Realtors · problem and fix
How long does a comparative market analysis take? Realtor timing on Mac in 2026
A manual comparative market analysis, or CMA, is estimated at two to four hours. That figure comes from an AI vendor, Saleswise, and no independent study times it. Most of the time goes to finding and checking comparable sales, not to the report itself.
The short answer
- A manual CMA is estimated at two to four hours. The source is an AI vendor, and no independent study times it.
- Comp selection and filtering is estimated at 20 to 45 minutes. Report formatting is estimated at 30 to 60 minutes.
- Much of the delay comes from searches with no written rule and adjustments rebuilt on every job.
- Fannie Mae's rules show what a defensible comp set and adjustment look like, even though they govern appraisals.
- A Google Sheets comp grid, a report template, and timers can cut the time without buying anything.
What slow cma preparation costs you
Hours that do not sell homes
NAR's 2026 Member Profile reports a median of 35 hours per week for the typical Realtor in 2025. Sales agents median 30 hours, and brokers who sell median 40 to 45. A slow CMA takes time from the same week you use for showings, calls, and follow-up. You pay that cost every week, not once.
Pricing meetings that stall
NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reports that 91% of sellers used a real estate agent. A seller who asks for a price wants it at the meeting, not later. If your CMA runs late, the meeting waits, and the seller may pick an agent who already has numbers.
Rework when comps do not hold up
Fannie Mae says each adjustment must be supported, and a statement that an adjustment was made is not acceptable. A comp set that fails that test sends you back to the search. The time you saved on the first pass returns as a second pass, and the seller waits through both.
Pay that depends on hours
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median pay of $52,830 for real estate sales agents. NAR reports median gross income from real estate activities of $59,200 in 2025, up from $58,100 in 2024. The two figures come from different surveys, so compare them loosely. Either way, hours spent rebuilding a CMA are hours not spent on work that earns.
Why it happens
A search with no written rule
Without a fixed rule for radius, sold dates, and property type, every search turns into a new experiment. Fannie Mae's appraisal guidance offers a usable starting rule: closed sales from the last 12 months, at least three comparables, and a written reason for any older sale. Write your version down and reuse it on each job.
Adjustments rebuilt from memory
Each adjustment needs support. Fannie Mae says time adjustments need evidence, and accepts home price indices as that evidence, along with paired sales or statistical analysis. If you start from nothing each time, you spend hours hunting for evidence you already found last month.
Concession math done by guess
Fannie Mae does not treat a full dollar-for-dollar concession adjustment as automatic. It is acceptable only when the analysis shows the market reacted with the full amount. Positive adjustments for sales or financing concessions are not acceptable. Guessing forces you to redo the math when someone asks where it came from.
A blank page for the report
Report formatting is a separate step in the vendor estimate, at 30 to 60 minutes. It is easy to redo from scratch on every job. Building the same sections from an empty document each time keeps that formatting work alive every week.
Tools you have not tested
CMA software varies in what it checks. Quick CMA is free on the Mac App Store, but its listing says Not verified for macOS. A tool you have not tested can create cleanup work that cancels out any time it saves. Test it on a job you already finished.
How to fix it
These work with or without any app.
Write one comp rule and keep it
Put the rule in a note: closed sales, the last 12 months, the same property type, and a radius you choose. Add Fannie Mae's three comparable minimum. Change the rule only when you write down why. Keep the note in the same Google Sheet as your comp grid, on a tab called Rules.
Build a comp grid in Google Sheets
Make one row per comp. Use columns for address, sold date, sold price, list price, square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, distance, concession, adjustment, and source. Select the header row and choose Data > Create a filter. Format money columns with Format > Number > Currency.
Use one home price index for time
Pick a home price index that covers your area, and use it for every time adjustment on the job. Write the index name and the date you pulled it into the source column. Fannie Mae accepts a home price index as support, so one documented index may support the time adjustments across the comp set.
Write a line for each dropped comp
A comp you drop needs a reason on paper. Write a short line, such as the property type, a sale outside your window, or a concession you could not support. Fannie Mae says the number or amount of adjustments must not be the sole test for whether a comp is acceptable. Your written reason shows the judgment behind the choice.
Time each block with a timer
Split the job into comp search, adjustments, and report. Give each block its own timer. The vendor ranges are a useful guide: 20 to 45 minutes for comp selection and 30 to 60 minutes for formatting. Ask Lazur to set a timer when each block starts, so the search cannot take the whole afternoon.
Make a report template once
Build the report in Pages, Microsoft Word, or Google Docs with fixed sections: subject property, comp grid, adjustments, price range, and notes. Inside Google Sheets, ⌘ ⇧ V pastes values only, so formulas do not come along when you copy a grid. Copy the template for each job.
Send the cover note from a Gmail template
Write the seller cover note once, with blanks for the address and price range. Turn on Templates under Settings > See all settings > Advanced, then save the note as a template. Fill in the blanks for each job, and read it again before you send. A template saves the drafting step, not the thinking.
A comparative market analysis, or CMA, is the pricing report you use to tell a seller what their home is worth. You pull sold homes that look like theirs, adjust for the differences, and land on a price range. Appraisers use the same sales comparison logic, which is why the same rules show up in both places.
How long a CMA takes, step by step
The only timing estimate we found comes from an AI vendor. Saleswise puts a manual CMA at two to four hours. Its guide breaks that down into comp selection and filtering at 20 to 45 minutes, and report formatting at 30 to 60 minutes.
| Step | Vendor estimate | Where time slips |
|---|---|---|
| Pull and filter comps | 20 to 45 minutes | Radius and date range keep changing |
| Check each comp | Not estimated | Wrong square footage or a missing sold date |
| Make adjustments | Not estimated | Time and concession math redone from scratch |
| Format the report | 30 to 60 minutes | Starting from a blank document on every job |
Add those ranges up and you land near the two to four hour estimate. The gap between the low and high ends is the part you control. A tight filter and a saved template push you toward the low end. A loose filter and a blank page push you toward the high end.
Why the timing number is shaky
No government study, university paper, or NAR survey turned up that times CMA work. Nobody in the research found a measure of how often agents make errors in one, either. Treat the two to four hour figure as a rough target, not a standard. Then measure your own jobs.
35
Median hours per week worked by a typical Realtor in 2025, unchanged from the year before
NAR 2026 member profile shows Realtors more experienced (HousingWire)20 to 45 min
Vendor estimate for comp selection and filtering in a manual CMA
Real Estate Comparative Market Analysis: 2026 Guide to Accurate Pricing (Saleswise)3
Minimum closed comparables in Fannie Mae's sales comparison approach
Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.3-08, Comparable Sales$52,830
May 2025 median annual pay for real estate sales agents, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents, Occupational Outlook HandbookWorked example: a ranch-style house with a garage
Say a seller wants a price for a ranch-style house with a garage. Start with the rule before the search. Pick closed sales from the last 12 months, in the same style and neighborhood. Fannie Mae's guidance says comps closed within the last 12 months should be used.
Pull at least three closed comparables, which is Fannie Mae's minimum for the sales comparison approach. If the first search returns weak matches, tighten the radius or the style before you reach for older sales. Write down every change. Your notes show why the set holds up.
Now adjust. Say a comp has no garage and the subject property does. That adjustment needs support. Fannie Mae says a statement that an adjustment was made is not acceptable. Pull the evidence, such as a home price index for time, and cite the source beside the number.
Mistakes that add hours
- Searching without a written rule. Each change to the radius or dates restarts the thinking.
- Treating adjustments as guesses. Fannie Mae requires support, so a guess becomes a redo later.
- Assuming a full concession adjustment is automatic. It needs proof that the market reacted that way.
- Writing the report before the comp set is final. Then you rewrite the price section.
- Trusting a free tool's output without a check. Quick CMA's listing says Not verified for macOS.
Setting up the work on your Mac
You do not need a paid CMA app for this. Google Sheets in Chrome handles the comp grid, and Gmail handles the cover note. Keep your MLS export open in a second window, so you can check each sale against the source.
Apple's Numbers works for the grid too. Numbers 15.4 needs macOS 26 or later, so check Software Update before you start. Quick CMA is free on the Mac App Store. It needs macOS 14.6 or later and an Apple M1 chip, and it compares up to four comps.
Where Lazur fits, and where it does not
Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and it answers out loud. It can point at a field, explain a term, draft a note, and take your dictation. It does not click buttons, edit your sheet, or run your MLS search.
Research jobs run in Lazur's own Chrome tabs and come back with a summary and report. Read that as a starting point. You still check every comp against your MLS, and you still own the price.
Client data and your brokerage rules
A CMA holds addresses, sale prices, and sometimes owner names. Before you paste any of that into an AI tool, check your brokerage's rules. Some firms limit which tools can touch client data, and their rules come first. Lazur sends your audio and the screenshot to AI providers to answer, and they are not stored.
Next CMA: a short routine
Pick the next CMA on your list and run the week plan on it. Log the time in each block. Then compare your log with the vendor ranges. Set your target from your own numbers, not from a guide.
Faster with Lazur
Where Lazur helps with slow cma preparation
Hold ⌥ ⌘ and say what you want. Lazur sees your Google Sheets window. Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 1
Hold ⌥⌘ and talk
- 2
Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 3
You stay in Google Sheets. Nothing to copy into a chat window.
More things to say in Google Sheets
- “Where is the sold date column?”
- “What does this adjustment line mean?”
- “Draft a short note explaining the comps I dropped.”
- “Hold fn and dictate the adjustment reason.”
- “Walk me through creating a filter in Google Sheets.”
- “Set a timer for the comp search.”
Free for 3 days, then $18/month. Download for Mac
You say“Where is the sold date column?”
Lazur · points at itLazur circles the sold date column and labels it, so you can confirm each sale date before you use the comp.
What realtors say to Lazur for this
Each one is a single hold of ⌥ ⌘.
“Where is the sold date column?”
Lazur circles the column and labels it on screen, so you can check dates before you trust a comp.
Points at it
“What does this adjustment line mean?”
Lazur explains what is on screen and answers out loud. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask from any page.
Explains what's on screen
“Draft a short note explaining the comps I dropped.”
Lazur types a draft you can edit. You read it, then send it yourself.
Drafts it
“Hold fn and dictate the adjustment reason.”
Dictation puts clean, formatted text at your cursor in any app, so notes go in while you read the grid.
Types what you say
“Walk me through creating a filter in Google Sheets.”
Lazur guides you one click at a time and waits for each click before it moves on.
Walks you through it
“Set a timer for the comp search.”
Timers are one of Lazur's everyday voice actions, so the search has a stop time.
Handles the small stuff
A plan you can start this week
- Monday
Write the comp rule
Create a Rules tab in your Google Sheet. Write the sold window, property type, radius, and the three comparable minimum. Keep it to a few lines you can read in a minute.
- Tuesday
Build the comp grid
Set up one row per comp with the columns from the grid section. Add a filter with Data > Create a filter. Start a timer for the search, and stop it when the grid is full.
- Wednesday
Log adjustments with sources
Adjust each comp against the subject property. Put the source of every number in the last column. Pull one home price index for time, and reuse it for every comp on this job.
- Thursday
Template the report and cover note
Build the report template in Pages, Word, or Google Docs. Create the Gmail cover note template. Test both on a job you already priced by hand, and compare the results line by line.
- Friday
Review your times
Compare your time log with the vendor ranges of 20 to 45 minutes and 30 to 60 minutes. Note what slowed you down. Change one part of the rule or template before next week.
Questions people ask
How long does a comparative market analysis take to do by hand?
The only estimate found comes from a vendor. Saleswise puts a manual CMA at two to four hours, with comp selection at 20 to 45 minutes and report formatting at 30 to 60 minutes. The article cites no study. Track your own jobs for a few weeks and plan from your log.
Is there a study that measures CMA prep time?
No government, university, or NAR study turned up that times CMA work. None measured how often agents make errors in a CMA either. Use vendor timings as a rough target, and use your own log for planning.
How long does an AI CMA take?
Saleswise says its AI tool produces a CMA in about 5 minutes. That is a vendor claim, not an independent test. Check every comp and adjustment against your MLS before a seller sees the number.
How many comparable sales do I need in a CMA?
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide sets a minimum of three closed comparables for the sales comparison approach. Those rules govern appraisal reports, so treat them as a benchmark. Prefer sales from the last 12 months, and write a reason for any older sale.
What part of a CMA can Lazur help with?
Lazur can point at a column, explain a term on screen, answer out loud, draft a note, and take dictation. It does not click buttons or operate your apps. It does not run your MLS search or set the price.
Do I need a paid app to run a CMA on a Mac?
No. A Google Sheets comp grid, a report template, and your MLS export cover most of the work. Quick CMA is free on the Mac App Store, but its listing says Not verified for macOS. Test any tool on a finished job first.
Can I paste client addresses into an AI tool?
Check your brokerage's rules first. Some firms limit which tools can handle client data, and those rules come before any shortcut. Lazur sends your audio and the screenshot to AI providers to answer, and they are not stored.
Does a CMA have to match an appraisal?
No. Fannie Mae's appraisal rules are a benchmark for support and adjustments. A CMA is a pricing tool for a seller conversation, not an appraisal report. Borrow the discipline, but do not present the CMA as an appraisal.
Sources
- NAR 2026 member profile shows Realtors more experienced · HousingWire · checked 2026-11-07
- The Feature Sheet: 2026 Member Profile · National Association of REALTORS · checked 2026-11-07
- Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents, Occupational Outlook Handbook · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked 2026-11-07
- NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers, Sellers Reveals Market Extremes · National Association of REALTORS · checked 2026-11-07
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.3-08, Comparable Sales · Fannie Mae · checked 2026-11-07
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.3-09, Adjustments to Comparable Sales · Fannie Mae · checked 2026-11-07
- Real Estate Comparative Market Analysis: 2026 Guide to Accurate Pricing · Saleswise · checked 2026-11-07
- What's new in Numbers on Mac · Apple Support · checked 2026-11-07
- Quick CMA · Apple App Store · checked 2026-11-07
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