See which valuation approach drove your appraisal
Appraisers can use three classic approaches: sales comparison, which looks at similar sales; cost, which estimates what it would take to build the property again less depreciation; and income, which values the rent a property can produce. Ask Search+ which approaches your appraisal developed, which ones it set aside and how the reconciliation weighed them, and read the cited commentary for the reasoning.
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Last updated October 2026
How to check the valuation approach with Search+
- Upload the appraisal
Add the full report. Reconciliation and approach commentary often sit near the end or in an addendum.
- Ask which approaches were developed
Ask "Which valuation approaches were developed, which were not, and what reason is given for excluding any?"
- Ask how they were weighed
Ask how the reconciliation weighed each approach to reach the final value, then open the cited excerpt to read the appraiser's explanation.
Questions about the valuation approach
Which of the sales comparison, cost and income approaches does this appraisal develop?
Why was the income approach or the cost approach not developed?
What value does each approach indicate before reconciliation?
Which approach was given the most weight in the final value, and why?
What depreciation and site value assumptions does the cost approach use?
What to look for in the valuation approach
For typical owner-occupied homes, the sales comparison approach usually carries the most weight because buyers compare similar sales.
The cost approach is often more relevant for new construction or properties with few comparable sales.
Rental and commercial properties are often valued partly on the income they produce, using rents and expenses from the report's data.
The final value is not an average. The appraiser explains why one indication was relied on more, and that explanation is worth reading closely.
Search+ answers with citations to the commentary it used, so you can read the appraiser's reasoning in context rather than a summary of it.
Valuation approaches and what to ask
| Approach | What it uses | A question to ask Search+ |
|---|---|---|
| Sales comparison | Adjusted prices of similar recent sales | What value range do the adjusted comps indicate? |
| Cost | Replacement or reproduction cost, depreciation, site value | How was depreciation estimated? |
| Income | Market rent, expenses, capitalization or multipliers | What market rent is used, and where does it come from? |
| Reconciliation | Judgment across the indications | Why did the appraiser favor one approach? |
| Scope of work | Which approaches the assignment required | Does the scope of work explain any omitted approach? |
What is the valuation approach in an appraisal?
The valuation approach is the method an appraiser uses to arrive at a value. Appraisals may develop the sales comparison, cost and income approaches and then reconcile their results into one opinion of value.
Questions about valuation approaches
Can Search+ tell me which approach my appraiser used?
Will it show the value each approach indicated?
Can it explain the reconciliation?
Can I compare approaches across two appraisals?
Is this valuation advice?
Know the method behind the value
Start a workspace, upload the appraisal, and ask which approach it relied on.
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