Every landlord requesting a rental appraisal receives a number, some comparable evidence, and a confident recommendation. Almost nobody is taught how to read one properly. Here is what a good rental appraisal actually contains, and the tells that reveal one you shouldn't trust.
What a good appraisal contains
A defensible rental appraisal has three parts: recent comparable evidence (properties nearby with similar bedrooms, bathrooms and features that have actually been leased); a clear explanation of how the appraiser has adjusted for differences between those properties and yours; and a recommended range — usually a floor and a ceiling — not a single number.
The tells of a bad one
Watch for these: (1) a single flat figure with no range and no comparables; (2) 'evidence' drawn from advertised rents rather than actual leased rents — the two often diverge; (3) an appraisal that arrives within an hour of your request (that is a form, not an analysis); (4) numbers that don't correspond to what the same appraiser is telling other landlords in the same street.
The trap of high appraisals
An appraisal that comes in higher than the market is not the win it appears to be. It typically means longer vacancy, more inspections without applications, and — often — a lower final rent than a realistic starting figure would have achieved. A quality tenant secured quickly on a fair rent produces a better twelve-month outcome than an ambitious rent that leaves the property empty for weeks.
Our approach
At Marshall SA every rental appraisal is grounded in recent leased evidence in the specific suburb, adjusted transparently for the property's features. If your current appraisal doesn't show its working, we're happy to prepare one that does — no obligation, no pressure.
