Look beyond the headline number.

Learn how to read property evidence, compare like with like and recognise what a dataset cannot tell you.

An asking price and a market index answer different questions

A listing tells you what is being asked for a specific property at a point in time. An index describes movement across the observations included in its methodology. Neither, by itself, establishes a valuation for the home you are visiting.

The RBI House Price Index is one public research starting point. Read its period, coverage and notes before using it alongside local evidence. Keep city-wide movement separate from the characteristics of an individual building or unit.

Label each figure with its source, period and geography.
Distinguish advertised, transacted and estimated values.

Ask what is inside the sample

A comparison is more useful when the properties share a location, type, size basis and observation period. Duplicate advertisements, old listings and a changing mix of properties can make an apparent trend hard to interpret.

Before trusting an average, ask how many observations support it, which properties were excluded and when the records were last checked. Where those details are missing, keep the conclusion provisional.

Check sample size, duplicates and freshness.
Compare the same property segment across periods.
Keep missing information visible instead of assuming a value.

Build an evidence trail for a neighbourhood

Combine a local visit with public transport information, planning references and comparable property details. Record each source separately so you can return to the original evidence when a claim changes.

A useful research note ends with an answerable question: which commute needs testing, which document needs review or which comparison is still missing? That makes the next step concrete without pretending the evidence is complete.

Keep observations separate from expectations.
Refresh the evidence before a major decision.