be the crown jewel of a Realtor’s contributions in the home selling process. Back in the day, only Realtors had access to home sales data in your neighborhood, which is the single largest determinant of your home’s value. In the age of the Internet, however, you can find much of the data yourself. If you haven’t received your home valuation report, enter your home address here and a copy of the most recent sales near your home will be delivered to your email.

You can tell which Realtor really knows his/her craft

There are so many Realtors out there, and every one of them wants you to list your home with him/her. How can you determine which one is good? Do you go by who sent you the most postcards? Or do you go by who has the most bench ads? Do you choose the one with the most reviews online? Or do you choose any agent your friend recommends? You probably wish there were a GPA of some sort to tell you how good an agent is.

When you meet a real estate agent for a consultation, your home’s value is an inevitable topic. By knowing your home’s value in your heart, you can tell whether the Realtor really knows her craft or is full of hot air. You also can tell whether she came prepared.

You won’t be fooled by a Realtor

There is inherent conflict of interest when you ask a Realtor to give you a valuation. Why? Realtors earn commission when they find you a willing, ready and able buyer for your home. Realtors like to give you a low number for your home for two reasons. 1. The lower the price you are willing to accept, the easier it is to find a buyer. 2. The lower your expectation, the easier it is to exceed it and brag about it.

By now, it should be clear that you will be at a significant disadvantage in the home selling process if you don’t estimate the value yourself. In the next article, I’ll teach you step by step how to arrive at your home’s value from neighborhood sales data.