Tag: CMA

The Art of the CMA with Kim Parmon | Open House Podcast

Posted on by Jenelle Etzel

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.

Mastering the CMA with Cristen Lincoln – Open House Podcast

Posted on by Jenelle Etzel

When it comes to pricing a home for sale, there’s far more to it than crunching numbers. Portland broker Cristen Lincoln, who has been helping people buy and sell homes here for nearly 30 years, calls it both an art and a science. In a recent episode of Open House, Cristen shared her approach to crafting a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and why understanding the difference between a CMA and an appraisal is essential for both agents and sellers.

CMA vs. Appraisal: Knowing the Difference

“An appraisal determines value at a moment in time,” Cristen explains. “It relies heavily on data from past sales.” A CMA, on the other hand, is a strategic tool that helps agents position a property within the market to attract the right buyers and meet the seller’s goals.

That distinction matters. An appraisal is a snapshot, while a CMA is a strategy. It’s about understanding where a home fits in the current landscape of listings and how to market it to achieve the best possible outcome.

The Foundation of Every CMA: Seeing the Home

Cristen’s process always starts the same way: by visiting the property. “You can’t understand a home’s value without stepping inside,” she says. Data will tell you the basics, but what it can’t capture are the intangibles: the light in the living room, the flow of the floor plan, the way a home feels.

From there, Cristen layers in her research, combining data from the multiple listing service with her own experience and a constant awareness of what buyers are responding to in the market right now.

“It’s both art and science,” she says. “Part of it is in my head from being in homes every week, and part of it comes from diving deep into the numbers.”

Aligning with the Seller’s Goals

Every CMA begins with a conversation about the seller’s expectations. “My job is to help them execute their goals,” Cristen explains. “But if the data doesn’t support those goals, I have to be honest about that.”

Instead of guessing or sugarcoating, she takes a collaborative approach, walking sellers through the data, exploring what it says, and talking through the potential outcomes of different pricing strategies. “It’s not a big reveal anymore,” she says. “It’s a partnership.”

When the Data Doesn’t Match the Dream

Sometimes the numbers tell a story sellers don’t want to hear. Cristen sees honesty as the kindest response. “I’d rather have that tough conversation now than let them get their hopes up and have the market disappoint them later,” she says.

That’s where experience matters most, knowing when to adjust expectations and when to take a calculated risk on “going for gold.” As Cristen puts it, “My job isn’t to say yes because they like it. My job is to do the real work.”

The Emotional Side of Value

While data drives much of the conversation around pricing, Cristen never forgets that selling a home is deeply personal. Every house carries a story, and understanding that story helps her bring humanity into the process.

Pricing well means listening carefully, guiding honestly, and balancing emotion with expertise. For Cristen, that balance is what builds trust and leads to the best results.

Listen Now

Episode 7 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 Cristen Lincoln.

Is Your Home Really Worth What the Internet Says?

Posted on by Sofia Gallamore

I’ll admit it – I’ve typed my own address into Zillow too, just to see what popped up. I mean, hasn’t everyone?

Zillow’s Zestimate tool (and other online automated home valuation tools) are easy and accessible. One click, and your home is suddenly worth $500,000. Or $525,000. Or maybe it dropped $20,000 overnight for no clear reason.

I see these online automatic pricing estimations come up all the time in conversations. The problem is when buyers or sellers put too much weight on these numbers – it can set expectations that don’t line up with reality. It is a good reminder that Zillow, your Listing Agent, or your dad’s friend who was a realtor 15 years ago do not determine home values. Buyers determine home value when they purchase a home. A seller can propose a price to the marketplace that they feel is accurate (the list price) – but buyers really have the final say. Too many times have I heard a list price defended by an automated pricing tool. The intent of these tools was to provide a general idea of what a home is worth, but they do not take into account many important pricing elements.

So, let’s talk about it.

What Is An Automated Home Valuation Tool?

These online programs use a computer algorithm that pulls public data (like recent sales, tax records, and square footage) to estimate your home’s market value.

But here’s the thing:
– It’s never seen the inside of your house
– It doesn’t know what you’ve renovated
– It doesn’t understand that your lot backs to a greenspace, while your neighbor’s backs to a busy road
– It has no clue what buyers are feeling in your local market this week
– It has no idea how many windows your home has that let in all that gorgeous natural light
– It doesn’t consider that your neighbor’s home reeks of cigarette smoke while perhaps yours does not

Zestimates and similar online tools are a general ballpark, but not an accurate, trusted guide for pricing your largest asset.

Why It’s Often Wrong (Sometimes by a lot…)

Automated Home Valuation Tools can be off by tens of thousands of dollars. In some cases, even more. That’s because they miss the details that truly impact value, such as:

  • Condition and style of the home

  • Layout and flow

  • Street, school, or neighborhood differences

  • Renovations and upgrades

  • The current demand from buyers in your area

What to Do Instead

If you’re just mildly curious with no plans to make a move anytime soon, then these approximate values may be all you need and often times do the job. But, if you’re wanting to gain a deeper understanding:

  1. Play Market Detective in Your Area – If you like to be a bit more involved in educating yourself on your local marketplace, I recommend monitoring recently sold inventory and identifying patterns. For instance, do all the homes on one side of the street (that back up to a busy road) end up sitting on the market twice as long as the neighbors across the street? Does it appear that all the single-level homes in your subdivision sell for much higher than those in which all the bedrooms are upstairs? These nuances can equip homeowners with insight that start to scratch the surface of home sales and trends – and help align your home’s value with educated, data-supported trends.
  2. Get a Local, Professional Perspective – If you prefer to have an additional resource or if you’re even considering selling you should get a second opinion. A thoughtful, hyper-local one.When my team and I are thoughtfully pricing a home, we utilize a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  We don’t just look at price per square foot. We look at:
  • Condition
  • Local buyer demand
  • Agent conversations and feedback
  • Recent sales trends
  • Charm and character
  • This data is paired this data with experience on the ground — from showings, inspections, and negotiations — so you’re getting a price backed by both analytics and nuance.

Even if you’re just curious and not planning a move, I’m always happy to pull a quick snapshot for you. Sometimes it’s just fun to know!

—

In summary, it’s important to know that automated online home valuation tools aren’t bad, and actually serve as a great starting point. However, it is important to remember that they are a launching point for pricing – not the end all be all!

Thanks for reading and for always supporting my business; I truly love being your go-to real estate resource, and I’m always here to help when you need advice, perspective, or just someone to bounce ideas off of.

Your friend and realtor,


Sofi

Make a Low-Ball Offer

Posted on by Julia Robertson

“What price should we offer?” Is the burning question.

When the time comes to prepare an offer package, among the other important details such as pre-approval letter, terms, possession, closing, and personal property included in the sale; there is price. Price is determined by the condition, location, and demand of homes like the one your interested in. With all these things considered, your REALTOR® helps you choose an offer price. Often your REALTOR® will prepare a comparative market analysis(CMA) and review with you. Your REALTOR® will also contact the listing agent to “get the scoop”, see how competitive other offers are, and when your offer is due by.

Now you have all the details in order for your offer. You want to offer below the asking price, but you really want this house! If this is your dream house, do not write a low ball offer if there are other competitive offers in a high demand area. I will say this again, do not write a low ball offer if you find out there are other competitive offers and the house is in a high demand area. If you really want the house and you are up against 1-20+ other offers, put your best foot forward and go all in. That doesn’t mean offer an outrageous amount over the listing price. Your experienced REALTOR® will provide all the tools to write a competitive offer and get you the house you want. Or you will learn rejected offer by rejected offer, that it takes just a little something else to win in a competitive offer situation. Ok… but this is supposed to be about writing a low-ball offer, right? Yes. It is also important to know when NOT to write a low ball offer.

“How do I find a house that I can get a deal on and write a low-ball offer?”

So glad you asked. Now I can tell you about a recent success story of offering $25,000 less than the listed price, and buyer got the house they wanted. The home was originally listed for $625k. After 30 days it was reduced to $594k, then about 20 days after that reduced to $575k. The series of price reductions are a story of a motivated seller and its possible the house was overpriced to begin with. After communicating with the listing agent that my client wanted to offer $550k(when it was listed at $594k), the seller wanted to see if they would get more traction at $575k. When the house did not get an offer that weekend, we submitted the $550k offer, waiving any repairs or price reductions. Buyer would still do their inspections and due diligence. That is exactly what happened. The offer was accepted, inspections completed, additional inspections were completed by structural engineers, roofers, and siding experts. Any repairs found seemed doable over time and we moved forward to close. Done deal. Some times you have to give up something to get something. In this case, buyer was willing to take on minor repairs as long as he completed a thorough inspection of the house.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a house to get a deal on:

  • Days on the market. After 30 days, a seller may have to pay a mortgage. Every month the house is on the market, there are expenses. Especially if it is vacant.
  • Is it in pre-foreclosure? You can find “potential listings” on Zillow. These are homes in pre-foreclosure. They may have missed a few payments and need to sell. Ask your REALTOR® to research the property.
  • Several price reductions. Sign of a motivated seller.
  • The “bones” are good, but it may need some work. If the work looks doable over time, research the costs to repair.
  • Ask your REALTOR® to “get the scoop”. Your REALTOR® will ask all the right questions.
  • Off market properties. Ask your REALTOR® to ask around. Sometimes a seller may be thinking about selling, and told their agent to keep them as a “pocket listing”.
  • Time of year. Consider house shopping after the spring/early summer boom is over.

Here are a few things to consider when writing a lower than asking price offer:

  • Ask your REALTOR® to prepare a CMA. Understand the neighborhood pricing.
  • Consider waiving repairs and or additional price reductions. This is huge advantage to seller, but also a huge advantage for you to buy at a lower price. Win-win. Protect yourself by competing your inspections.
  • Only waive an inspection if you have done a pre-inspect. Your REALTOR® may have you sign an acknowledgement that inspections were recommended and you declined.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a house- contact me! I’d love to guide you through the process.

Julia Robertson, Broker | Living Room Realty

Licensed in Oregon & Washington

541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com

 

Photo Credit…Michael Waraksa, New York Times