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Buying Property

# Professional Property Valuation vs Online Property Estimates

By Kigali Yacu Property Research Team · Published 18 April 2024 ·Updated 18 April 2024 · 4 min read

Online property valuation tools and professional valuations can produce meaningfully different figures for the same Kigali property, and the gap exists for a specific, structural reason: online tools depend on data that simply doesn't exist at sufficient scale for Kigali.

## A concrete example of how the gap shows up

Imagine two nearly identical houses a few streets apart in Kicukiro — one with a fully verified title and recent renovations, one with an unresolved boundary question and dated finishes. An online tool, working from generic size and location data alone, would likely value them almost identically. A professional valuation, incorporating title status and actual condition, would separate them meaningfully — and that difference is exactly the kind of accuracy that matters for a real transaction.

## Why online tools work well in some markets

Automated valuation tools calibrate their models against large volumes of public sales-price data — every recorded transaction, cross-referenced against property characteristics. In markets like the US or UK, where this data is extensive and continuously updated, these tools can produce reasonably accurate estimates for straightforward properties.

## Why the same approach struggles in Kigali

Rwanda doesn't publish the dense, searchable sales-price records that power these tools elsewhere. An online estimate for a Kigali property is often working from thin, outdated, or entirely absent local data, filled in with generic assumptions that don't reflect Kigali's actual neighbourhood-level value variation.

## How to spot an unreliable online figure quickly

If an online estimate can't tell you which comparable sales it's based on, or produces a figure noticeably different from what similar, genuinely comparable properties are actually listed or selling for in the same specific area, treat it as unreliable rather than trying to reconcile the discrepancy yourself.

## What a professional valuation captures that online tools miss

- Genuinely comparable recent sales, from an agency's own direct transaction history, not generic public records.
- Title status, which online tools have no way to assess and which meaningfully affects real market value.
- Specific neighbourhood and even street-level factors, like road access and proximity to landmarks, that a generic algorithm can't weigh accurately for Kigali specifically.
- Physical condition, assessed directly rather than estimated from general property age or size alone.

## A side-by-side comparison

Factor | Online tool | Professional valuation
--- | --- | ---
Data source | Limited, often generic public data | Direct comparable transaction history
Title status considered | No | Yes
Neighbourhood-level accuracy | Low for Kigali specifically | High, based on direct local knowledge
Cost | Usually free | Often free for an initial estimate
Reliability for real decisions | Low | High

## How this affects buyers, not just sellers

Buyers relying on an online estimate to judge whether an asking price is fair face the same accuracy problem sellers do. If you're evaluating a property from our current listings or elsewhere, use a professional valuation to check the asking price rather than an online tool, particularly for a purchase decision this significant.

## When an online estimate might be useful

As a very rough, preliminary sense of scale — distinguishing a property likely worth tens of millions from one worth hundreds of millions of RWF — an online tool might offer some directional value. Beyond that very general orientation, treat any specific figure with real caution.

## The cost of relying on an inaccurate valuation

Pricing a sale based on an inflated online estimate leads to an overpriced listing that sits unsold for months. Budgeting a purchase based on a deflated online estimate can mean missing a genuinely good opportunity because your expectations were miscalibrated from the start. Both outcomes are avoidable with an accurate starting figure.

## Using an accurate valuation to guide your next step

Once you have an accurate figure, it directly informs your next move — whether that's listing your property at a realistic price, or making a well-supported offer on a property you're considering buying. An online estimate can't reliably support either decision the way a professional valuation can.

## Why we're specific about our own valuation method

Our property valuation service is built explicitly on comparable recent sales from our own transaction history, not a generic algorithm — we can explain exactly which comparable properties informed any estimate we give you, which an online tool generally can't do.

## Getting an accurate figure

Request a free professional valuation rather than relying on an online estimate for any decision that actually matters — tell us your property's location, size and condition, and we'll give you a realistic, explainable figure.

## A closing thought on trusting explainable numbers

Any valuation you receive, whether online or professional, should be explainable — you should be able to ask why the figure is what it is and receive a specific, comparable-sales-based answer. An online tool that simply outputs a number with no visible reasoning behind it is inherently harder to trust than a professional estimate you can interrogate directly.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Are online property valuation tools accurate for Kigali?

Generally not to the same standard as a professional valuation, since these tools rely on large volumes of public sales-price data that doesn't exist at comparable scale for Kigali specifically.

Why would a professional valuation and an online estimate differ so much?

Online tools use generic, often outdated or thin data and can't account for property-specific factors like title status or exact condition, while a professional valuation is built on genuinely comparable recent sales an agency has direct knowledge of.

Is it worth paying for a professional valuation if online tools are free?

Yes, for any decision with real financial consequences — an initial professional estimate is typically free, and the accuracy difference matters far more than any cost difference for a decision as significant as buying or selling property.

Can I use an online estimate as a rough starting point?

As a very rough, general orientation only — treat any figure it produces with significant caution and always confirm with a professional, comparable-sales-based valuation before making any actual decision.

## Want a professional valuation instead of guessing?

Request a free, comparable-sales-based estimate for your specific property.

Get a Free Valuation
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