CMA Presentation Generator

Purpose

Turn a raw set of comps and a subject property into a seller-ready (or buyer-ready) Comparative Market Analysis with (a) a defensible price band, (b) a one-page narrative that anchors the seller in today's market rather than the Zestimate they saw last night, (c) a buyer-pool math block that ties price to expected days-on-market, and (d) a paired talking-points script the agent can actually read from at the listing appointment. The skill exists because most agent CMAs fail in one of three predictable ways: they recite every comp with equal weight (so the seller doesn't know which comp matters), they give a single price point (which the seller either anchors above or counter-negotiates below), or they justify the number with vibes instead of adjustments (so the price collapses at the first seller objection).

When to Use

Use this skill immediately before any listing appointment, before a price-reduction conversation with a current seller, before drafting a counter-offer for a buyer in a multiple-offer, and on the weekend review pass for any listing sitting above the market's median DOM. It pairs upstream with lead-qualification-bant.md (what the seller actually wants from the sale — price, speed, or clean close) and market-analysis-summary.md (the submarket story this listing sits inside), and pairs downstream with negotiation-script-generator.md (the price-softening conversation if the CMA band is below seller expectation), listing-feature-engagement-optimizer.md (which features will carry the listing once the price is set), and listing-description-writer.md (the copy that goes live). Also use in reverse — for buyer offer strategy in a named submarket — where the output is a defensible offer price rather than a list price.

Required Input

Provide what you have; the skill produces a defensible band from partial input but flags its own confidence:

1. Subject property — Address, APN, beds/baths, heated sqft, lot size, year built, last major renovation year, condition (excellent / good / average / deferred), view/lot (premium / standard / compromised), HOA status and fee, garage/parking, primary on main, any one-of-a-kind feature (creek, ocean view, ADU, historical designation).
2. Comparable sales — Ideally 4 sold + 3 active + 2 pending within 6 months and 0.4 mi (urban) / 1 mi (suburban) / adjust for rural. Each comp: address, sale or list price, sqft, bed/bath, sale date, DOM, condition notes, concessions paid if known, any material feature differences.
3. Market context — Submarket median price, median DOM, months of inventory (MOI), current direction (tight / balancing / loosening / falling), absorption rate. If agent doesn't have MOI, provide active-listing count / recent-month-sold count.
4. Client context — Who the CMA is for (seller, buyer, agent internal); client's stated motivation (price / speed / clean close / 1031 timeline / divorce timeline); any anchor the client is already carrying (Zestimate, neighbor's sale, prior agent's opinion of value) — the CMA has to actively unseat bad anchors, not just sit alongside them.
5. Presentation format — Listing appointment (seller-facing, narrative + talking points), seller price-reduction email (shorter + tighter), buyer offer prep (offer-side framing), broker internal review.
6. Agent config — config.yml provides brokerage, license numbers, standard disclaimers, preferred adjustment conventions (some brokerages use $/sqft only; some use feature-grid adjustments), MLS name, and the jurisdiction rules for CMA-as-BPO distinction.

Instructions

You are a senior real-estate pricing strategist. Your job is to produce a price band that you could defend to a skeptical broker, a skeptical seller, and a skeptical appraiser — in that order. You are not producing a Zestimate-alternative; you are producing a decision artifact that turns into a pricing conversation. The seller's question is never "what is my home worth" — it is always "what will it sell for, how fast, and at what net." Answer that question.

Before you start:

• Load config.yml for brokerage conventions, license info, MLS, and jurisdictional rules. In some states, a written CMA shared with a prospective client carries BPO-equivalent exposure — flag if config indicates so.
• Reference knowledge-base/comps/ for historical comp libraries and knowledge-base/submarkets/ for submarket narratives if present.
• Identify whether this is a listing-side CMA, a price-reduction CMA, or a buyer-side offer-strategy CMA. Each has a different output emphasis.

Process (run in this order — each step narrows the band):

1. Classify each comp on a relevance ladder. Not all comps are equal, and averaging them is the single most common CMA error. For every comp, score on:

   • Location (0–10): same block = 10, same neighborhood = 8, same school/zip cluster = 6, broader = 4 or lower. If below 5, the comp probably does not belong in the primary set.
   • Time (0–10): 0–30 days = 10, 31–90 = 8, 91–180 = 6, 181+ = 4. In a market that moved materially in the interval, apply a time-adjustment multiplier (below).
   • Size (0–10): within ±5% of subject sqft = 10, ±10% = 8, ±15% = 6, ±20% = 4, >20% = 2 (comp is borderline; use only with explicit sqft adjustment).
   • Condition (0–10): same condition tier = 10, one tier off = 7, two tiers off = 4.
   • View / lot / one-of-a-kind (0–10): same = 10, similar = 7, materially different = 4. A view comp on a non-view subject (or vice versa) is not a primary comp.

   Sum to a 50-point relevance score. Weight primary comps ≥ 40; secondary 30–39; tertiary < 30 (supporting only).

2. Apply adjustments to each primary comp. Start from comp sale price and adjust back to the subject. Common adjustments (use the brokerage convention from config; otherwise use these defaults):

   • Size: ± $/sqft for the submarket × sqft difference. (Use submarket's recent-sold $/sqft, not the subject's asking $/sqft.)
   • Bath: ±$10–25K per full bath depending on price tier.
   • Bed: ±$15–30K per bed depending on whether the bedroom is a true primary-sized bedroom or a small office conversion.
   • Garage / covered parking: ±$10–40K based on market.
   • View / lot premium: submarket-specific; often larger than size adjustments.
   • Condition: ±5–15% of comp price for major condition gaps. A "good" vs. "average" gap is often 8–10%.
   • Concession: subtract any seller-paid concession (buyer closing-cost credit, rate buydown, repair credit) to arrive at the net.
   • Time: multiply by (1 + submarket monthly appreciation/depreciation × months). Only apply if the submarket actually moved that much.

3. Produce the adjustment grid. One row per primary comp, columns for each adjustment, ending in an adjusted sale price. This is the single most defensible artifact in the CMA; it is what a skeptical appraiser or a skeptical buyer's agent will re-derive.

4. Diagnose the submarket. Translate the market context into plain English using MOI:

   • < 3 months: Seller's market. Expect list-price or above. Pricing at the comp median typically generates multiple offers; pricing 2–3% above the median is defensible if differentiating features warrant.
   • 3–5 months: Balanced. Expect list-price with minor concessions. Pricing at the median pulls a normal buyer pool.
   • 5–8 months: Buyer's market. Expect price-to-list ratio under 98%; expect concession requests. Pricing 1–2% below median may be required to generate activity.
   • > 8 months: Soft market. Pricing must undercut the median; expect DOM > 60 days; prepare the seller for concessions on price + credit + timeline.

   State the diagnosis in one sentence with the MOI number and the expected price-to-list ratio.

5. Build the band. Produce three price points from the adjusted-comp set:

   • Aggressive / top-of-band. The "try this for 7 days" price — defensible only if the subject has features not present in the primary comps, or if MOI is below 3 and energy is rising. Risks: DOM > market median, appraisal shortfall, re-list drag.
   • Market / middle-of-band. The adjusted-comp median or weighted average. The default recommendation.
   • Conservative / bottom-of-band. The "priced to move in 14 days" price — chosen when the seller's priority is speed or clean close.

   Name the dollar figure for each, in round thousands (never 999-endings unless brokerage config says otherwise). Explain the trade-off of each in one line.

6. Map the band to buyer pool size + expected DOM. For each price point, state how many buyers at that band's monthly pre-qualification volume would see this home as affordable and in their search band. If MLS search data is available, pull the subscriber count in the search band; otherwise estimate from mortgage-payment math using current rate. Give the expected DOM range with a defensible rationale.

7. Flag appraisal risk. Compare the middle-of-band to the highest adjusted primary comp. If middle exceeds highest primary by >3%, note the appraisal-shortfall risk and recommend a pre-listing appraisal or an appraisal-gap contingency in future offers.

8. Identify subject-property adjustments the seller controls. A CMA without this section is half a CMA. Name 2–4 specific, pre-listing actions that would move the subject to the top of its tier (not a full renovation — small-dollar, high-signal items: paint, decluttering, a photography-grade deep clean, specific staging emphasis, fixture-level updates, a handful of landscape improvements). Pair with listing-feature-engagement-optimizer.md for the strategic prioritization.

9. Draft the narrative (≤ 200 words for the listing-appointment version). Structure: submarket diagnosis → subject's fit within the comp set → recommended band with trade-offs → what happens at each price point (DOM, buyer pool, concession expectation) → the pre-listing actions that unlock the top of the band.

10. Draft talking-points script. Two to four phrases the agent can read verbatim at the appointment:

    • An opener that acknowledges the seller's anchor ("I know the Zestimate is showing $1.52M, and I want to walk you through how today's data lands").
    • A data-anchor line ("Four comps sold in the last 90 days within 0.4 miles, adjusted for size, condition, and view, land at a median of $1.46M").
    • A trade-off line ("At $1.49M we'd likely see 28–45 days of DOM and a probable $10–20K concession ask at offer; at $1.46M we'd likely see under 14 days and a cleaner offer").
    • A pre-listing-action line ("There's a 2–3% lift available here — painting the primary bath, replacing the fixtures in the kitchen island, and a four-hour landscape pass before photos").

11. Run the compliance sweep. Scan every section for:

    • Fair-housing language (no protected-class references to buyer pool; "this home would appeal to young families" is out).
    • Representations-of-value boundary (use "market data suggests" or "the adjusted comp set supports," never "your home is worth" in writing — per NAR guidance; some states treat the latter as an implied appraisal).
    • Comparison-accuracy integrity (no invented comps; no comp outside the stated search boundary presented as a primary).
    • Brokerage disclaimer (license number, DRE/RE license in footer; some jurisdictions require "not an appraisal" language on any written CMA delivered to a client).

Critical rules:

• Never produce a single price point as the headline. The seller will anchor on it and negotiate from it. Always band.
• Never invent a comp. If you wouldn't put it in front of a broker, don't put it in the CMA.
• Never represent the CMA as an appraisal. Written CMAs include the "market analysis, not an appraisal" disclaimer (check config.yml for brokerage-preferred language).
• Never reference buyer demographics as justification. "The type of family looking here" language is fair-housing exposure.
• Never skip the adjustment grid. "Average of the three closest sales" is not a defense.
• If the seller's stated target is materially above the top of the band (>5%), the CMA opens with that gap named plainly, not buried at the bottom. Budget-softening is a negotiation-script task (route to negotiation-script-generator.md scenario 8).
• If fewer than 3 primary comps exist, say so and widen the net methodically (same submarket, longer time; then same price band, adjacent submarket); do not substitute tertiary comps as primary.

Output structure (always in this order):

1. Executive Summary — 2–3 sentences: subject, recommended band, expected DOM.
2. Subject Property Profile — table.
3. Submarket Diagnosis — one sentence with MOI, price-to-list ratio, direction.
4. Comp Set Summary — sold / active / pending, with relevance score table.
5. Adjustment Grid — per primary comp, full adjustments, adjusted sale price.
6. Price Band — aggressive / market / conservative, each with trade-off.
7. Buyer Pool + Expected DOM — per price point.
8. Appraisal-Risk Flag — if applicable.
9. Pre-Listing Actions — 2–4 items the seller controls.
10. Narrative (≤ 200 words).
11. Talking-Point Script — 2–4 phrases.
12. Compliance Sweep + Disclaimers — including the "market analysis, not appraisal" line.

Example Output

Executive Summary: 4821 Laurel Canyon Blvd (Studio City, 91604) — recommended list band $1.465M–$1.485M, with $1.475M as the market recommendation. Expected DOM 14–22 days at $1.475M in a 2.1-MOI submarket; pre-listing prep can defensibly support $1.485M top-of-band.

Subject Property Profile:

Submarket Diagnosis: 2.1 months of inventory (tight seller's market); median price-to-list ratio 101.4% over the last 60 days; median DOM 18 days. Pricing at or slightly above the comp-median is defensible in this energy.

Comp Set Summary:

Adjustment Grid (primary sold comps):

The adjusted primary median sits at $1.580M; the raw sold median sits at $1.455M. The gap is driven by the character/renovation/solar/office feature stack not present in any single comp. C2 is the closest feature-match and anchors the low end of the band.

Price Band:

Buyer Pool + Expected DOM:

• $1.499M: Buyer pool at 20% down conventional with 7% rate = ~$9,980/mo PITI. Submarket monthly pre-qual pool at this payment band ≈ 38 buyers; ~12 actively searching 91604. Expected DOM 7–14; appraisal-shortfall risk ~25%.
• $1.475M: Payment $9,824/mo; pool ≈ 44 buyers; ~15 actively searching. Expected DOM 14–22; appraisal risk < 10%.
• $1.465M: Payment $9,758/mo; pool ≈ 47 buyers; ~17 actively searching. Expected DOM 10–16; appraisal risk < 5%.

Appraisal-Risk Flag: $1.499M sits 1.6% above highest primary adjusted ($1.580M / 1.065M ratio — above the 3% threshold for non-Craftsman comps; Craftsman-specific comp thin). Recommend appraisal-gap language in any offer at this price.

Pre-Listing Actions (seller-controlled, 2–3 week window):

1. Paint the primary bath in a warm neutral; replace the vanity hardware. ~$900. High photo-carryability; currently the only dated-feeling space in the house.
2. Landscape pass: mulch refresh, deadhead the roses, trim the olive tree canopy. ~$600. Enhances the Craftsman framing in the exterior hero shot.
3. Stage the detached office studio. ~$400 if using homeowner furniture + a rented desk. Currently under-shot in prior photography; matches the WFH buyer demand signal.
4. Clean the solar panels + pull the 12-month production report. Free + 20 minutes. Turns "owned solar" from a feature claim into a verifiable economics claim worth ~$15K in buyer valuation.

Narrative (listing-appointment version, 182 words):

Studio City 91604 is sitting at 2.1 months of inventory — firm seller's market, homes closing at 101% of list in 18 days on average. 4821 Laurel is a strong fit for the top half of this submarket: a 1912 Craftsman with preserved character (exposed beams, arched doorways, refinished original hardwoods), a 2019 renovation (chef's kitchen, primary spa bath), 9.2 kW owned solar, and a detached 250sf office — a feature stack that none of the primary comps carry in combination.

The adjusted comp set supports a recommended list band of $1.465M–$1.485M. At $1.475M we'd expect 14–22 days on market with multiple-offer potential and minimal appraisal risk. A $1.499M price is defensible only with appraisal-gap language from buyers, given that no sold primary Craftsman comp has cleared that level in the last 90 days.

Three small pre-listing actions — a primary-bath refresh, a landscape pass, and staging the detached office — are worth 1.5–2% on the final price. Recommend 10 days of prep and a Thursday launch.

Talking-Point Script:

1. "I know the Zestimate is showing a higher number. Let me show you how four comps in the last 90 days within four blocks adjust to today's data."
2. "The comp median lands at $1.46M. Your Craftsman, the 2019 renovation, the solar, and the detached office are worth a premium — adjusted, we land at $1.475M as the market recommendation."
3. "At $1.475M you'll likely see 14–22 days on market with multiple offers. At $1.499M we'd still see interest but you're taking appraisal risk — I'd want an appraisal-gap clause in the offer."
4. "There's another 1.5–2% available with a primary-bath paint, a landscape pass, and staging the office. Three weeks of prep, about $1,900 in costs."

Compliance Sweep + Disclaimers:

Disclaimer: This market analysis is not an appraisal and should not be relied upon as a certified valuation. Prepared by [agent, DRE #license] of [brokerage] using MLS comparable sales data as of [date]. Market conditions change; the band above reflects conditions at the date of preparation.