09/18/2026
On every assignment I complete, my assistant reaches out to the agents involved in the comparable sales I use to confirm things like sale price, concessions, condition, whether it was arm’s length, and anything else that might be relevant. This week, one agent responded with something I do not hear very often: “I don’t think you should use this as a comparable. It sold over two years ago, and there are much more recent sales in the neighborhood.” What the agent did not know was that I was completing a retrospective appraisal for a date of death, and that older sale was actually relevant to the effective date of the appraisal.
Instead of just saying thanks and moving on, I took the opportunity to explain that appraisers do more than estimate current market value. We also complete retrospective valuations for estates, divorces, tax matters, litigation, and other assignments where the value date may be months or even years in the past. Now that agent knows a little more about what I do, and maybe the next time someone mentions needing a value as of a prior date, my name comes to mind. When you confirm comparable sales, what kinds of responses have you received, and are you using those conversations as an opportunity to educate agents about the other types of appraisal work you do?
