Zillow Can’t Price Your Home—Here’s What a CMA Does (and Why It Matters)
- Team Pimentel
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
If you’ve ever typed your address into Zillow and thought, “Okay… so that’s what my home is worth,” you’re not alone. Zestimate-style numbers are tempting because they’re instant, easy, and (sometimes) close enough to feel believable.
But when it comes to actually pricing a home to sell—or making a smart offer as a buyer—Zillow is only a starting point. What you really need is a CMA, and it’s one of the most important tools we use to protect your money and your timeline.
Let’s break it down in plain English.
What a CMA Is (In Simple Terms)
A CMA stands for Comparative Market Analysis. Think of it like this:
Zillow gives a guess based on a big data model.
A CMA gives a price opinion based on real, local, relevant home sales—and the details that actually affect value.
A proper CMA looks at homes that are similar to yours (called comps) and answers one key question:
“If your home went on the market today, what would a real buyer realistically pay for it?”
Not what the internet thinks. Not what your neighbor listed for. Not what it sold for five years ago. What the market will support right now.
A CMA typically considers:
Recently sold homes (the most important data)
Active listings (your current competition)
Pending/under contract homes (where the market is actually moving)
Expired/canceled listings (pricing lessons: what didn’t work)
Upgrades, layout, lot size, condition, location nuances, and more
Why Zillow Isn’t Enough (Even If It Looks “Accurate”)
Zillow and other online estimates aren’t “bad”—they’re just limited. Here’s why they can miss the mark:
They don’t see your home
Zillow doesn’t know if your kitchen is fully updated or stuck in 1994. It can’t see that you added a finished basement, a new roof, or a gorgeous patio. It also can’t tell if your home backs up to a busy road, has a weird layout, or needs major repairs.
They struggle with neighborhood nuance
Two homes can be the same size and still have a totally different value based on:
School boundaries
Traffic patterns
Nearby commercial areas
Lot placement (corner lot vs. interior lot)
Micro-location differences (yes, one block can matter)
They can’t track the “why” behind prices
A CMA lets us interpret what’s happening:
Why did one home sell fast while another sat?
Why did a similar home sell for more?
What features are buyers paying extra for right now?
Zillow spits out a number. A CMA explains the story.
What a Good CMA Actually Helps You Do
This is the part people don’t talk about enough: a CMA isn’t just a price tag. It’s a strategy tool.
For sellers: it helps you price it right the first time
Pricing too high can backfire fast. You lose the excitement of that “new listing” moment, showings slow down, and then you’re stuck doing price cuts—while buyers wonder what’s wrong with the house.
Pricing based on a real CMA helps you:
Attract the right buyers quickly
Reduce price reductions
Create stronger negotiation leverage
Sell closer to your timeline goals
For buyers: it helps you make a smart offer
A CMA helps buyers avoid two painful mistakes:
Overpaying because a listing feels competitive
Underbidding and losing a home they actually wanted
We use comps to estimate what the home is likely to appraise for, how hot the demand is, and what offer terms give you the best shot.
For both: it gives you confidence
Real estate decisions are big. A CMA replaces guessing with clarity—so you’re not relying on online estimates when real money is on the line.
Want a Real Answer for Your Home? Get a CMA.
Zillow is fine for a quick peek. But if you’re thinking about selling, buying, refinancing, or even just planning ahead, you deserve better than a generalized algorithm.
A CMA gives you a pricing strategy grounded in real data, real neighborhood context, and what buyers are actually doing today—not what a website predicts.
If you want a CMA done the right way, we’re happy to help.
Call/Text: 847.977.1940
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