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Why Your Listing Agent Should Attend the Appraisal — And How It Protects Your Home’s Value
Selling Your Home by Natasha Lingle
When a home goes under contract, sellers often assume the hardest part is behind them. But one critical step can still jeopardize the sale price: the home appraisal.
A low home appraisal is one of the biggest threats to a home sale. When an appraisal comes in below the contract price, the lender will base financing on the lower appraised value — not the higher agreed price. That difference gives the buyer the right to request a price reduction or other concessions. And if the seller chooses not to match the appraised value, the buyer can void the contract under the appraisal contingency.
In other words, a low appraisal puts the sellers in a position where they must decide whether to take less money or risk losing the buyer altogether.
This is exactly why a listing agent’s involvement during the appraisal isn’t optional — it’s essential to protecting the home’s value.
Why Appraisers Can Miss the Full Value of a Home
An appraiser’s job is to determine the property’s fair market value based on recent comparable sales (“comps”). However, the process is not as personalized or intuitive as many sellers might expect.
In most cases, the appraisers begin their analysis with system-generated comparable sales. These automated results do not account for the unique condition, upgrades, improvements, or lot characteristics of a specific home. Without proper context, an appraiser may rely on data that doesn’t accurately reflect the property’s true value.
This is where problems can occur:
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Out-of-area appraisers: At times, the appraiser assigned to the property may be from another county or an unfamiliar part of the region. When an appraiser has never walked the neighborhood or studied its micro-market trends, it increases the risk of inaccurate valuation.
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Inappropriate comparable sales: It’s common for automated systems to include nearby listings that sold for significantly less — even if those properties lacked major upgrades such as a renovated kitchen, updated systems, a flat or usable yard, or a newer roof. Unless someone is physically present to point out why a lower-priced sale is not truly comparable, these details can be overlooked, resulting in an artificially low appraisal.
A home can be beautifully maintained and thoughtfully improved, but without proper representation during the appraisal, those benefits may never make it into the valuation.
How a Listing Agent Can Advocate During the Appraisal
The purpose of meeting the appraiser is not to influence or pressure the valuation. Instead, it is to provide accurate, organized information that supports a fair and informed assessment of the property.
When I meet an appraiser, I bring a custom information folder, which typically includes:
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A printed list of all recent upgrades and improvements
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Floor plans, which appraisers consistently find helpful during their walkthrough
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Notes explaining the pricing strategy, and how we arrived at the list price
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A full Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) with supporting data
This packet ensures the appraiser has everything needed to understand the home’s features, the rationale behind the price, and how it fits within the local market.
Additionally, being present allows me to:
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Answer questions in real time
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Clarify differences between the subject property and other recent sales
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Provide neighborhood insights the appraiser may not have
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Ensure the appraiser sees improvements or features that might otherwise be missed
This is not about “chasing” a number. It is about ensuring the home is evaluated fairly, with complete and accurate information.
Why This Step Matters for Sellers
A listing agent’s involvement in the home appraisal process can have a significant impact on the outcome of the transaction. When an appraiser receives clear, comprehensive data and an in-person explanation of the home’s features, the likelihood of an accurate valuation increases dramatically.
Skipping this step may seem small, but in a market where appraisals can make or break a sale, this is one of the moments where a listing agent truly earns — or loses — money for their clients.
Many sellers never realize how important this part of the process is until a low appraisal threatens the deal. Meeting the appraiser is a proactive way to protect the home’s value, support a smooth closing, and ensure the property is evaluated with the full context it deserves.
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Natasha Lingle is an energetic and personable real estate professional with a proven track record of success representing home buyers, sellers and investors throughout Northern Virginia. Natasha is known for her deep knowledge of the local market, tenacity, strong negotiating skills, honesty and integrity. Whether providing expert guidance to buyers or creating custom marketing plans for the sellers, Natasha delivers the highest level of customer service to all her clients.
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