How do we agree on what the house is worth when we don't agree on anything?
Take both opinions out of the equation — that's the whole trick. Nobody has to win an argument about the value; you just have to agree on a neutral way to find it.
Three methods, in rising order of certainty. A professional appraisal — paid, licensed, documented; when the gap is wide, each side gets one and the difference gets split or a third breaks the tie. An agent's market analysis — comps-based and faster, best when the disagreement is mild. Or the market itself — list it well and the closing price is the one number nobody can dispute, which is partly why selling resolves so many of these standoffs.
What never works: a number from a website that's never walked the house, or a value with an agenda baked in. The figure has to survive both attorneys reading it, or it just reignites the fight. Whichever method fits, neutrality is the product. That's the version of this work I do — documented, defensible, and owing nothing to either side.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.