Any wholesalers or investors have specific tools or ways to comp properties? I've been on and off wholesaling but one thing i struggle with is comping. Specially when properties haven't been sold in the area for the past 5-6 months or more.
Texas being a non-disclosure state definitely makes comping more challenging because actual sales prices generally aren't publicly available through county records like they are in many other states. The most reliable way to comp properties is through access to the MLS, since sold data is often available there. If you're not an agent or don't have an agent relationship, there are other tools like PropStream and BatchLeads that can help provide estimated values, historical data, and additional market insight to assist with comping, although I'd still use multiple sources whenever possible.
@Travis Main thank you! I was thinkingq of that. Networking with real estate agents or getting a license my self. Now about prop stream they are decent at comping just not the best at skiptracing.
Yeah, I'd agree with that. I think PropStream and BatchLeads are both solid overall platforms for list pulling, comping, and general workflow management, but skip tracing accuracy can definitely be hit or miss at times depending on the market and the quality of the data. A lot of higher-volume investors I know end up stacking multiple services together instead of relying on one source for everything. Getting MLS access through an agent relationship or getting licensed yourself is honestly a huge advantage too because accurate comps are everything in this business. Bad comping can kill a deal faster than bad skip tracing.
I agree with @Travis Main, you have some good third party platforms out there but when the deal is getting close to being locked up, is always a good idea to actually have comps pulled from the MLS to confirm numbers.
If you're getting into wholesaling I would love to be added to your buyers list.
Texas comping can get tricky because the easy public data usually does not tell the whole story. Tax records and online estimates can help you start, but I would still want the number checked against better sold data before trusting it.
That is why I agree with the MLS point. A good agent relationship or getting licensed yourself can make a real difference, especially when the recent sales are thin.
When there have not been good sales in the past five or six months, I would be careful about stretching too far just to make a number work. I would rather widen the search slightly, adjust for condition and location honestly, and then sanity-check it against what buyers and investors are actually paying attention to right now.
The tools can help, but I would not let any one platform become the final answer. In Texas, especially if you are wholesaling, the comp has to survive investor scrutiny. If the end buyer cannot believe the number, the deal gets shaky fast.
Good comping is not just finding a similar house. It is understanding what that buyer pool will actually pay for that street, condition, and exit plan.
For comping in Texas I use Zillow, Redfin and Propwire to pull recent sales within 0.5 miles, same bed/bath count, similar sqft within 20%, sold within the last 90 days. Texas is a non-disclosure state so MLS access through an agent contact helps a lot for accurate comps.