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In most markets comparables are acquired through an MLS database, and access to MLS is usually not free. You can hire or become friends with a real estate prof
by ensignavenger 10y ago
In most markets comparables are acquired through an MLS database, and access to MLS is usually not free.
You can hire or become friends with a real estate professional that pays for access to MLS (or become one yourself).
But before sites like Zillow, there wasn't anything like it easily available to the average person.
- toomuchtodo 10y ago> But before sites like Zillow, there wasn't anything like it easily available to the average person. Zillow unfortunately doesn't help though, as no one takes the value seriously (except perhaps uneducated consumers entering the real estate market). Bad data is worse than no data.
- yoloswagins 10y agoOr they can be acquired via county assessor data, for free, from the court house. From the county assessor, you'll get sold price, deed type, beds/baths, and high level sundry information.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoThis works for historical data analysis, but falls over flat for trying to ascertain asset prices in markets, due to how much more quickly the MLS data is updated compared to public records (although, to Redfin's credit, they provide both the MLS record and public record for property events for completeness). Some properties are only on the market for hours/days; you'd never have a chance as a market participant if you only relied on stale public records.
- ensignavenger 10y agoRedfin is indeed awesome, but they are only available in select markets where they have a brokerage.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoScaling is hard and expensive.
- ensignavenger 10y agoNot all counties in all states have or make public this data. In fact, I think sold price is not reported to the county in many (maybe most?) states.