{"id":29674,"date":"2024-06-25T04:54:11","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T11:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=29674"},"modified":"2026-04-15T08:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:32:21","slug":"buyer-most-accurate-home-value-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-most-accurate-home-value-website\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Most Accurate Home Value Website? Here\u2019s How to Find Your Best Fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re considering a particular home to buy or you\u2019re just browsing around<\/a>, you\u2019ve probably used a home value website at some point. The internet has made it easier than ever for curious onlookers to find out more information<\/a> about real estate \u2014 without necessarily having to talk to a real estate agent, appraiser, or mortgage lender first.<\/p>\n

There are, however, a lot of sites out there with numbers to share. How do you know which is the most accurate home value website<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Well, spoiler alert: An algorithm-driven website is never going to be a substitute for a real-life expert<\/a>. But, home value websites can be an interesting starting point, and \u2014 let\u2019s face it \u2014 once our browsers figure out that we\u2019re looking at homes for sale, we\u2019re going to see related ads in everything from our Instagram feeds<\/a> to the advertisement sidebars on your preferred news outlet.<\/p>\n

To learn more about which home value website is the most accurate, we spoke with real estate professionals and took a deep dive into the research behind these platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

A quick (and free) way to check your home value<\/h3>\n

Get a preliminary home value estimate in as little as two minutes. Our tool uses information from multiple sources to give you a range of value based on current market trends.<\/p>\n \n

\n Check now<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n

How do home value websites actually calculate value?<\/h2>\n

As you\u2019ve surely assumed, there\u2019s no live human on the other end of home value websites manually updating the database for every recorded property on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

Instead, values are calculated by automated valuation models<\/a>, or AVMs. These models are complex algorithms that generate values based on lots of different data \u2014 everything from online property records<\/a> to pricing trends to recent sales of similar properties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cValuation websites typically base their numbers on public and user-submitted data,\u201d says Kansas City property appraiser Nick Stoddard<\/a>. \u201cThe information is taken from multiple listing services<\/a>, county and tax assessor records, and real estate brokerages to provide an estimated value.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stoddard cautions that while home value websites can be viewed as a next-best option, they\u2019re definitely not as accurate as an appraiser<\/a> who uses real-time, hyper-local information.<\/p>\n

And while AVMs may utilize regression analytics<\/a> to help adjust for differences between square footage of otherwise comparable properties, they don\u2019t take into account upgrades or renovations<\/a> that a homeowner may have completed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese sites rely on generic data, like square footage, number of rooms, and value of similar homes,\u201d says Stoddard.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say you upgrade your basement after purchasing your home, or replace the carpet with hardwood flooring<\/a> \u2014 home valuation websites don\u2019t factor in those upgrades due to how their algorithms are designed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve probably used a home value website at some point. What\u2019s the most accurate home value website, and how can you tell which to trust?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":38205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,629,633],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-home-financing","category-property-values"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat\u2019s the Most Accurate Home Value Website? Here\u2019s What to Know<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019ve probably used a home value website at some point. 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