Value Reconciliation

Appraisal reasoning step that weighs valuation evidence to reach a supported final value conclusion.

Value reconciliation is the appraisal reasoning step that weighs the valuation evidence and leads to a supported final value conclusion.

Why It Matters

Value reconciliation matters because appraisals are not usually solved by a simple average. Several Comparable Sales (Comps) may produce different Adjusted Sale Price indications. The appraiser still has to decide which evidence is most reliable and how it supports the final Appraised Value.

Borrowers often think that if three comps are used, the answer should be the midpoint. Reconciliation is why that may not happen. A more similar, more recent, or better-supported comp may receive more weight than another sale.

Where It Appears in the Borrower Process

Borrowers usually encounter value reconciliation inside the Appraisal Report, especially near the final value conclusion or summary of comparable sales.

The term becomes practical during Appraisal Review or Reconsideration of Value because a reviewer may ask whether the report’s final value is consistent with the evidence presented.

What Reconciliation Considers

Evidence questionWhy it matters
Which comps are most similar?Stronger similarity may support greater weight
Which sales are most recent?Recent sales may need less market-change interpretation
Which adjustments are largest?Heavy adjustments can make a comp less persuasive
Which approach is most relevant?Residential files often rely heavily on the sales comparison approach

Value reconciliation should connect the evidence to the conclusion in a way the lender can review and the borrower can understand.

Practical Example

Three adjusted sale prices indicate $392,000, $400,000, and $414,000. The appraiser does not simply average them. If the $400,000 comp is most similar in size, condition, location, and timing, the final value may reconcile close to that indication.

How It Differs From Nearby Terms

Value reconciliation differs from Appraisal Adjustment because adjustments change individual comparable-sale indications, while reconciliation weighs the overall evidence.

It differs from Adjusted Sale Price because adjusted sale price is one comp’s value indication, while value reconciliation is the final weighing process.

It also differs from Reconsideration of Value. Reconciliation happens inside the original report; reconsideration is a later request to revisit the conclusion.

Knowledge Check

  1. Why is value reconciliation not the same as averaging the comps? Because the appraiser weighs the reliability and relevance of each value indication rather than treating every comp equally.
  2. Why does reconciliation matter in an appraisal review? It helps show whether the final value is supported by the evidence presented in the report.
Revised on Saturday, May 23, 2026