17/07/2026
Why online property estimates are often wildly off (using my latest Pt Chev sale as proof) 🧐👇
If you own a home, you’ve done it.
We all jump on OneRoof, Homes.co.nz, or Trade Me, scroll to find the biggest number, and assume that's what our asset is worth.
But I just sold 9 Montrose Street in Point Chevalier for $1,700,000.
Right before the auction, the digital "crystal balls" were having an absolute tug-of-war over what it was worth:
The Reality: Sold for $1,700,000
-OneRoof: Said it could be as low as $1,500,000
-Realestate.co.nz: Pushed out a median of $1,650,000
-Homes & Trade Me: Sat at $1,680,000
-Council CV: Towering up at $1,850,000 (highly inflated because of its THAB zoning as a development site!)
The gap between the computer’s absolute lowest guess ($1.5M) and the official council valuation ($1.85M) was a massive $350,000.
Here is the real problem: Buyers have selective sight. They always anchor to the lowest price. (And oh do they love to quote that bottom price!).
They will hold onto that $1.5M estimate like a shield to justify a cheeky offer, while sellers are naturally looking at the CV. This creates a massive expectation gap before anyone has even made a cup of tea.
The truth? Online portals are just math equations. They can’t see inside your house, they don't understand zoning nuances on the ground, and they have no idea if you've done a beautiful renovation (which can easily double a $20k investment at sale time without the website algorithm ever noticing).
I’ve written a quick, blunt breakdown on exactly how this "tug-of-war" happens and how you can find out what your place is actually worth today.
Read the full article here:
👉 https://active.social/social-share/fvdp7
Or, if you just want a real-time view of your immediate neighborhood without the computer guesswork, check out your local market tracker here:
👉 https://shorturl.at/2dJqs