HomeGain’s Max ponders the value of an extra bedroom to his tree house
Ever ask yourself– “What if I added another bathroom, how much would it add to my home’s value?”
If so, you might like HomeGain’s newly enhanced Home Valuation tool which allows you to input “What if” upgrades (beds, bath, square footage) to your home to get a new estimated value– instantly (those dang computers are fast). The new “What if” home value feature complements their existing seller HomeMaximer tool.
How it works:
Go to HomeGain.com and under Get Home Values enter your home address to get your home’s Estimate Home Value range. Click “Click here” to input your changes and recalculate your home value.
See example below (click to enlarge):
(Note: I suggested to HG’s GM, Louis Cammarosano, that they might want to change this button to “What if” … and it looks like they may):
Our new ‘what if’ feature gives homeowners an indication of the potential value of their home before they get started on major home renovations,” stated HomeGain’s General Manager, Louis Cammarosano. “This enables people to make more informed decisions about their home and to plan for the future. Visitors who have questions can directly contact real estate agents in more than 2,100 ZIP codes across the country.
HomeGain recognizes that each house is different and any computer valuation tool has inherent limitations and informs (and encourages) consumers to get a CMA (comparative market analysis) from a professional for a more accurate value. The seeming logic of the tool is to engage consumers to the point they pick up the phone and (rightly) call a professional. That makes sense, since HomeGain derives its revenue from satisfied agents, not satisfied advertisers (or satisfied computers).
While the tool is geared to sellers, buyers might use it to compare similar homes for sale in a development– if house A is comparable to house B except for the extra bathroom, what’s that worth.
Since the What if tool is limited to baths, bedrooms and square footage, consumers might want to use it in conjunction with HomeGain’s Home Maximizer tool, which provides additional advice for increasing home value.
Advantage to Agents
The home valuation tool also helps professionals using HomeGain’s AgentView product because it’s located within AgentView (which also has tabs to their profile, homes for sale, blogs, local info and other seller tools. ) While consumers are kicking the tires on home valuation, they may contact the agent and do home valuation the right way.
Real estate agents also benefit from HomeGain’s absence of ads to drive consumers off the website.
Official HomeGain Press Release here.
Technorati Tags: homegain, home valuation, real estate agents, agentview
