Understanding the 100% Market Value Guarantee
Every seller we sit down with is worried about the same thing, even if they don't say it out loud: What if I leave money on the table?
It's a fair worry. Your home is probably the biggest thing you own, and you only get one shot at selling it. Price it too low and you never know what you missed. Price it too high and it sits.
That worry is exactly why the Kerr Team offers a 100% Market Value Guarantee. Here's what it means, how "market value" actually gets defined, and what to ask before you sign anything with anyone.
What the guarantee says, in plain English
Wally put it simply on our House Talk podcast: we'll sell your home for 100% of market value, or we pay you the difference.
That's it. No point system, no fine-print bonus tiers. If we don't get you full market value, the gap comes out of our side of the deal, up to a portion of the commission we earn, instead of your pocket. The specific terms for your home are put in writing before you list, so you know exactly what's covered.
It's a promise most agents won't make, because it puts their own paycheck behind their pricing and marketing. We're comfortable making it because pricing and marketing are what we do all day.
So what is "market value," exactly?
This is the part most people skip, and it's the part that matters most. A guarantee is only as good as the definition behind it.
"Market value" isn't a feeling, an online estimate, or what your neighbor says he got. It has a real definition that lenders and appraisers use every day. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide defines market value as "the most probable price that a property should bring in a competitive and open market," with the buyer and seller each acting prudently and knowledgeably.
Unpacked, that definition assumes a few things:
Typical motivation on both sides. Not a fire sale, not a desperate buyer.
Well-informed people. Both parties know what they're doing or are well advised.
Reasonable time on the market. The home gets real exposure to real buyers.
Normal financing. The price isn't inflated by creative financing or unusual concessions.
In other words: market value is what your home should bring when it's marketed properly to the people who are actually buying right now. That's the number our guarantee protects.
Market value is not your Zestimate
We say this kindly, because almost every seller checks it. Online estimates are a fine place to start a conversation and a risky place to finish one.
Zillow is upfront about this. Its own explainer has put the median error for off-market homes at about 7%, compared with about 2% once a home is listed and the algorithm can see the list price. On a $300,000 house, a 7% miss is about $21,000, in either direction.
An algorithm can't see your new roof, your remodeled kitchen, the busy road behind the fence, or the fact that your street sells faster than the one next to it. A person walking through your house can.
How market value gets set for your home
Here's how we get to a number we're willing to put a guarantee behind:
1. We walk the house. In person. Condition, updates, layout, lot, and the things buyers notice in the first 30 seconds.
2. We pull the right comparables. Recent closed sales, homes under contract, and active competition in your neighborhood and price range. Pending sales matter because they show where the market is heading, not just where it's been.
3. We look at your price band. Inventory isn't the same at every price point. Statewide, Oklahoma REALTORS® data has shown homes under $250,000 running on noticeably less supply than homes above $500,000 (monthly housing data), so the right strategy for a starter home and a luxury home are different.
4. We agree on the number together, in writing. You see exactly how we got there.
If you want to see what that process looks like before you commit to anything, our post on what a home evaluation really tells you walks through it step by step.
Why the buyer's appraisal matters too
If your buyer is financing, their lender will order an appraisal, and the appraiser is measuring the same thing we are: market value. Federal rules require the lender to give the buyer a copy of the appraisal promptly, and no later than three business days before closing unless the buyer waives that timing.
That's one more reason to price to real market value instead of a hopeful number. A home priced above what the comparables support can win an offer and then hit an appraisal gap, and that's when deals get renegotiated or fall apart. Getting the number right on day one protects your sale all the way to the closing table.
What the guarantee doesn't do
We'd rather be honest about this up front.
It doesn't promise a number above market value. No one can honestly guarantee that. If someone tells you they'll get you 15% over every comparable on your street, ask them to put it in writing.
It doesn't replace good preparation. A clean, well-lit, well-photographed home is part of what market value assumes. We'll tell you what's worth fixing and what to leave alone. Our listing photo prep guide is a good place to start.
It isn't the same as our Guaranteed Sale Program. They work together, but they answer different questions. The 100% Market Value Guarantee protects your price. The Guaranteed Sale Program protects your timeline: if your home doesn't sell in the agreed window at the agreed price, we buy it. Our Guaranteed Sale explainer covers how that one works.
Questions to ask any agent before you list
Whether you work with us or not, these questions will tell you a lot:
How did you arrive at this price? Show me the comparables.
Which pending sales did you use, and why?
What happens if we don't get market value?
Is any guarantee you're offering written into the listing agreement?
What's your plan for weeks four through eight, not just launch weekend?
If an agent gets uncomfortable with the third question, that tells you something.
Why we can stand behind it
Wally and Cindy Kerr have been selling homes in Oklahoma since 1987. Homes listed with the Kerr Team have sold for an average of 4.1% more than homes listed with other agents, based on MLS data (individual results vary), and we've been named one of the top 160 real estate teams in the country by WSJ RealTrends.
That track record is the whole reason we can put our own commission on the line. A guarantee costs us nothing when the pricing and the marketing are right.
Find out what your home is really worth
The first step isn't signing anything. It's getting a real number.
Start with a free home evaluation, browse our seller resources, or call the Kerr Team at (405) 330-3000. We'll walk your home, show you exactly how we'd price it, and explain how the 100% Market Value Guarantee would work for your sale.
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Call or text us at 405-330-3000 (OKC Metro) or 918-999-6000 (Tulsa Metro) with the address of your home. You'll answer a few questions about your home, and an appointment will be set with one of our experts to meet you at your home and get you a Guaranteed Sale Price.
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Absolutely! Think of the Guaranteed Sale Program as an insurance policy, so you never end up with two mortgage payments.
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One of our experts will come to look at your home before a price is agreed upon. The price will be agreed upon upfront, and won't change.
