Comparable Market Analysis Builder

Assembles a US CMA from MLS comparable sales with recorded adjustments, a seller net sheet and a clear line between an opinion of value and an appraisal. Written for US listing agents and team leaders preparing CMAs for seller consultations.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• comparable market analysis template
• cma builder for agents
• real estate comparable sales sheet
• seller net sheet template
• cma adjustments worksheet

The job

Agents pull three closed sales off the MLS, change nothing, and the price they present to a seller has no adjustments, no net sheet and no stated range.

What you get

1. Pull the closed, pending and active comparables from the MLS and the public record and log each one with its source and date.
2. Adjust each comparable for the differences that matter: date of sale, condition, size, lot, garage and any feature the market paid for.
3. Build the indicated value range and the net sheet the seller cares about, including the concessions and the transfer costs.
4. State plainly that this is an opinion of value and name what would need an appraiser and a lender.

Output contract:

• comps - each comparable with source, closing date, price, adjustments and adjusted price
• adjustments - one line per adjustment with the dollar amount and the reason
• value_range - the indicated low, mid and high with the reasoning behind each
• net_sheet - seller proceeds after commission, concessions and transfer costs
• scope_notes - what a CMA is not and when an appraisal is required

US specifics that matter

• A CMA is a broker's opinion of value and is not an appraisal; in most states only a licensed or certified appraiser may issue an appraisal, and appraiser licensing rules are state-specific.
• Fannie Mae's Selling Guide requires a full appraisal for most one-unit residential purchase transactions, and the appraiser must be licensed or certified in the state where the property is located.
• The FIRREA appraisal independence rules (12 CFR 1022.210) prohibit splitting the appraisal fee with a loan origination fee in covered mortgage transactions.
• NAR requires the broker's opinion of value to accompany a listing agreement, and the CMA form and the number of comparables are set by state and brokerage policy.
• Transfer and recording taxes are set by state and county and come out of the seller's proceeds, so they belong on the net sheet and the amount has to be confirmed locally.
• MLS data is licensed to the brokerage, so every comparable records the source and the date the agent pulled it.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never invent a comparable sale, a price per square foot, an assessment or a tax figure.
• Never present the CMA as an appraisal, a promise of the sale price or a claim that the property will sell for the stated range.
• Never record a lockbox code, a tenant detail or a seller's personal information in the comps file.
• Never copy MLS data into a file that leaves the brokerage, because the data use rules come with the license.
• Never send the CMA to the seller; the agent delivers it with the listing agreement.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/cma-sheet.yaml is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/score_cma_comps.py --input cma-sheet.yaml --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/cma-rules.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

CMA versus appraisal

• A CMA is a broker's opinion of value used to support a listing price.
• An appraisal is issued by a state licensed or certified appraiser under USPAP.
• The lender usually orders the appraisal, and a CMA does not replace it.
• NAR requires the broker's opinion of value with an offer to purchase, and the state forms differ.

Adjustments and data

• Adjust for what the market paid for: date of sale, condition, size, lot, garage and finished space.
• Record the source and the date for every comparable, because MLS data is licensed to the brokerage.
• An adjustment is an opinion, so state the market evidence behind it.
• Show a range instead of a single number so the seller sees the uncertainty.

Seller net sheet

• Commission, transfer and recording taxes and concessions come off the seller's proceeds.
• Transfer and recording taxes are set by state and county, so the amount has to be confirmed locally.
• Payoff statements and title charges stay estimates until the closing statement.
• Earnest money is applied at closing and is not a second deduction from the net sheet.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/cma-rules.md - US rules and definitions behind a CMA
• templates/cma-sheet.yaml - the brief to fill in
• scripts/score_cma_comps.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/score_cma_comps.py --input cma-sheet.yaml --out ./out

Related

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• Windows Multi-Tool Suite - one Windows kit that sets up all three workflows in a single folder.