How we calculate the benchmark
We read the market the way a careful local agent would
Then we turn it into a report you can act on. Here is how a price check goes from a quoted price to an answer.
An indicative market assessment, not a valuation.
From a quoted price to an answer
We gather the market around your property
We collect advertised properties from public listings across Sri Lanka and keep them up to date, so the comparison is made against what is on the market now.
We keep only what is truly similar
Same type of property, similar size, similar number of bedrooms, and recently advertised. A good comparison is a close one, so we never pad it with listings that do not fit.
We clean the data
Mistyped prices and obvious outliers are removed, so one wrong zero cannot move your answer.
We read the market
We look at the spread of asking prices, how long listings stay up and how prices have moved, then set the benchmark band and the median.
We place your price against it
You see whether the quoted price is below, within or above the band, how far it is from the median and how much data stands behind the answer.
We start at your street and widen only when we must
Prices change from one road to the next. So we begin with the most local data we hold for your property. When there are too few similar listings to say something fair, we step out to the next level, all the way up to the district. The report tells you which level the answer rests on.
- Your streetThe most local view we can get
- Your neighbourhoodThe streets around yours
- Your townThe whole town market
- Your divisionThe wider area around the town
- Your districtThe widest view, used only when needed
Narrower is not always better. A thin sample from one street can mislead more than a solid sample from the whole town, so we only narrow while there is enough data to trust.
What we read in the market
The asking price, like for like
Every listing is turned into a price per perch (land) or per sq ft (houses and apartments), so a small plot and a large plot can be compared fairly.
How long it has stayed on the market
A property that has been advertised for months at the same price is telling you something. Sellers are asking more than buyers will pay. Quick sellers show where the market clears.
Which way prices are moving
We follow asking prices over time, so you can see whether the area is warming up, cooling or flat, not just where it stands today.
What the location gives you
If you share a map pin, we measure the distance to the main road and the nearest expressway, because access moves prices.
Some of these only appear in your report when the data supports them. Where it does not, the report says "Not enough data" instead of guessing.
The benchmark band and the median
The benchmark band is where most similar properties are being advertised, with the extremes left out. The median is the middle of the market: half of similar listings ask more, half ask less.
Your quoted price is then placed against both. Inside the band means it is in line with the market. Above it means you are being asked for more than most comparable sellers. Below it can be a bargain, or a reason to ask why.
Beyond the price: what else the report covers
The benchmark is the base. Around it, the report sets out how to use it.
Neighbouring locations
Comparable locations, distance to landmarks and infrastructure, and how each affects price.
Time on market
How long a property like this should take to sell or lease, the discount a fast sale usually needs and who the likely buyers are.
Offer ranges
For a buyer: an opening offer, a target and a ceiling. For a seller: an anchor, a target and a walk-away price. With the reasoning.
Environmental and geographic review
A desk review of flood exposure, terrain, drainage and hazard maps from public sources. Not a site survey.
Use scenarios and returns
Indicative options for how the property could be used, and returns if you are buying to invest.
Risk-to-price sensitivities
If a legal or physical issue turns out to be a problem, roughly how much lower comparable properties trade. Based on market evidence, with the comparables cited.
How sure we are
Every report carries a confidence label, High, Medium or Low. It reflects how many comparable listings we found and how closely they match your property. It tells you how much data we had. It does not tell you the price is right. When there is not enough data, we say so rather than guess, and if we cannot benchmark your property at all, you get a full refund.
Why asking prices, and what that means
We do not have access to sale prices, so the most honest signal available is what sellers are asking right now. That is useful for knowing whether a quote is out of line, but it is not what a property finally sells for.
- It is not a valuation, and cannot be used for a bank loan, tax or a court matter.
- It does not check the deed, title, boundaries, access or the condition of a building. Ask a lawyer before you pay any deposit.
- Listings can be wrong, duplicated or already sold, and we cannot know if one is still available.
Scope and boundaries
What this is. A desk-based market analysis by MavLands. It places your quoted price against a benchmark band built from asking prices.
What this is not. It is not legal advice, a title opinion or a formal valuation by a chartered valuer. MavLands has not examined any deed, approval, survey plan or encumbrance.
Assumptions. The benchmark assumes clear and marketable title, legal access and the use the listing describes. If any of these fails, the property may be worth materially less.
Legal verification. Title, approvals, encumbrances, boundaries and transfer costs must be confirmed by an Attorney-at-Law before you make or accept an offer. We can introduce you to independent counsel. The lawyer acts for you, not for MavLands, sets their own fee and is paid directly. Any figure for taxes and fees is indicative, not a quotation.
Our interest. If you proceed with a lawyer we introduce, MavLands receives a commission based on the fee you agree with them. We receive nothing if you do not proceed.
We report what a listing says, and we never describe a legal item as verified or cleared. Confirming it is for your lawyer.
Need the legal side too?
If you want title, approvals or transfer handled,we can introduce you to an independent lawyer.
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