The single most important decision when you sell is the asking price. Price it too high and the home sits while buyers wonder what is wrong with it. Price it too low and you leave money on the table. A comparative market analysis, or CMA, is how we take the guesswork out of that decision.
What a CMA is
A CMA is a detailed comparison of your home against similar homes in your area that have recently sold, are for sale now, or were listed and did not sell. It is prepared by a REALTOR® using the MLS® System, and it shows what buyers in your neighbourhood are actually paying today, not what a home was worth when you bought it or what an online estimate guesses from a distance.
What goes into it
Recent sales. These carry the most weight. We look for homes close to yours, ideally in the same neighbourhood, that sold in the last few months and are similar in type, size, age, lot and condition.
Current listings. These are your competition. Buyers will compare your home with everything else on the market the week you list.
Expired and withdrawn listings. Homes that did not sell tell us where buyers drew the line on price.
Adjustments. No two homes are identical. We adjust for the differences that buyers pay for: a finished basement, a renovated kitchen, a double garage, a pool, a lot backing onto green space, or a busy road out front.
Why local detail matters so much here
York Region and Simcoe County are not one market. A detached home in Newmarket, a townhouse in Aurora, a waterfront property on Lake Simcoe in Innisfil and a new build in Bradford West Gwillimbury each attract different buyers, and prices can shift from one street to the next. A good CMA reflects that, which is why it starts with the right comparables rather than a regional average.
The wider market still sets the tone. In August 2026, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board reported an average GTA selling price of $993,410, down 2.7% from a year earlier, with the MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark down 4.5% year over year. In a market like that, a price based on last year's sales can easily be too high.
A CMA is not an appraisal
An appraisal is prepared by a licensed appraiser, usually for a lender, to support a mortgage. A CMA is prepared by your REALTOR® to set a listing strategy. Both look at comparable sales, but a CMA also looks at your competition and at how buyers are behaving right now, which is what you need when choosing an asking price.
How we use it
When we prepare a CMA for a seller, we walk through the comparables with you, explain every adjustment, and recommend a price range and a strategy for it. We also look at timing: what is coming to market in your area, how quickly similar homes are selling, and what that means for when to list. Our team has been doing this north of Toronto since 1989, across more than 5,000 home sales.
Get your number
For a quick estimate, start with MyValue.ca. For a full comparative market analysis of your home, with no obligation, call us at (905) 830-9111 or read more about how we sell homes.
