Pre-listing and private sale appraisers in Canada
A pre-listing appraisal is a home appraisal you commission yourself before selling, so you know what the market is likely to pay before you set a price. It is the same analysis a lender’s appraiser performs, comparable sales, adjusted for differences, except that you are the client, and the report answers your question rather than a lender’s.
The appraisers listed here take private work for sellers across Canada, including owners selling privately, buyers and sellers agreeing a price between family members, and anyone who wants a number without a listing agreement attached.
No pre-listing and private sale appraisal listed in Canada yet
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Are you an appraiser? List here freeHome appraisal for selling versus a realtor’s market analysis
A realtor’s comparative market analysis is free because it is part of winning the listing. It can be very good, but it is prepared by someone whose income depends on getting the listing, and the price it suggests is a marketing decision as much as a valuation.
An appraiser is paid a fee regardless of the number and does not sell the property. That independence is what you are buying. It matters most when the price is contested, between siblings, between a seller and a buyer who know each other, or when you are selling privately without an agent to argue the price for you.
Private sale and sale-by-owner appraisal
A seller without an agent has no one to defend the price. A written appraisal gives buyers something concrete to weigh their offer against, and gives you a reasoned floor for negotiation.
It does not replace the buyer’s lender appraisal. If the buyer is financing, their lender will still order its own report, and if that comes in lower, the buyer will have to cover the gap or renegotiate. A pre-listing report that was realistic in the first place makes that less likely.
How to prepare for a home appraisal
Give the appraiser access to every room, the basement, the attic hatch and any outbuildings. Have a list of improvements with dates, roof, windows, furnace, kitchen, bathrooms, and permits for anything structural. Unpermitted work may be noted rather than credited.
Tidying helps the photographs but does not change the value. Condition, size, layout, location and recent comparable sales do. If you know of a nearby sale the appraiser might not have found, such as a private sale, mention it with the address and date.
Common questions
Is it worth getting an appraisal before selling a house?
It is most worth it when there is no agent setting the price, when the home is unusual and hard to compare, or when family members need to agree on a figure. For a typical home listed with an agent in an active market, the agent’s analysis and the market’s response usually settle the price without one.
What do appraisers look for in a house?
Size and layout, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, condition and quality of finishes, age and state of major systems, lot size and location, and any features that set it apart. They then compare it with recent sales of similar homes nearby and adjust for each difference.
Can a buyer’s lender use my pre-listing appraisal?
Generally not. The buyer’s lender will order its own report with itself as the client. Your appraisal is evidence for pricing and negotiation, not a substitute for the lender’s.
What should be on a home appraisal checklist?
Access to every area of the house and property, a list of renovations and upgrades with dates, building permits, recent utility or property tax bills if asked, a survey if you have one, and notes on anything the appraiser cannot see, such as a replaced sewer line or new insulation.