Financing
Comparables (comps)
Recently sold or rented properties similar to yours, used to estimate what a property is worth or what rent it can command.
Glossary
Financing
What are real estate comparables?
Primary references on this page:
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Fannie Mae Selling Guide: Adjustments to Comparable SalesComparables — usually shortened to "comps" — are properties similar enough to the subject that their observed sale prices or rents help estimate its value or market rent. Sales comps support a valuation opinion; rental comps support a pricing decision. They are related datasets, but a home that sold for a useful price is not automatically evidence of the rent a tenant will pay.
Similarity is multidimensional. Location, property type, unit size, bedroom and bathroom count, condition, amenities, utilities, parking, lease timing, concessions, and whether a transaction actually closed can all change how useful a comp is. A nearby renovated unit with utilities included may be less comparable than a slightly farther unit with the same finish and lease terms.
A comp does not become correct because it is the highest, closest, or newest result. Use a group, disclose why each record was included, and adjust only for differences you can explain. Fannie Mae's appraisal guidance likewise emphasizes that the best comparable is the most similar competitive property, not necessarily the nearest sale, and that adjustments should reflect market reaction rather than a mechanical rule.
For a small landlord setting rent, distinguish asking rent from effective rent. A listing at $1,700 with one month free on a 12-month lease has a lower effective first-year rent than its headline number. Record the observation date and source, remove duplicates, note concessions and included services, and revisit the conclusion when the lease is actually renewed or signed.
A defensible rental-comp grid
Start with the subject property in the first column, then give every candidate comp the same fields: source, address or submarket, observation date, unit type, size, condition, listed rent, known signed rent, concession, utilities, parking, and an inclusion note. Do not fill an unknown field with an assumption; mark it unknown so the uncertainty stays visible.
After screening for obvious mismatches, show a range and a reasoned conclusion rather than pretending a small sample produces one exact number. A landlord can then compare the signed result with the estimate and improve the next review.
When a comp should be rejected
Reject or heavily discount a record when its property type, legal use, physical condition, service package, lease period, or micro-location makes comparison misleading. Also reject duplicate syndications of the same listing; ten copies of one listing are still one observation.
A thin market may require older or farther evidence. That is not a reason to hide the limitation. Expand the search deliberately, label the trade-off, and avoid presenting a rough landlord pricing review as a licensed appraisal.
Market-rent evidence path
Move from a market-rent definition to an auditable comp range
A defensible estimate starts with a frozen subject profile, documented inclusion rules, normalized concessions, supported adjustments, and an explicit uncertainty range.
Definition
Market rent
The estimated rent a comparable unit could command under current market conditions.
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Guide
Estimate market rent with comparables
A unit-level inclusion, normalization, range, and review workflow for small landlords.
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Guide
Build a rental comp adjustment grid
Record why each comp differs and express adjustments as supported ranges.
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Tool
Market-rent comparables workbook
Organize subject facts, comp evidence, concessions, adjustments, and uncertainty.
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