Start with the assessment’s reference date
Montréal’s 2026–2028 assessment roll uses market conditions as of July 1, 2024. The year on your current tax bill and the market date used for the assessment are therefore different. A sale planned in late 2026 needs a separate look at today’s evidence.
Keep the assessment notice in your property file, alongside the municipal and school tax bills. When discussing the asking price, label the assessment and the proposed selling range separately so buyers can see what each figure represents.
Avoid a blanket percentage above the assessment
“Homes here sell 15% above assessment” is a weak starting point for a particular address. It assumes that nearby properties have changed in similar ways and compete for the same buyers. A substantially renovated home and a largely original one may need very different pricing decisions.
Consider two hypothetical Pointe-Claire houses with similar assessed values. One has a usable finished basement, documented roof replacement and a quiet backyard. The other needs major work and faces a busy road. Applying the same multiplier would hide the very differences a buyer will weigh. This is an illustration, not a claim about a particular sale.
Build a comparison that survives a property visit
Ask for a short, explained selection of comparable sales. For each, check the property type, location, sale date, lot, usable space, condition and major differences. Then look at the active listings your buyer could choose instead. An asking price is the seller’s proposal; a completed sale records an agreed result.
For a DDO split-level, start with similar layouts and condition nearby. For a Griffintown condo, examine the unit and the building: floor, orientation, outdoor space, parking, recurring charges and documented upcoming work. Crossing neighbourhoods or property types should have a clear reason.
Check whether the underlying property information is right
Before requesting a selling recommendation, assemble renovation dates, permits where relevant, invoices, the certificate of location and a list of known issues. Flag anything in the municipal record that appears inconsistent with the property.
Montréal provides a service showing residential sales from its assessment reference year. It can help you understand the assessment context, but those transactions should not be presented as a current-market sales report.
What should a useful evaluation explain?
It should give you a supported range, the main assumptions and the properties that shaped the recommendation. Ask what would change the range: a documented repair, a different launch date, a new competing listing or information discovered during the visit.
Bring your assessment to the conversation, then ask how the proposed price relates to current evidence. If your question concerns correcting the assessment itself or challenging a tax-related decision, confirm the applicable process directly with the municipality.