Why Agents Don’t Always Agree
When an agent gives you a valuation, they’re not just looking at the bricks and mortar. They’re weighing up:
- what has sold recently
- what’s currently on the market
- how buyers are behaving right now
- who they already have registered and ready to view
- how they believe your home will compete
Because each agent brings their own experience and information to the table, the numbers can naturally vary.
Here are the main reasons why.
1. Different Evidence Sets
Agents don’t all use the same recent sales or the same “comparables”. One might focus on a home that sold six months ago. Another might prioritise a similar property that just launched last week.
Why it matters: Older sales show where the market was. Current competition shows where the market is.
Depending on which evidence an agent leans on, the figure can shift.
2. Different Buyer Pools
Some agents will already have buyers in mind for your home — people they’ve spoken to recently who are actively looking for something similar.
Why it matters: If an agent can already picture two or three strong buyers, they may feel more confident about quoting a higher range. Another agent, with fewer relevant buyers on their books, may take a more cautious view.
Neither is wrong — they’re simply working from different information.
3. Different Readings of Demand
Agents spend their days talking to buyers, and each one builds their own sense of:
- how quickly homes are selling
- what buyers are prioritising
- how price‑sensitive the market feels
- whether competition is heating up or cooling down
Two agents can look at the same home and make different predictions about how buyers will respond.
4. Different Pricing Strategies
Some agents prefer to start at a confident, competitive price to attract strong early interest. Others may suggest a slightly higher “test the market” figure to see if the right buyer appears.
Why it matters: These are simply different approaches — not right or wrong, just different ways of positioning your home. A higher valuation often reflects a different strategy, not a different belief about your home’s worth.
A WORD OF WARNING!
Sometimes the strategy isn’t for you, it’s for your agent. Beware of the high valuation that is only designed to ‘win the listing’. Some agents are under pressure to win your business and the know a high price might convince you to list with them. Check out why the highest price isn’t always the best price.
5. Different Experience Levels
Experience shapes interpretation. An agent who has sold several homes like yours recently may feel more certain about the likely range. Another may be relying more heavily on general market data.
Again — neither is wrong. They’re just drawing from different pools of knowledge.
The Key Point
When valuations differ, it’s rarely because someone is “wrong”. It’s usually because each agent is looking at your home through their own lens — their evidence, their buyers, their experience, their strategy.
The value of your home sits within a range. The right agent helps you understand that range and choose the best starting point for your move.
