An asking price is what a seller hopes for, a sold price is what somebody actually paid, and an online estimate is a model's guess built from sold prices. Only one of the three is a fact, and it is the middle one.
Three numbers, three different things
| Number | Where it comes from | How much weight to give it |
|---|---|---|
| Asking price | Set by the seller on the agent's advice | Low — it is an opening position, and agents win instructions by being optimistic |
| Sold price | HM Land Registry record of the price paid | High — it is a recorded fact, though it can be a few months old |
| Online estimate | A model applied to sold prices and property attributes | Medium — only as good as its inputs, and it has never seen inside the house |
An estate agent's appraisal will typically sit at or above the top of any honest range — that is a pitch, not a prediction. It is not dishonest, it is how instructions are won; just do not treat it as evidence.
When we show an estimate on this site we show a range, and we show every sale the range rests on, so you can judge the evidence rather than the number. It is an estimate produced from data, not a RICS valuation, and no survey has been done.
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Instant house valuation — with the sales it rests on — no account, no email wall.
Sources
Related
- How we value — the method, published
- Why sites disagree about the same house
- How to find comparable sales yourself
- Instant house valuation
Last reviewed: 2026-09-20. We check these against the linked official sources and re-date the page when they change.