Data Drives the Real Estate Market
1. General Real Estate Market Data & Trends Resources
National Level:
- National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
Website: https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics
- Home sales reports (existing homes, pending sales)
- Housing affordability index
- Market forecasts
- Buyer and seller profile reports
- U.S. Census Bureau – Housing Data
Website: https://www.census.gov/construction/nrs/
- New residential sales and construction
- Vacancy and homeownership rates
- Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)
Website: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/
- Mortgage interest rates
- Housing price indexes
- Rental vacancies, construction permits, and more
- Zillow Research
Website: https://www.zillow.com/research/
- Local and national home values
- Rent estimates
- Inventory levels
- Forecasts and interactive data dashboards
- Redfin Data Center
Website: https://www.redfin.com/news/data-center/
- Median sale prices
- Time on market
- Competitive metrics
- Migration patterns
- Realtor.com Research
Website: https://www.realtor.com/research/
- Active listings
- Days on market
- Market hotness index
2. Historical Sales Data and Home Prices
- CoreLogic (paid service)
Website: https://www.corelogic.com/
- Home price indexes (HPI)
- Market risk and mortgage performance analytics
- Case-Shiller Home Price Index
Website: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/index-family/indicators/sp-corelogic-case-shiller/
- Historical data on home prices in 20 major metro areas
- Widely cited in economic reports and housing market trends
- Local MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
- Most accurate for hyperlocal closed sales, DOM, price per sq ft, etc.
- Often available via MLS software like Bright MLS, CRMLS, or Flexmls
3. Mortgage Rate History and Lending Trends
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)
Website: https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms
- Weekly national mortgage rates (30-year, 15-year, ARM)
- Historical trends and downloadable datasets
- Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)
Website: https://www.mba.org/
- Weekly mortgage application data
- Loan performance and delinquency data
- Market forecasts
- Bankrate & LendingTree
Websites:
- https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/mortgage-rates/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/
- Real-time consumer rate comparison data
- Mortgage calculator tools
4. Data Visualization & Analysis Tools
For Agents to Use:
- RPR® (Realtors Property Resource)
Website: https://www.narrpr.com/
- Realtor-exclusive tool for generating market reports
- Heatmaps, trends, school data, neighborhood stats
- Keeping Current Matters (KCM) (Subscription)
Website: https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/
- Visual real estate market insights
- Monthly slide decks and infographics for client education
- Altos Research (Subscription)
Website: https://www.altosresearch.com/
- Real-time housing market data
- Inventory trends, pricing, DOM
- Great for local market presentations
- Tableau Public
Website: https://public.tableau.com/
- Data visualization software with templates for market data
- Can be used to create dynamic, engaging graphs for class or client use
- Microsoft Power BI
Website: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/
- Business analytics tool
- Connects to external sources (FRED, Excel, MLS exports)
5. Local/State Government Data Sources
- State Real Estate Commissions or Departments
- Licensing activity, disciplinary records, licensee trends
- County Assessor/Recorder Websites
- Parcel sales data
- Tax assessments and valuation history
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
- Often publish demographic and housing forecasts used in regional planning
Compliments of Frank Serio, CRS
