Choosing a comparable scope
Before comparing two listings side by side, check that they serve the same use and that their location is defined precisely. An area name can cover very different situations. Note down the address, observed access routes and available amenities. A comparison between distinct areas remains possible, but this difference must be clearly highlighted in the presentation.
The method in practice
Start the comparison with a decision to be made, not a price table. Does the buyer want to select a viewing, eliminate an option, or prepare an offer? The amount of data required varies. Define essential criteria, preferences, and details that are still unknown. Two flats at the same price are not comparable if one requires work outside the budget or does not allow for the intended daily usage. In an initial grid, enter 'satisfied', 'not satisfied', or 'to be confirmed'. This last category prevents a blank space from being interpreted as an advantage. The client must be able to understand the logic without needing to know your portfolio or agency routines.
Fictional example
An apartment in Casablanca and a property in Bouskoura may be offered to the same client. That does not, however, make them two observations of the same local market.
Place the location and usage at the top of your table.
Making unknowns visible
Build a matrix with the criteria confirmed by the client: floor area according to a specified definition, rooms, condition, access, recurring costs and other requirements. For each row, use documented information or state 'to be verified'. Do not assign a value of zero to an unknown service charge or fee. A listing describes an offer; it proves neither the final transaction price nor the actual quality of the property.
The method in practice
Organise data into consistent categories: usage, relevant location, verified features, included items, known costs, and constraints. Record the date and source of figure-based information. Fictitious example: A is listed at 1.8 million MAD with parking; B at 1.72 million without parking and with works yet to be estimated. The displayed difference is not enough to determine the lowest total cost. Do not compensate for unknowns with improvised averages. Highlight the required quote or confirmation and examine whether the uncertainty could alter the decision. An interim comparison may recommend verification prior to ranking.
Fictional example
Two identical asking prices, but charge information for only one property: cost equivalence is not proven. The correct action is to complete the missing entry.
An empty field is a matter for investigation, not a sales advantage.
Presenting a useful comparison
Link each difference to an explicit requirement. Present the met requirements first, then the compromises, and finally the information still preventing a decision. Avoid an overall rating that could hide a deal-breaker criterion. The client may accept a compromise, but must understand what it is. Your recommendation remains conditional when key elements have not been verified.
The method in practice
A reasoned recommendation includes choice, reasons, trade-offs, and terms for review. Cite two key criteria and a real limitation of the selected property. If using a weighted score, ask the client to validate the weightings and deal with deal-breaker criteria separately. An excellent score on comfort does not quietly offset an impossibility of access. Propose a simple sensitivity test: if the building works on B exceed the planned budget, does the ranking change? The advisor does not need to produce artificial precision. They must allow the client to see which details matter and which verification is likely to change their mind.
Fictional example
‘Property A meets the parking requirement. Property B offers an additional room. Service charges for B still need to be obtained before comparing running costs.’
Explain what the comparison allows you to conclude and what it does not yet allow you to conclude.
Your practical application work
Two fictional apartments have the same asking price. Property A has confirmed parking; Property B offers an additional room, but its service charges are unknown.
- Criteria to be prioritised
- Information still missing
- My conditional recommendation