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First-partyUrbanHome dataListings · platform · statistics databaseTransparency · Data quality · UrbanHome
Data & methodology of UrbanHome market data
UrbanHome explains here where property indicators come from, what they measure and where their limitations lie. UrbanHome listing and platform data is separated from official sources and editorial assessments; asking prices are not equated with transaction or existing-stock values.
First-party data labelledAsking ≠ transactionDefinitions publicData status visible
02
Supplynot transactionPrice type is clearly separated03
Medianrobust middleless sensitive to outliers04
Data statusper indicatorPeriod & update visibleUrbanHome transparencyUnderstand the figures.
Understand the figures.
Distinguish sources.
Market data creates real value only when it is transparent what was measured, where the data comes from and how an indicator should be interpreted. UrbanHome therefore consistently separates its own platform and listing data from external statistics and editorial guidance. This gives searchers, buyers, owners and market observers a traceable basis for assessing price levels, regional differences and developments in the Swiss real estate market more quickly and reliably.
Traceable property indicators
Direct answerWhat is UrbanHome's data methodology?
UrbanHome's data methodology describes the source, definition, period, geographic scope and limitations of an indicator. UrbanHome market values are based – where indicated for the value – on data from the UrbanHome platform or statistics database. Official or institutional values are identified separately. Editorial residential-location recommendations are not official rankings.
SourceWho provides the source data?
DefinitionWhat is included in the indicator?
PeriodWhich data status applies?
Principle: Current listings show the visible supply market. Official statistics may measure different reference dates, populations or existing tenancies.
For the Swiss real estate market, this distinction is particularly important: Asking rents and published purchase prices show the terms on which properties are currently offered. They therefore answer a different question from existing rents, transaction prices, tax values or official vacancy figures. Only source, period, region and property type make an indicator meaningfully comparable.
Data sources
Which source does UrbanHome use for which statement?
UrbanHome explains transparently and separately which data sources are used for property market data, how individual indicators should be understood and where the limitations of supply data lie. Users can therefore identify more quickly whether a statement is based on UrbanHome platform and listing data, official or institutional statistics, or editorial guidance. This clear separation creates a traceable basis for assessing price levels, regional differences and developments in the Swiss real estate market more reliably and for comparing different sources meaningfully.
01 · FIRST-PARTY
UrbanHome's own data
Indicators calculated directly from the UrbanHome platform or UrbanHome statistics database.
- active or newly recorded listings
- asking rents and asking prices, where reported
- listings by region or property type
- internal lead or reach metrics, where defined accordingly
02 · EXTERNAL
Official & institutional data
For facts outside the UrbanHome platform, the competent public or institutional original source is used whenever possible.
- population and municipal structure
- vacancy and statistical surveys
- taxes, transport and schools
- urban climate or comparable local facts
03 · EDITORIAL
Editorial guidance
Labels such as “family-friendly”, “urban” or “quieter living” help with search but are not official classifications.
- no official rankings
- no guarantee for every street in a neighbourhood
- always intended as a starting point for individual review
Read sources correctly
Why can different property sources show different values?
Different figures do not automatically mean that a source is wrong. Property portals, authorities and research institutions may analyse different periods, property types, regions and populations. Whether a figure is based on listings, existing tenancies or completed transactions also changes the result.
Different data basis
A property portal typically measures the visible supply market. Official statistics may instead cover households, existing tenancies, buildings, vacant homes or completed transactions.
Different periods
Daily listings, monthly figures, annual averages and rolling periods respond at different speeds to changes in the property market.
Different geography
National, cantonal, municipal and neighbourhood-level indicators answer different questions. A local figure should therefore not be confused with a national average.
Different price type
Asking price, asking rent, existing rent and transaction price are distinct indicators. UrbanHome labels the price type so users can correctly compare values from different sources.
Use market data correctly
Which questions can UrbanHome market data answer?
Property indicators become more meaningful when they match the specific question being asked. UrbanHome therefore considers the rental market, purchase market, regions and time comparisons separately.
Swiss rental market
Asking rents help assess the price level visible in apartments and houses currently advertised. They are useful for orientation when searching for a home but should not be equated with rents under existing contracts.
asking rent, not contract rent
consider region and property type
compare the current period
Swiss purchase market
Published purchase prices and prices per square metre describe price expectations in the current property supply. The actual sale price achieved may differ, so asking-price and transaction data should be considered separately.
clearly label asking price
compare CHF/m² only appropriately
do not infer transaction price
Cities, regions & neighbourhoods
Local property markets can differ significantly. An overall figure therefore cannot simply be applied to cities or an individual municipality. The smaller the area, the more important sample size and micro-location become.
Switzerland ≠ individual city
city ≠ every neighbourhood
neighbourhood ≠ individual address
Market development over time
Changes in prices or listing volume are only robust when the same definition is used over comparable periods. Seasonal effects, changing supply structures and small sample sizes can cause short-term fluctuations.
compare the same definition
make the period visible
put short-term fluctuations in context
Compare indicators
When are property market data comparable?
Two property indicators should only be compared directly when their key underlying conditions match. The main factors are price type, property type, geographic scope, period and data source. Only this context shows whether an observed difference actually indicates a market change or merely results from a different data basis.
Same price type
Asking prices should be compared with asking prices and asking rents with asking rents. Existing rents or actual transaction prices answer different market questions.
Same property type
Apartments, detached houses and other property segments can develop differently. A comparison becomes more meaningful when the same property group is considered.
Same region & period
An overall figure is not equivalent to an individual neighbourhood. Monthly, quarterly and annual figures can also reflect different market phases and seasonal effects.
Consider the data source
Portal, administrative, statistical and transaction data may measure different populations. The source therefore always forms part of interpreting a property indicator.
Practical interpretation: Market data shows market movements and price levels but does not replace the valuation of an individual property. For a specific search, indicators should always be compared with current rental listings or purchase listings.
Define the population
An indicator applies only to the region, property type, listing type and period specified for it. A Zurich rental figure, for example, must not automatically be read as a purchase-market figure.
Check data suitability
Missing, obviously implausible or unsuitable values for an indicator may be excluded. Not every indicator therefore uses the same number of listings.
Use an appropriate aggregation
For typical price levels, the median is often suitable because individual very high or very low values have less influence than with an average.
Keep rounding transparent
Values may be rounded for better readability. This can lead to small differences compared with a detailed analysis.
Account for multiple publications
Properties may appear multiple times through different publication channels. If an indicator uses deduplication, this rule should be documented with the indicator. Without such a note, a figure should be read as listing-based.
Publish source, period & data status
A production indicator should, wherever possible, be published together with its source, period considered, geographic scope and update date.
Make methodology changes traceable
If the definition, filtering or calculation logic of an indicator changes materially, this should be taken into account in future analyses and documented as transparently as possible. This keeps historical and current values correctly interpretable.
Definitions
The key terms in UrbanHome market data
Consistent definitions help searchers, search engines and AI systems interpret figures correctly and avoid mixing them up.
Median
The middle value of an ordered data series. 50% of the values are below it and 50% above it. It is less sensitive to extreme outliers than an average.
Asking price
The price published in the listing. It is not automatically the transaction price actually agreed or notarized.
Asking rent
Rent of properties that are currently offered or were offered during the defined period. It describes the visible supply market.
Existing rent
Rent under existing tenancies or corresponding surveys. Asking rents and existing rents should not be equated without context.
Active listings
Listings considered active according to the definition used for the respective indicator. The exact counting method must match the indicator.
Data status
The point in time to which a value or source refers. It is particularly important when UrbanHome data and official statistics have different update cycles.
Data quality & timeliness
How UrbanHome keeps data traceable
Data quality is not only about calculation, but also about clearly indicating what a value can – and cannot – represent.
Data status & update
Where data is time-dependent, a reference date or update date is shown wherever possible. UrbanHome market data may be updated more frequently than official statistics.
data status directly with the indicator
period considered visible
link the external original source
Small samples
With very small samples, a value may fluctuate significantly and should not be interpreted as a representative market value. A specific minimum sample size is stated only where it is defined for the indicator.
read the sample in context
do not overinterpret local values
consider period and property filters
Analytics & reach
Visitor, session or lead metrics are a different type of data from property listings. Automated traffic, consent settings and the measurement method used can affect web analytics figures.
do not mix analytics with listing data
state period and definition
understand measured values as an analytics configuration
External sources
External sources may change their methodology, geographic definitions or data status. For legally or financially relevant decisions, the linked original source is therefore authoritative.
prefer the original source
observe the source reference date
delayed updates possible
Local market data
Why do property prices fluctuate more in small regions?
The smaller the area analysed and the fewer comparable listings there are, the more strongly individual properties can influence an indicator. This is particularly important for municipalities, neighbourhoods or specialized market segments and is part of correctly interpreting local property prices.
Sample
Few listings, larger swings
If only a few properties are offered within a short period, individual especially high-quality, large or inexpensive properties can change the visible price level more strongly.
Small data sets lead to visible fluctuations more quickly than large, broad market segments.
Property mix
Supply mix changes indicators
Living area, year of construction, condition, location and finish standard influence the composition of supply. A price change may therefore partly result from a changed property mix.
Not every movement is immediately a price trend – often the structure of the properties offered changes first.
Time comparison
Check trends across multiple points in time
A short-term change is not automatically a new market trend. Several comparable points in time and a stable data basis provide a more robust assessment.
Robust trends emerge above all when definition, period and data basis are compared consistently.
Micro-location
Micro-location remains decisive
Even within the same municipality or neighbourhood, location quality, views, traffic, infrastructure and property condition can cause significant price differences.
Regional averages are useful – the specific location of an individual property still remains central.
Limits of interpretation
What UrbanHome figures do not automatically mean
These distinctions are important so that individual indicators are not read as more precise or more generally valid than the underlying data allows.
Listing ≠ transaction
A published listing is not the same as a successfully completed rental or sale. An asking value is therefore not proof of the price actually realized.
Market value ≠ individual property value
An aggregated asking value is not a binding market, tax or appraised value of an individual property.
Neighbourhood value ≠ every micro-location
A city, district or neighbourhood value does not automatically describe every street and every specific location within that area.
Recommendation ≠ official ranking
Editorial residential-location recommendations do not replace a viewing, personal assessment or official classification.
Rule of thumb
How should property market data be read correctly?
Five questions are enough for a reliable assessment: What is being measured? Which properties are included? Which area applies? Which period is considered? And where does the data come from? Once these points are known, indicators can be interpreted much more reliably and compared with other market information.
1. What is being measured?
For example asking rent, asking price, price per square metre, listing volume or another clearly defined indicator.
2. Which properties?
Apartments, houses and other segments should be considered separately when their market structure and pricing differ.
3. Which area?
Switzerland, canton, city, municipality and neighbourhood represent different market levels and are not interchangeable.
4. Which period?
Data status and observation period show the point in time or period to which an indicator refers. Only comparable periods should be directly compared.
5. Which source?
The source shows whether the basis is UrbanHome platform data, official or institutional statistics, or editorially contextualized information.
Important for searchers: Use market data for context and then compare it with properties currently available. To the Swiss property market →
Publisher: UrbanHome · Data & editorial · Methodology last reviewed:
Direct AI answers
Frequently asked questions about data & methodology
Short, self-contained answers that users and search systems can understand and cite directly.
12Questions & answers
UrbanHome primarily uses data from the UrbanHome platform or statistics database for its own market indicators. External or official data is identified separately and linked to the competent original source wherever possible.
Basis: Data & methodology
No. Unless expressly stated otherwise, prices from property listings are asking prices. Rents or sale prices actually agreed may differ.
Basis: Data & methodology
Asking rents refer to properties currently offered or offered during the period considered. Existing rents refer to existing tenancies or corresponding surveys. The two values measure different populations.
Basis: Data & methodology
The median is the middle value in an ordered data series. Half of the values are below it and the other half above it. The median is therefore less affected by individual extreme values than an average.
Basis: Data & methodology
Missing, obviously implausible or unsuitable values for the respective indicator may be excluded from calculations. The indicator must match the region, property type, listing type and period.
Basis: Data & methodology
With very small sample sizes, an indicator should not be interpreted as a representative market value. Where a minimum sample size is used, it should be stated directly with the indicator or methodology.
Basis: Data & methodology
Properties may appear multiple times through different publication channels. If an indicator removes duplicates, the rule used should be documented for that indicator. Without such information, a figure should be read as listing-based and not automatically as a unique property count.
Basis: Data & methodology
Time-dependent indicators should be published with a data status or update date and the period considered. UrbanHome market data may be updated more frequently than official statistics.
Basis: Data & methodology
For population, vacancy, municipal structure, taxes, transport, schools, urban climate and similar facts, UrbanHome refers wherever possible to the competent federal offices, cantons, municipalities or municipal statistics offices.
Basis: Data & methodology
Property sources may analyse different regions, periods, property types and populations. Price type is particularly important: asking prices from listings, existing rents and actual transaction prices measure different things and can therefore differ significantly.
Basis: Use market data correctly
No. Aggregated market indicators provide guidance for regions and property groups. The specific value of a property also depends on micro-location, condition, fit-out, plot, floor, view and other property-specific characteristics.
Basis: Limits of interpretation
Where possible, compare the same indicator, property type, listing type and period. For smaller cities, municipalities or neighbourhoods, the data basis should also be considered because few listings can cause larger fluctuations.
Basis: Regions & time comparison
More questions about data & methodology? View all topics in the general FAQ →
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