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The Role of Data in Real Estate Decisions

Sep 26, 2023 | Inference and Analytics

Businesses use a wide range of data to confidently analyse trends, forecast changes, and identify opportunities. In today’s competitive real estate industry, the data behind informed business decisions can be the difference between success and failure.

Why is data-driven decision-making so important in real estate?

With the advent of big data and accessibility of data, companies are now able to make more accurate and strategic decisions by analysing information, key trends and metrics. Data-driven decision-making has become critical in real estate because it allows businesses to identify opportunities, reduce risks and maximise returns on investments.

Using data in real-estate decisions

Some examples may include:

Real estate investment decisions
Real estate and related data as diverse as historical sales data, demographics, market demand, property valuations can be used to identify profitable investment and development opportunities, determine a value of a property and assess potential returns on property investments.
Retail analytics
Property data together with foot traffic data, demographics, sales data, can play a role in location selections and market expansion decisions. It will also influence merchandising decisions such as retail promotions and campaigns, product placement, store layout and inventory management.
Real estate sales decisions
By analysing current and historical market trends, businesses can determine optimal pricing strategies for properties. Similarly demographic data can be used to identify the target audience for a particular property and inform advertising and marketing efforts.
Mortgage and financing decisions
For risk assessments, lenders use property data to evaluate the value and condition of collateral for mortgage loans, determining loan eligibility and interest rates.
On the flipside, credit scoring models may incorporate property data to evaluate borrower creditworthiness.
Government and urban planning
Urban planners use property data to identify areas in need of infrastructure development, such as roads, schools, and utilities. Governments may use property data to enforce zoning regulations and property tax assessments.
Building and construction planning
Property data aids in estimating construction costs, project timelines, and feasibility studies.
Insurance underwriting and claims
Insurers consider property data when determining premiums and coverage for homeowners and property insurance policies. Property data may play a role in processing claims by verifying property details and assessing damage.
Environmental impact assessment
Property, environmental, regulatory and geospatial data may all factor into decisions made concerning property projects.

Tips for interpreting and analysing property data

While data-driven decision-making is a valuable tool in real estate, it is important to understand how to properly analyse and interpret property data.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Data Accuracy
Ensure the data you’re using is accurate and up-to-date. Rely on reputable sources and verify the information where possible.
Compare and Contrast
Don’t make decisions based on a single data point. Compare property data from different sources and periods to identify trends and outliers.
Consider Context
Understand the broader economic and market context in which the data exists. External factors like interest rates, local regulations, and economic conditions can significantly impact real estate data.
Data Visualisation
Utilise data visualisation tools to transform complex data sets into easy-to-understand graphs and charts. Visual representations can highlight patterns and trends.
Consult Experts
When in doubt, seek advice from experienced proptech professionals or data scientists and analysts. They can provide valuable insights and guidance in interpreting property data effectively.
Human Judgement
Don’t ignore intuition and personal experience entirely. Data is important, but it should be used to inform decisions, not replace human judgement.

As we’ve explored, various types of data play a pivotal role in shaping business decisions. In an era of big data and accessible information, real estate professionals have the tools at their disposal to analyse trends, forecast changes, and seize opportunities like never before.

Businesses can navigate the intricate terrain of real estate with greater precision, with data illuminating the path.

Human judgment and expertise are still indispensable. Seek out experts, draw from your intuition, and let data guide your decisions, not dictate them.

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Unlocking Affordable Housing in Australia: The Data Revolution

Sep 5, 2023 | Inference and Analytics

Australia’s property market has been a subject of discussion for years, fuelled by soaring prices, scarcity, and affordability issues. Enter proptech start-ups, which are leveraging technology to offer innovative solutions to these issues. Central to this wave of innovation is data, and its accessibility is being revolutionised by digital data marketplace platforms.

The Old Guard: Barriers to Entry

Historically, one of the largest barriers to entry for proptech start-ups was access to quality data. Whether it’s property values, zoning laws, ownership, or construction costs, such data sets are often fragmented, expensive, or behind bureaucratic walls. The effort and capital required to acquire and harmonise this data kept many potential innovators out of the space.

Complicating matters further, there is a noticeable lack of skilled data engineers available to streamline the complex process of data collection and integration, making it even more challenging for start-ups to break into the market.

Digital Data Marketplaces: A Game Changer

Centralised data repository platforms like the Snowflake Marketplace are breaking down these barriers. By providing a centralised, easily accessible marketplace for data acquisition and use, these platforms are significantly reducing the time and capital required for start-ups to get their operations off the ground. Start-ups no longer need to invest in expensive data scraping techniques or negotiate with multiple data providers; a treasure trove of valuable information is now just a few clicks away.

Speeding Up Time-to-Market

With the availability of easy-to-use data, proptech start-ups and established businesses can accelerate their development cycles. Time-to-market is a critical factor for any business, and in a sector as dynamic as real estate, this could not be more crucial. Platforms like Snowflake have enabled proptechs to launch and iterate products faster, making it easier to adapt to market needs, and more readily generate property solutions – including bringing affordable housing to the public.

Driving Policy with Public-Private Partnerships

Easier access to data may stimulate public-private partnerships. Governments can leverage the insights generated by proptechs to guide policy decisions, be it in the form of zoning laws, tax incentives, or housing grants. With readily available data, these decisions can be made quicker and with more precision, ultimately benefitting the housing market at large.

Security and Governance

While data marketplace platforms make data more accessible, they also prioritise data security and governance. Reputable platforms will feature and document industry-leading controls and protocols to ensure high levels of governance for account holders and users, as well as all the data which is stored and accessed.

An “Even” Data Playing Field

When considering any “off-the-shelf” data from centralised data repositories, users benefit from a streamlined data acquisition process. This grants users access to a wealth of re-usable data offered by data providers, contributing to an even playing field as democratised data is universally available.

For tailored requirements, some data providers on Snowflake Marketplace make certain data products available by request.

Regardless of how you acquire the data, it is ultimately what you do with it that will derive the most meaning and value.

Whether it be the basis for automation and AI, personalisation, analysis and insights, the integration of that data forms the foundation for informed business decision making, innovation and progress.

The Data Revolution

The democratisation of data through platforms is a necessity for driving innovation in Australia’s housing market. By eliminating barriers to entry, these platforms allow organisations to focus on what they do best. In an industry begging for disruption, this newfound accessibility to data sets the stage for a seismic shift towards a more equitable and affordable housing landscape in Australia. The future looks promising, and much of that promise is driven by data.

Why is data-driven decision-making so important in real estate?

Using data in real-estate decisions

Real estate investment decisions

Retail analytics

Real estate sales decisions

Mortgage and financing decisions

Government and urban planning

Building and construction planning

Insurance underwriting and claims

Environmental impact assessment

Tips for interpreting and analysing property data

Data Accuracy

Compare and Contrast

Consider Context

Data Visualisation

Consult Experts

Human Judgement

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