Pre-Listing Appraisal: Know Your Home’s Value Before You Talk to Realtors

If you are thinking of selling, the first number you hear will shape every decision after it. Listing agents are good at what they do — but understand the position they are in: an agent who suggests the highest price is often the one who wins your listing, whether or not the market will pay that price.

An appraiser has no listing to win. Bill's only job is to tell you what the evidence supports, before you sit down with any realtor.

What you get:

An independent value: A full appraisal based on an in-person inspection, measurements, condition, and recent comparable sales — not an online estimate built from incomplete records.

Protection on both sides: Price too high and the house sits, goes stale, and often sells for less in the end. Price too low and you leave money on the table you cannot get back. A defensible value helps you and your agent price it right the first time and negotiate from strength when offers come in.

Help for the hard-to-price homes: If family members or co-owners disagree on price, if the home is unusual, has additions, or there are few comparable sales nearby, an independent report gives everyone the same starting point.

Support if you sell it yourself: Selling on your own? A pre-listing appraisal gives For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sellers a credible asking price and support when a buyer, a buyer's agent, or a lender questions it.

Why Bill: Bill is a licensed California appraiser with 28 years of experience in the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County, and surrounding areas. He does not list homes, he does not earn a commission, and his fee does not change with the value. You get a straight answer, in writing, with the sales and reasoning behind it.

California Licensed Real Estate Appraiser — License AL026006

How it works:

1. Contact Bill — Tell him the address and that you are considering selling. No realtor needs to be involved at this stage.

2. Property visit — Bill inspects and measures the home and notes the updates, condition, and features buyers will actually pay for — and the ones they will not.

3. You get the report — An independent value you can take into every listing conversation, pricing decision, and negotiation, knowing where you stand.

Thinking of selling? Get your number first. Call or text Bill at 626-374-1076 — before the listing appointment, not after. Flat fee: $450

Serving Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange County, California.