The comparison method values a property against recent actual sales of similar homes nearby, adjusting each for differences in size, condition, PEB and location. It is the standard approach for houses and apartments because it anchors the figure to what buyers genuinely paid, not to averages or asking prices.
The comparison method is the default for residential valuation, and for good reason: it uses the market’s own verdict. The agent gathers recent transactions of comparable properties near yours, keeps the ones that are genuinely similar in type, size and standard, and then adjusts each to line up with your home. A comparable with an extra bedroom or a better energy rating is adjusted down to match; one in poorer condition is adjusted up. The clustered figures point to your value.
Two things make or break the method: the quality of the comparables and the honesty of the adjustments. Recent sales beat old ones, especially now, because Walloon prices moved 15.4% on the median house in 2025 (source: Notaire.be / Fednot, February 2026); a sale from before that surge needs correcting or discarding. Close sales beat distant ones, because local medians hide huge spreads, from around 1,100 euros per square metre in Charleroi to a 400,000 euro median house in Brabant wallon.
The counter-intuitive strength of the method is that it needs surprisingly few data points to work well. A handful of truly comparable, recent, nearby sales gives a firmer answer than a large sample of loosely related ones. Its weakness is the mirror image: where nothing similar has sold, as with an atypical or unique building, the method runs short of anchors and the agent turns to capitalisation or reconstruction cost.
For a standard Walloon home, though, comparison is the reliable workhorse behind almost every asking price.
At a glance
Steps in the comparison method:
- Collect recent sales: actual transaction prices of nearby, similar properties.
- Filter for likeness: keep comparables close in type, size and standard.
- Adjust each one: correct for surface, condition, PEB and location.
- Weight the best: recent and nearby sales carry the most weight.
- Derive the figure: the adjusted cluster points to your value.
- Know the limit: thin comparables mean switching to another method.