1. What Is Comparable Property Information?
Comparable property information is information about another property that may help a user understand the market context of the property being assessed.
A comparable does not need to be identical to the subject property. In practice, two properties are rarely exactly the same.
The more important question is whether the other property shares enough relevant characteristics to provide useful context.
2. Why Nearby Does Not Always Mean Comparable
Users often begin by looking at properties close to the subject property. This can be a useful starting point, but distance alone is not enough.
Two nearby properties may differ significantly in:
- land extent;
- property type;
- road access;
- frontage;
- building size;
- condition;
- current use;
- surrounding development; and
- the date of the available market information.
A property located farther away may sometimes provide better context if its main characteristics are more similar to the property being assessed.
3. Start by Matching the Property Type
Property type is one of the first characteristics to consider when reviewing comparable information.
Bare land is generally more meaningfully considered alongside other land than alongside an apartment.
A residential house is not automatically comparable with a warehouse, and a small retail unit should not be treated as equivalent to a large commercial complex merely because they are in the same town.
99DIG can use the selected property category to help organise comparable information that is more relevant to the subject property.
4. Land Extent Can Affect Comparability
Two land parcels can be in the same location and still differ substantially in extent.
A small residential site and a very large parcel may not behave in the market in the same way.
Therefore, users should not rely on a price alone. They should also consider the size of the property to which that price relates.
5. Building Size Also Matters
For properties containing buildings, floor area can influence whether another property is reasonably similar.
A small house and a much larger house may serve different users and may contain different levels of accommodation.
Likewise, two commercial premises can differ significantly even if their external appearance seems similar.
Useful comparison therefore requires the user to look at more than a single headline figure.
6. Access and Frontage Can Change the Property Context
Road access can influence how a property functions.
A property directly connected to a main road may not have the same context as a similar-sized property accessed through a narrow internal road.
Frontage can also be relevant, particularly for properties where visibility or direct access matters.
99DIG may therefore request access and frontage information when those characteristics are relevant to the selected property type.
7. Condition Can Make Similar Buildings Different
Two buildings may have similar floor areas but different physical conditions.
One property may be recently improved while another may require significant repairs.
A digital assessment should therefore avoid assuming that two buildings are equal simply because their dimensions are similar.
User-provided photographs and condition information can help provide additional context within the 99DIG workflow.
8. Property Use Can Affect Similarity
The way a property is used can also influence whether another property provides meaningful context.
For example, a building used entirely as a residence may not be directly comparable in every respect with a similar-sized building being used for commercial activity.
Mixed-use properties may require even more careful consideration because different parts of the property can serve different functions.
9. Location Is More Than a Pin on a Map
A map location is useful, but the wider setting also matters.
Relevant contextual differences may include:
- main-road or secondary-road location;
- surrounding residential or commercial activity;
- accessibility;
- nearby development;
- local property use patterns; and
- the general character of the surrounding area.
99DIG can use location information to organise the subject property and available comparable evidence within the same digital review.
10. Why the Date of Market Information Matters
Property markets do not remain unchanged.
Information from a significantly earlier period may describe a different market environment from information available today.
When users provide comparable information, the date of the information can therefore be an important part of understanding its relevance.
Recent information is not automatically perfect, but older information should not be treated as if time has had no effect.
11. Asking Price Is Market Information, Not a Completed Transaction
Online advertisements can help users see how properties are being presented to the market.
However, an asking price is the amount being requested by the seller. It does not by itself confirm the amount at which a transaction has actually occurred.
For this reason, 99DIG should treat asking-price information as one part of the available market context rather than as a conclusive answer.
12. One Comparable Is Usually Not Enough for Context
A single property can contain unusual characteristics.
If a user relies only on one nearby example, that property may create a distorted impression of the wider market.
Looking at several reasonably relevant properties can help users understand whether one example appears unusual compared with others.
This is why the 99DIG workflow can support multiple comparable entries rather than requiring the user to rely on only one.
13. Source Reliability Matters
Market information can come from many places.
A user may find information through advertisements, property agents, direct enquiries, personal records, online marketplaces or other available sources.
Not every source provides the same amount of detail or certainty.
Users should therefore record enough information to understand where the comparable came from and what the information actually represents.
14. What 99DIG May Record About a Comparable
Depending on the selected assessment workflow, useful comparable information may include:
- location;
- property type;
- land extent;
- building area where relevant;
- asking or other market information;
- date of the information;
- source;
- distance or relationship to the subject property; and
- short notes about major differences.
The purpose of capturing these fields is to create a structured evidence record rather than a loose list of prices.
15. Differences Between Properties Should Be Visible
A useful digital assessment should not hide obvious differences between the subject property and the market information being considered.
If the comparable has a larger land extent, a newer building, better access or a different use, the user should be able to recognise those differences.
99DIG can help by organising comparable evidence alongside the subject property's key characteristics.
16. Comparables Should Support the Assessment, Not Control It
Comparable information is useful because it provides market context.
It should not be treated as a switch that automatically determines the assessment result.
A property can contain characteristics that are not fully captured by another listing or market example.
99DIG therefore uses comparable information as part of the broader property assessment workflow rather than presenting one comparable as the entire assessment.
17. Example of a 99DIG Comparable Review
18. What Comparable Information Cannot Confirm by Itself
Comparable information alone cannot confirm title, legal boundaries, planning permission, structural condition, statutory compliance or other matters outside its scope.
It also should not be treated as automatically satisfying requirements that call for a formal professional valuation or other specialist service.
The market-information component of 99DIG is therefore only one part of the overall digital assessment process.
19. Keeping the Professional Boundary Clear
Selecting, analysing and applying market evidence in a formal professional valuation can involve professional judgement, inspection, verification and requirements beyond a digital user-input workflow.
99DIG does not need to claim that role in order to provide useful digital assessment support.
Its function is to help users organise available property information, understand relevant differences and place market information into a clearer assessment context.
20. Final Thought
Comparable property information can be useful, but only when the comparison makes sense.
A nearby property is not automatically similar. A similar price does not automatically mean two properties are equivalent. An asking price does not automatically represent a completed transaction.
The better approach is to look at the property type, location, size, building characteristics, use, condition, evidence date and source together.
This article was independently written for the 99DIG Learn platform to explain the role of comparable property information within the 99DIG digital assessment workflow. It does not reproduce professional standards, legislation, institutional publications or third-party website content. References to professional services are included only to maintain a clear boundary between 99DIG digital assessment support and work that may require professional judgement, formal certification or institutional compliance.
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