The estimate above is a starting point, not a price. Like Zillow, it works from public records and recent sales and knows nothing about your new roof or remodeled kitchen. Here is how it fits with the other three numbers every Houston homeowner sees.
Four numbers for one house
A Houston home carries four values at once, produced by different people for different reasons.
| The number | Who produces it | What it is for | How close it usually is |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCAD appraised value | Harris Central Appraisal District, each spring | Calculating your property taxes | A mass appraisal as of January 1 that never sees inside the home. Homestead values can rise no more than 10 percent a year, so it often trails the market in both directions. |
| Online estimate (Zillow, Redfin, the tool on this page) | An algorithm using tax records, past sales and listing data | A quick range | Zillow states a nationwide median error of 1.77 percent for homes on the market and 7.20 percent for off-market homes (Zillow Zestimate accuracy page, October 2026), so half of off-market estimates miss by more than 7.2 percent: about $23,000 either way on a $325,000 home. Upgrades and condition are not included. |
| Compean Group market analysis | Evan Compean, after a conversation or a walk-through | Choosing a list price and estimating your net | Built from the homes buyers will compare yours to: active, pending and closed sales from the last 60 days, adjusted for size, condition, updates and location, with two price ranges, links to every comparable and our reasoning. |
| Lender's appraisal | A state-licensed appraiser hired by the buyer's lender after you are under contract | Confirming the home supports the buyer's loan | Usually within a few percent of the contract price when good comparables exist. We brief the appraiser before the visit and contest a short value with data. |
The HCAD calendar
HCAD values every Harris County property as of January 1 and mails appraisal notices in April. The protest deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice was mailed if that is later; the date printed on the notice controls. Hearings run from May into the summer, the roll is certified in late July, tax bills arrive in October or November and payment is due January 31. File online through HCAD's iFile with closed sales from the past year and photos of any condition issues; each spring we send clients a courtesy list of comparable sales. Other counties follow the same state deadline through their own appraisal districts.
What to share about your home
The instant estimate knows only what the county knows. Tell us the rest:
- Updates with approximate dates: roof, HVAC, water heater, windows, kitchen, baths, flooring, foundation work
- Receipts, permits and transferable warranties
- Anything that needs attention, so the price and the seller's disclosure line up
- Flood history and flood insurance claims, which the Texas seller's disclosure asks about
- Your survey, HOA or MUD details and the approximate mortgage payoff for the net sheet
- Your timeline, and whether you are also buying
What you receive within 24 hours
- A written pricing analysis with every active, pending and sold comparable we used, each linked
- Two price ranges, one to test the market and one to sell fast, with the showing activity to expect from each
- An estimated net sheet showing title, tax proration and other closing costs at each price (for a quick version now, try our seller net proceeds calculator)
- Preparation advice: what is worth doing before photos and what to skip
- A call or meeting with Evan to walk through the numbers, at your home, our office, by phone or by video
Questions Houston owners ask about home values
Why is my Zillow estimate different from my HCAD value?
They measure different things. HCAD values the home as of January 1 for tax purposes with mass-appraisal models, and a homestead's appraised value can rise no more than 10 percent a year, so it often sits below what a buyer would pay. Zillow's Zestimate updates from listing and sales data but has never seen your kitchen, and Zillow itself reports a 7.20 percent median error for off-market homes. Neither is a sale price.
Is a Compean Group market analysis the same as an appraisal?
No. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's opinion of value, ordered by the buyer's lender after you are under contract. Our market analysis is a pricing study built from the homes buyers will compare yours to, with two price ranges, a net sheet and our recommendation. Later we prepare the appraiser with the same comparables and your list of updates.
Does the estimate on this page include my upgrades?
No. Like Zillow, the instant estimate works from public records and recent sales, so a new roof, a remodeled kitchen or added square footage is not in it until you tell us. List your updates in the form and we fold them into the written analysis.
When should I protest my HCAD value?
Whenever the notice is above what the home would sell for or above comparable homes nearby. Notices arrive in April and the protest deadline is May 15, or 30 days after the notice was mailed if that is later. File online through HCAD's iFile with closed sales from the last year and photos of any condition issues, and ask us for comparables.
Get your written analysis How we sell homes
Call or text (832) 777-3904. We speak English and Spanish.
921 reviews and ratings across five sites as of October 30, 2026: 5.0 on Google (216), 5.0 on Zillow (153), 4.9 on Yelp (147), 5.0 on RateMyAgent (56) and 4.99 on HAR (349 client surveys). Read the reviews.
Updated October 30, 2026.