Q: “Denise, I really wish I were more stat savvy. I see my competition and their offices put together these amazing reports and what I can generate is really lacking (and I don’t know the first thing about where the stats even come from so that isn’t helping). Help!”

A: Your first step is education. These “magical” numbers probably come from your MLS. So whether they are being translated by Zillow, Redfin, Trendgraphix, or another agent or company, if you take a look at the disclaimer, the info more than likely is being generated by your MLS.

So your first step is to learn about how to get that information out of the MLS. Your MLS may have classes or videos available that address that very topic. Learn what information is available on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Can you get information on median sales prices? Inventory? Pending listings? Months of Inventory?

If your MLS doesn’t have classes or videos, then ask if there is a contact there who can supply training and tech support.

Get empowered and get comfortable with data!