Selling ·
What a broker price opinion (BPO) is and why it beats an online estimate
Before you list, you need a number you can trust. An online estimate gives you a number fast. A broker price opinion, a BPO, gives you a number you can defend.
What a BPO is
A broker price opinion is a written opinion of a home's likely sale price, prepared by a licensed broker. Every BPO I build starts from recent closed sales near your home: houses that actually sold and closed, not houses that are still asking.
Closed sales matter because they're what buyers actually paid and what appraisals actually supported. Active listings show what sellers hope for. Closed sales show what happened.
Why an online estimate falls short
An online estimate is a computer model. It works from public records and general data, and it has never walked through your house. It can't see that you redid the kitchen, that the backyard backs to a greenbelt, or that the roof is near the end of its life.
Fine for curiosity. Weak foundation for a list price. Price too high and it sits. Price too low and you leave money on the table.
How I build a BPO
- Recent closed sales near you. Homes close to yours in size, age and condition that closed recently, as close to your street as the data allows.
- Adjust for what's different. Updates, lot, layout and condition move the number up or down.
- A walk-through. We walk the house together and I tell you which repairs earn their cost back, and which ones to skip.
- A price range with reasons. You see the sales behind the number, not just the number.
The sheet that comes with it: your net after payoff
The price is only half the answer. The other half is what you walk away with. With the BPO, you get a sheet that starts at the sale price and subtracts your mortgage payoff and estimated closing costs, so you see your net before you decide to list.
If you still owe on the home, that sheet is the most important page in the package.
What happens after the BPO
If we list, the work keeps going the same way: a weekly listing refresh so it doesn't go stale, a weekly recap of showings and feedback, and when offers arrive, two or three counter options, each built to hit your number. You choose which one goes back.
How to get one
Send your address through the home value form, or text me at (512) 661-9216. You'll hear from me, not an auto-estimate.