Which of these would provide a more reliable analysis in the paired sales technique?

• A. A larger set of data where the appraiser can support each adjustment with more than one pair of comparable sales
• B. Relying on a single pair of sales
• C. Focusing only on the most recent sale
• D. Using only a single comparable property

Answer: (D)

In paired sales analysis, reliability comes from having multiple data points to show how a particular characteristic affects value. When you use a larger set of data and support each adjustment with more than one pair of comparable sales, you can average out idiosyncrasies from any single sale and spot consistent patterns in how the attribute influences price. This repetition helps confirm that the adjustment reflects a real market effect rather than a one-off quirk, and it provides a sturdier basis for applying the adjustment to the subject property.

Relying on a single pair introduces a lot of risk: that one sale’s quirks or unusual market conditions drive the adjustment, leading to a less trustworthy estimate. Focusing only on the most recent sale or using only one comparable property similarly limits the sample and makes the analysis vulnerable to volatility or unique features of that property. So, building the analysis from a broader set of paired data yields the most reliable, defendable adjustments.