iLIVV Explains
How to read housing data without being misled
Averages, indices and "year on year" figures are useful until they are used out of context. Four habits help you read them well.
iLIVV Guides · 30 July 2026 · 4 min read
On the Insights page you will see indicators drawn from public sources such as the World Bank. They are good for understanding trends, not for pricing a single flat. A few habits make them more useful.
- Look at the source and the date. An indicator from several years ago describes a different market.
- Prefer a trend over a single number. One year can be unusual.
- Remember averages hide a lot: a city average says little about your street.
- Compare like with like: the same measure, the same region and the same unit.
When you use a number to decide something, check it against live listings in the area you care about, and ask Ask iLIVV to help interpret what the data does and does not show. Where we are not sure, we say so.