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FAIR Appraisal Guide

Comparable Sales Sourcing Methodology

For owners and advisors choosing an appraisal route.

Comparable sales sourcing should prioritize relevance, transparency, and consistent adjustment logic. A useful comp set is not the longest list; it is the clearest set of market evidence for the property, value basis, and intended use.

Use Match FAIR appraiser directory

Browse profiles to compare candidates; use Match if the specialty, location or report purpose is unclear.

Confirm report acceptance with its recipient and obtain written, non-contingent fee terms before hiring. A FAIR listing does not certify suitability.

Editorial revision date not recorded. Profile source checks are recorded separately on each profile.

Comparable Sales Sourcing for Appraisal Reports - FAIR online appraisal guide illustration
Decision guide

When a formal appraisal is worth it

Use the purpose of the value first. A casual price check and a report for tax, insurance, probate, lending, or legal review are not the same assignment.

When a formal appraisal is worth it
Situation Formal appraisal? Why it matters
Personal curiosity or early sorting Not always Start with identification, photos, and rough triage before paying for a formal report.
Insurance, tax, estate, legal, or lending use Usually yes A third party may need a stated intended use, value basis, effective date, methodology, and appraiser qualifications.
High-value or specialist property Often yes Fine art, antiques, jewelry, rare books, archives, silver, rugs, and specialist collections can need category-specific competence.
Next step

Turn the guide into a shortlist.

Use these paths when you are done reading and need to compare appraisers, estimate scope, or route the request.

Search the FAIR directoryCompare public profile signals, service area, specialty fit, and fee transparency before outreach.Ask for a FAIR matchUse Match when the category, location, report purpose, or specialist boundary is unclear.Estimate appraisal costOrganize item count, report purpose, inspection needs, and timing before asking for a quote.

Comparable selection criteria

Select comps that are meaningfully similar and contextually appropriate. The report should show why each sale belongs in the analysis.

  • Match category, period, medium, scale, maker or artist, edition, material, and market tier where possible.
  • Screen for condition, provenance, restoration, attribution, and sale venue relevance.
  • Use recent and context-appropriate market references, while explaining older sales when they are still the best evidence.
  • Do not include weak comps only to make the table look fuller.

Adjustment and explanation standards

Adjustments should be understandable to non-specialist reviewers. If the logic cannot be explained clearly, the support chain is too weak.

  • State why each comp is included or excluded.
  • Document material adjustments in plain language.
  • Explain differences in condition, provenance, scale, date, edition, venue, and market timing.
  • Tie the final conclusion back to the comp set clearly.

Common questions

Is more comps always better?

No. Relevance and explanation quality matter more than count. Three strong, well-explained comps are usually better than a long list of weak matches.

Should outliers be included?

Only when they are justified and clearly contextualized. An outlier can be useful, but the report should explain why it does or does not influence the conclusion.

How do I make comps review-friendly?

Use consistent labels, clear source references, and a direct connection between the comp table, the narrative, and the final value conclusion.

More related resources (4)

Open the FAIR guidance hub

How to interpret FAIR listings
FAIR trust boundary and source references
  • FAIR does not license appraisers.
  • FAIR does not certify competence or guarantee availability.
  • Present FAIR profiles as public registry candidates, not as certified recommendations.
  • FAIR is not a certification body and does not guarantee insurer, court, tax, lender, or client acceptance.
  • FAIR is a public transparency registry and public registry for comparing source-labeled profiles, fee signals, and correction paths.