How do I compare listing agents who suggest very different prices for my Sherman Oaks home?

Make sure they are answering the same question

Different numbers do not always mean the agents disagree about your home’s value. They may be proposing different marketing strategies or assuming different levels of preparation.

Ask each agent for:

• Estimated sale-price range: What do they reasonably expect a buyer to pay, and why?
• Recommended asking price: How does that price support the selling strategy?
• Preparation assumptions: Does the recommendation assume staging, repairs, painting or other improvements?
• Timing assumptions: Does it depend on a particular launch date or your willingness to wait?

One agent may be pricing the home as it stands, while another assumes substantial preparation. Compare their recommendations on the same basis before deciding which is more credible.

Have each agent explain the comparable sales

Ask for a written comparative market analysis and a walkthrough of the properties that carry the most weight.

The explanation should address:

• Why each property is comparable to yours.
• When it sold and whether market conditions have changed.
• Differences in condition, size, layout, lot utility and location.
• Any known concessions or unusual circumstances affecting the sale.
• Why certain nearby sales were excluded.

Closed sales show completed transactions. Active listings show your competition, but their asking prices do not establish what buyers will pay. Pending listings can help show where buyers are responding, although the final price may not yet be available.

A useful analysis explains the differences rather than simply averaging nearby prices.

Look closely at Sherman Oaks property differences

A Sherman Oaks address alone does not make two homes comparable.

Hillside and flatland properties can differ in views, access, parking, usable outdoor space and maintenance considerations. Proximity to Ventura Boulevard, freeway exposure, street traffic, privacy and the surrounding development can also matter.

Ask how the agent accounted for those features in your particular comparison. A larger hillside lot does not necessarily provide more usable land than a smaller flat lot.

Price per square foot can be a useful reference, but it should not carry the analysis by itself. Layout, condition, lot characteristics and improvements can create meaningful differences between similarly sized homes.

Ask what must happen for the proposed price to work

A higher recommendation should come with evidence explaining why buyers would choose your home over competing options at that price.

A lower recommendation should come with an equally clear explanation. Is the agent positioning the home to attract broader interest, reflecting a condition issue or responding to your timing needs?

Neither approach guarantees a particular result. A lower asking price does not guarantee multiple offers, and a higher asking price does not guarantee a higher sale price.

Ask: “If buyers compare my home with the strongest alternatives, what makes this price convincing?”

Compare the execution plan

Pricing and presentation work together. Ask what each agent will actually do to support the recommendation:

• Which improvements are worth considering, with estimated costs.
• How photography, staging and listing copy will present the property.
• How showings will be handled.
• How the home will reach likely buyers and their agents.
• Who will collect feedback, evaluate offers and lead negotiations.

Also ask for examples of comparable listings the agent handled. Review the original asking price, subsequent changes, time on market and final result where available.

A strong sale-to-list-price percentage means more when you know whether it uses the original asking price or a reduced price.

Agree on how you will evaluate buyer response

Before launching, ask each agent how they will recognize whether the strategy is working.

Useful indicators include showing activity, repeat visits, inquiries, buyer feedback, offers and changes among competing listings. Online views alone provide an incomplete picture.

Agree on a review schedule and the evidence that would justify changing presentation, access, terms or price. Avoid relying on an unexplained promise to “start high and see what happens.”

Time on the market has carrying costs, and your next move may depend on the proceeds. Those consequences belong in the discussion.

Compare likely net proceeds and your priorities

Ask for estimated net proceeds under more than one realistic sale-price scenario. Include selling expenses, preparation costs, mortgage payoff and the cost of carrying the property through the anticipated timeline.

Then consider which approach best fits your priorities: maximizing proceeds, coordinating another purchase, limiting disruption or meeting a deadline.

Do not choose an agent solely because they suggested the highest price, and do not assume the lowest recommendation is the most realistic. Choose the agent who demonstrates sound judgment, explains uncertainty honestly and can carry out the strategy you agree on.