By Jenelle Etzel, November 4, 2025
Pricing with Purpose: How Kim Parmon Builds a Smarter CMA
When most people think of a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), they imagine rows of numbers and spreadsheets. For Portland top‑listing agent Kim Parmon, a CMA is not just about data. It’s a strategic tool that helps sellers understand how their home fits into the market now, and how to position it for maximum impact.
A Snapshot That Moves
“Your home doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” Kim says. A CMA is not a one‑time value but a dynamic snapshot of how the market is perceiving the house right now. With every new listing, price change or buyer shift the story changes. Kim starts by delivering a price range to her sellers. Then, just before the home goes live, she dives deeply into the active and pending comps to pick the exact list price.
Buyer Profile First
Kim doesn’t just look at square footage or bedrooms. Her first move is to ask: who will buy this property? What will that buyer compare it to? Whether it’s a walkable condo, a family home with a big yard or a fixer‑upper with upside, that buyer profile changes everything. From there she tours comparable homes herself and talks to listing agents to gather real‑world intelligence on what buyers are doing.
Strategy Over Guesswork
According to Kim, there are three pricing strategies. One is to list low and hope for competition. Another is to list at market value and find a serious buyer quickly. The third is to list high and wait, which in Portland can carry serious risk. Buyers here often get comfortable waiting for the right house instead of touring one priced too high. She uses the market data and her experience to propose the strategy she would choose if the home were hers—and then empowers her sellers to make the decision together.
Collaboration and Curiosity
Kim emphasizes that this process is not solo. She leans on her team, on other agents, on feedback from brokers and buyers. She treats every listing like a performance—prepared thoroughly, then adjusted based on real‑time audience reaction. Her advice to other agents? Break the pricing task into clear categories instead of chasing a single number. Stay curious. Ask questions. Use your peers.
The Takeaway
A CMA is more than just a number. It’s a plan, a story, a way to meet the right buyer at the right time. Kim Parmon brings creativity and data together to help sellers make confident decisions and reach their goals. Whether you’re selling now or just preparing for the future, her framework offers clarity and direction.
Episode 8 is live. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen. Search for Open House: Everyday Excellence and start with Mastering the CMA with Kim Parmon.
Jenelle Etzel
President & Owner, Licensed Broker OR
She/Her
What does being lead singer and guitar player in a female punk band have in common with starting a real estate company in the middle of a recession? Not many people can answer that question. But when you ask Jenelle Isaacson Etzel founder and CEO of Living Room Realty, there’s no hesitation; where most would see a chasm, she sees a bridge.
For Jenelle, it’s all been about finding a voice—the singular and irrepressible expression of self. Once a quiet, studious, high-school girl growing up in Portland, Jenelle started a punk band after college. She played guitar, wrote cathartic songs, performed, and traveled across country while living out of a van. All that seems light years from the present moment--owning a successful, growing company; serving on boards of civic and philanthropic organizations; enjoying family life with her two young daughters and long-time partner. Still, she uses the same voice now that began to emerge on stage years ago.
Whether it’s business or music, “It’s important to know what your voice is. If it’s true, it will resonate.” Jenelle’s voice, her truth, is about being brave enough to take action without apology, being heard without being exploited, to be energized, constantly problem-solving and refining her skills in the pursuit of building a purpose-driven company. All this requires risk-taking. She’s learned the hard way that she can’t fix everything and that not everyone will share her vision. But even as she explains the difficult choices she’s faced, Jenelle radiates joy.
“It’s never okay to play small,” she says with conviction. And this, more than anything, is what she strives to impart to other women, empowering them to pursue their passion whole-heartedly and to be leaders who speak with their own unique, unapologetic voice.
Living Room Realty, founded in 2009, offers residential, commercial, and property management services. Living Room ranks in the top 15 real estate companies in Oregon, with more than 110 affiliated broker-agents. For more information, visit www.livingroomre.com.
Noted Achievements: First west coast real estate office to receive B Corp status • Top Workplaces, 2014-2016 • 100 Best Workplaces in Oregon 2017 • 100 Best Green Companies 2017 • Oregon Business in Ethics Awards in 2014 • Jenelle has been featured in The Portland Monthly, Oregon Business, and REALTOR® Magazine • Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 Business Leaders • Board of Directors, Rock n Roll Camp for Girls, receiving 2015 award for creative philanthropy • Board Member, Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Network, Portland chapter • Orchid Award recipient for Business and Civic Contributions • Guest speaker: OPB’s Think Out Loud, Investor Beat, Cascadia Green Building Council • Advocate speaking on behalf of Benefit Corporation legislation with Oregon Secretary of State, Kate Brown
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- jenelle@livingroomre.com
