{"id":6275,"date":"2025-07-22T02:00:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T09:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=6275"},"modified":"2026-04-06T07:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T14:59:27","slug":"comps-for-my-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/comps-for-my-house\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Comps for My House: An Illustrated Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once upon a time, the only place you could find property data was the MLS (multiple listing service)<\/a>, a series of private databases real estate professionals use to share listing information among one another and broker deals. Before contacting a real estate agent, you had no idea how much your house was worth<\/a> or how much you could make in a home sale<\/a>. If you were making an offer on a house, was the asking price fair?<\/p>\n

Today, all you need is a Wi-Fi connection to dig up specs like square footage, bedroom count, and selling prices on nearly any house across the country.<\/p>\n

This \u201chow to find comps for my house\u201d crash course will teach you how to find comparable sales<\/a> and calculate a rough estimate of your home\u2019s value. Then you can decide if you\u2019d like to do it alone or enlist a pro\u2019s help<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Price Your Home Right With a Top Agent<\/h3>\n

Our agent matching platform takes into account an agent\u2019s specialties and certifications, years of experience, and concentration of transactions in your neighborhood \u2014 helping you set an accurate price for your home sale.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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What are comps in real estate?<\/h2>\n

In real estate, the term \u201ccomps\u201d \u2014 short for comparables \u2014 refers to recently sold homes that are similar to your house. To be a comp, the house must have similar characteristics, such as size, school district, and amenities.<\/p>\n

Comps give you a range for its \u201cmarket value<\/a>,\u201d which you can then add or subtract from based on your home\u2019s unique characteristics and features. For example, if you have a two-car garage and your neighbor has a one-car garage, your home might sell for more.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve assembled your pool of similar properties, look at their sold prices. Active listings are not an accurate comparison point<\/a> for your home\u2019s value until they sell.<\/p>\n

Why? Even if the home down the street is listed for $500,000, it hasn\u2019t sold yet \u2014 so how do you know if it\u2019s too high or too low?<\/p>\n

Comps sold within the last 60 days are preferable because their sale price reflects current market conditions<\/a>. However, recent sales aren\u2019t always available, so you may have to pull comps from as long as six to 12 months ago.<\/p>\n

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What factors are used when finding comps?<\/h2>\n

Agents \u2014 and appraisers<\/a> \u2014 use these factors to identify comps. Agents use the same factors as a home appraiser because they know that if your house fails to appraise appropriately, a buyer may not get a mortgage on it, and the sale could fall through.<\/p>\n