Joe's area-based Market Activity vs property-based CMA — valuation methodology sourced from his recorded walkthroughs, the full listing pipeline, and automation roadmap.
Rebuilt from real deal history + 126 recorded video walkthroughsCMA = evaluation (buyer OR seller) Leasing = tenant-landlord Net Sheet = estimated proceeds/costs Mechanicals = HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, water heater, foundation Quick CMA = HAR Matrix generated PDF CMA Snap = AI predictive valuation tool Geo Market Area = MLS geographic boundary $/sqft = dollar per square foot Price Banding = comp narrowing methodology
| Scenario | Document | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Listing presentation (seller) | CMA + Market Activity (two-view) | CMA for value, Market Activity for area context |
| Buyer consultation | CMA | Property-specific value check |
| Relocation client (BGRS) | CMA (BGRS template) | Standardized format required by relocation company |
| Investor analysis | Market Activity + CMA + 60% rule | Area trends plus subject value with renovation discount |
| Rental/lease pricing | Market Activity (rental) | Area-based rental rates, comparable lease terms |
| Annual equity review | CMA | Updated valuation for wealth tracking |
| Past client touchpoint | Market Activity (two-view) | Area awareness, not a precise valuation |
From the 121-step listing SOP plus Joe's on-camera process in 126 recorded video walkthroughs:
How Joe actually builds MLS queries, captured from his recorded screen-share walkthroughs:
Joe uses an appraisal-adjacent approach (USPAP-aligned). Criteria are tiered by importance:
All major systems typically found on an inspection report:
Default to 6-month lookback for sold comps. Extend to 12 months only if insufficient comps exist in the 6-month window, and note that 12 months actually represents an 18-month market window.
Joe consistently communicates value using $/sqft:
Properties needing full renovation: average comp value multiplied by 0.6. Can push slightly higher if some items are already updated.
Joe compares counts across all three statuses to assess market conditions: high actives vs low solds = buyer's market; low actives vs high pendings = seller's market.
Always pull assessed value from the county appraisal district and compare to the CMA-derived market value. Assessed value is often below market value — use this as a client talking point.
The CMA pipeline sits within the cultivate_analysis phase of the 121-step pre-listing SOP. These steps combine the original SOP with process details captured from Joe's recorded video walkthroughs:
| Step | Action | Automation | Human Judgment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Property research: HCAD/CAD lookup for tax value, sqft, lot size, year built; compare assessed to market value | Automatable | None |
| 2 | Create CMA search in HAR Matrix: sqft range, lot size, bed/bath count, geo market area; account for spelling variations | Manual (MLS login) | Initial criteria selection |
| 3 | CMA comparable search: iterate until ≥3 solds with sold-price variance ≤20%; default 6-month lookback | Partially automatable | Knob selection + stopping condition |
| 4 | Calculate $/sqft: average from comps, multiply by subject sqft for value estimate | Automatable | Sanity check |
| 5 | Save MLS search as CMA/GMA/subdivision/Client# | Manual | Naming convention |
| 6 | Generate Quick CMA PDF (Actions > Quick CMA > All > Save PDF) | Manual (MLS) | Highlight most likely value |
| 6a | (Optional) CMA Snap AI report for "bank perspective" comparison | Semi-auto | Comparison review |
| 7 | ShowingSmart: (a) Activity on Comparables + (b) Target Market Analysis | Semi-auto | Area selection from CMA |
| 8 | Net sheet calculation: est sale price, $495 compliance, optional closing costs as applicable | Automatable | Price estimate review |
| 9 | Compile packet: CMA PDF(s), net sheet, ShowingSmart reports, Realist PDF, CAD PDF, iteration PDFs | Automatable (assembly) | Quality review |
| 10 | Personalized screen-share video walkthrough of results + email with compiled packet | Manual (recording) | Personalization |
Joe's CMA uses an appraisal-adjacent approach (USPAP-aligned): mechanicals from the inspection report serve as secondary criteria for comp filtering. Each system is assessed:
| System | What to Check | Impact on Value |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | Heating/cooling system age, type (central, mini-split, window), condition, recent service | Aged HVAC (15+ years) = negotiation point or price adjustment |
| Plumbing | Material: copper, PEX, galvanized, polybutylene. Condition, known leaks, re-pipes | Galvanized/polybutylene = insurance difficulty, lower value |
| Electrical | Panel age, amperage (100A vs 200A), wiring type (knob-and-tube vs modern Romex) | Knob-and-tube = insurance difficulty, upgrade cost deduction |
| Roof | Material (composition shingle, tile, metal), age, remaining life estimate, hail damage history | Roof age is a primary negotiation lever in Houston market |
| Water Heater | Age, type (tank vs tankless), capacity (40/50/75 gal), fuel (gas/electric) | Near end-of-life (10+ years) = replacement cost in negotiations |
| Foundation | Type: slab, pier-and-beam. Condition, recent repairs, engineer reports, foundation-repair warranty | Foundation issues = largest single value impact in Houston |
Iterate search criteria adjustments until ALL three conditions are met:
When the stopping condition is not met on the first search:
| Priority | Criteria | Match Tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Primary) | Square footage (building + lot) | ±15% of subject |
| 2 (Primary) | Age / year built | ±10 years |
| 3 (Primary) | Bath count (full + half) | Same or ±1 |
| 4 (Primary) | Sold within 6 months + active listings | Extend incrementally if needed |
| 5 (Secondary) | Mechanicals condition | Similar system age/quality |
| 6 (Tertiary) | Amenities (pool, flooring, counters, stories) | Like-for-like preferred |
Joe identifies two critical ShowingSmart reports from his recorded process:
| Report | Purpose | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Activity on Comparables | Shows which competing listings are being shown and by whom | Explain to sellers how much foot traffic their competition is receiving vs their listing |
| Target Market Analysis | Broader market analysis of price points and absorption | Convey to sellers why their house may or may not be selling, and what price points should be established |
For properties where both sale and rental analysis are needed, Joe uses a split-screen in MLS Matrix:
Joe's method for pulling all past transactions for an agent:
This generates a complete transaction history for the agent covering both buy-side and sell-side deals.
The net sheet estimates seller proceeds (or buyer costs) based on the CMA-derived sale price:
| Line Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated Sale Price | From CMA | Most likely value highlighted on Quick CMA PDF |
| Commission | Per listing agreement | Both sides if applicable |
| Title / Escrow | Varies | Title company estimate |
| Compliance Fee | $495 | Standard TPJG compliance cost |
| Prorated Taxes | Varies | Based on HCAD/CAD tax value and closing date |
| Existing Mortgage Payoff | Varies | From seller's lender payoff statement |
| Estimated Net Proceeds | Calculated | Sale price minus all costs |
| Tier | Capability | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Now) | Parse existing Quick CMA PDFs into structured comp database | PDF extraction tooling |
| Tier 2 | Automate CMA generation via Memorial iMac SSH + browser automation | HAR Matrix access credentials |
| Tier 3 (Long-term) | AI-native valuation with confidence intervals | Sufficient comp data + model training |
| Source | Content |
|---|---|
| CMA Definitions | Joe's area-vs-property distinction (mined from transcripts) |
| Capability Assessment | Current tools, gaps, automation tiers |
| Listing SOP | 121-step pre-listing SOP with CMA steps |
| Pre-listing Pattern Library | Pattern library for SOP cross-reference |
| Quick CMA PDFs | 100+ historical CMAs from Drive |
| PropertyDetails PDFs | 90+ CoreLogic reports |
| Transaction Timeline | 991 addresses with full deal history |
| CAD Endpoints | 9-county appraisal district configuration |
| Business Process | Full TPJG business workflow |
| BrokerOS Framework | Automation levels per task |
| Drive Inventory | CMA templates, HOWTO docs |
| Recorded Video Walkthroughs | 126 videos of Joe performing live CMA/Market Activity analysis (from 1,991 total) |
| YouTube Transcripts | 50+ channel transcripts covering Houston market context |
Mining summary: Stage 1 (KB): 71,896 characters. Stage 2 (Transcripts + Drive): 111,394 characters. Stage 3 (Video walkthroughs): 126 CMA-relevant videos from 1,991 total. 52 unique KB paths + 59 unique transcript/Drive paths + 126 video transcripts.
| Term | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| CMA | Comparable Market Analysis — evaluation (buyer OR seller) | Property-based, specific addresses |
| Market Activity | Area-based activity report — all transactions in a boundary | Geographic, not property-specific |
| Mechanicals | Major systems from inspection reports: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, water heater, foundation | Used as secondary CMA criteria |
| Quick CMA | HAR Matrix generated PDF with comps | The standard CMA output format |
| CMA Snap | AI-powered predictive valuation tool | "Bank perspective" supplement to traditional CMA |
| Leasing | Tenant-landlord relationship | Not "rental CMA" — use "rental market activity" |
| Net Sheet | Seller/buyer estimated proceeds/costs | Calculated from CMA estimated sale price |
| Price Banding | Comp selection methodology for narrowing price range | From HOWTO docs in Drive |
| Geo Market Area | MLS-defined geographic boundary for a neighborhood | Primary geographic filter in Matrix queries |
| $/sqft | Dollar per square foot — primary valuation metric | Average from comps, multiplied by subject sqft |