A hat tip to [Socketsite](http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2006/05/its_time_to_tak_1.html) for this one. June Fletcher’s [Navigating the Web to Find Reliable Housing-Market Data [REJ]](http://www.realestatejournal.com/columnists/housetalk/20060512-fletcher.html?refresh=on) addresses the frustrations that buyers and sellers often feel when beginning the purchase/sale process.

_A question is posed to her:_

Why is it so hard to get good data on housing-market prices, especially in major metro areas like Washington, D.C.?

_This is always the burning question._ Realtors work with the data every day and more often than not, know the market better than you would after basic online research. Thats because brokers are on the front line, viewing properties for a living. However, they are in the business to sell and some are better at selling than research.

But things have changed over the past decade. Overwhelmingly, buyers and sellers do online research first and _then_ contact a broker for the final process of narrowing down their research to make a decision. There are many intangibles that comprise the value of any given property.

The broker brings a certain _tactile_ element to property research (granted, this assumes the broker is an expert).

Her column is very candid about the slant of information provided by various sources. that results in being very basic and sound advice to the reader.