Our Data

Where the intelligence comes from.

Freehold's analytics are built on public records, market transaction data, and validated benchmarks — not guesswork. Here's exactly what powers the platform.

The Data Stack

Six layers. One intelligence engine.

Each layer builds on the one below. The bottom layers are foundational; the top layers are predictive.

Layer 6Freehold Find

Owner & Distress Signals

Predictive indicators that a property may become available — tax delinquency, code violations, probate filings, estate activity, equity position changes, and ownership duration.

County tax delinquency rollsMunicipal code violation databasesProbate court filingsPublic lien recordsMortgage satisfaction records

Signal monitoring expanding to 50+ metros

Layer 5

Market Intelligence

Supply/demand dynamics, vacancy trends, permit activity, population migration patterns, employment data, and neighborhood trajectory indicators.

Census BureauBureau of Labor StatisticsBuilding permit databasesUSPS address change dataZillow/Redfin market indices

Market-level data for all US metros, updated monthly to quarterly depending on source

Layer 4

Operating Benchmarks

Expense ratios, management costs, maintenance benchmarks, insurance rates, and tax burden estimates calibrated by market, property type, and vintage.

NAA/NMHC operating cost surveysInstitutional portfolio benchmarksIRS Schedule E aggregate dataInsurance rate databases

Benchmarks segmented by metro area, unit count, and building age

Layer 3

Transaction & Sales Data

Recent sales prices, cap rate transaction data, and comparable sale analytics for properties in the same area and asset class.

Public deed recordsMLS sales dataCounty recorder filings

Sales comp data refreshed continuously from public records

Layer 2

Rental Market Data

Current asking rents, lease transaction data, and historical rent trends for comparable units in the same submarket.

Rental listing aggregatorsMLS rental dataCensus ACS housing surveysHUD Fair Market Rents

Rent comps available for 200+ US metro areas

Layer 1Foundation

Property Records

The foundation. Every analysis starts with verified property-level data — ownership, tax assessment, parcel information, building characteristics, and transaction history.

County assessor recordsPublic tax rollsDeed and title recordsBuilding permit databases

Available for all US residential and multifamily properties

Scoring

How the Freehold Score is calculated.

The Freehold Score synthesizes data across these layers into a single 0–100 rating. Every score is transparent: you can see exactly which pillars (Cash Flow Strength, Market Positioning, Risk Profile, Growth Potential) drive the number, and what data inputs feed each pillar.

Full methodology

Data Quality

Our data quality principles.

Public records first

We prioritize verified public data sources — county records, tax rolls, deed filings — over scraped estimates or user-submitted data. When we use modeled estimates, we label them clearly.

Transparent when uncertain

Not all data is equally reliable. When Freehold uses an estimate instead of observed data (e.g., projected rent vs. actual lease rate), the interface flags it as an estimate with a confidence indicator.

No black boxes

Every Freehold Score includes a breakdown. Every rent comp shows its source. Every benchmark cites its basis. You should never have to take a number on faith.

Continuously validated

Our benchmarks are validated against institutional operating data and updated as new public records become available. Stale data is labeled with its vintage so you know how fresh it is.

Limitations

What we don't do.

Freehold is not a substitute for due diligence. We provide data-driven analysis to help you make better decisions faster — but we don't guarantee outcomes, predict market direction, or replace a professional appraisal. Our models estimate; you decide.

We don't provide investment advice or recommendations to buy or sell specific properties

We don't guarantee property values, rent estimates, or return projections

We don't access private MLS data that requires a real estate license (we use publicly available records and licensed data partnerships)

We clearly label estimates vs. observed data throughout the platform

Coverage

Data partnerships & coverage.

Freehold's data coverage is expanding continuously. Our current coverage:

Property recordsAll 50 US states
Rent comps200+ metro areas
Sales compsAll states with public deed records
Operating benchmarksNational, with metro-level granularity for top 50 markets
Owner/distress signalsExpanding (currently top 50 metros)
Market intelligenceAll US metros

We're actively building data partnerships to deepen coverage and improve accuracy. If you're a data provider interested in working with Freehold, contact data@getfreehold.com.

FAQ

Common questions about our data.

Rent estimates are derived from current asking rents for comparable units in the same submarket, adjusted for unit size, property type, and building vintage. We cross-reference rental listing data with Census ACS Fair Market Rent data to validate our estimates. When sufficient local data isn't available, we use metro-level medians and flag the estimate as 'metro-level' rather than 'submarket-level.'

The Freehold Score is a structured analytical framework, not a prediction. It evaluates a property or portfolio across four dimensions using observed and modeled data. The score is as accurate as its inputs — which is why we recommend using it alongside your own due diligence, not as a replacement for it. We publish our methodology transparently so you can evaluate whether the scoring framework aligns with your investment criteria.

We use AI to process, structure, and analyze data — not to fabricate it. Our underlying data comes from public records, market transactions, and institutional benchmarks. AI helps us extract insights from that data faster (e.g., identifying owner distress signals across thousands of records), but we don't use AI to generate property values, rent estimates, or market projections from thin air.

It depends on the source. Property records update as counties publish them (typically monthly to quarterly). Rental market data updates continuously from listing aggregators. Operating benchmarks are validated annually against industry surveys. Market intelligence metrics (employment, permits, migration) update monthly to quarterly depending on the source agency.

Property records and basic analytics are available nationwide. Rent comps with submarket granularity are available for 200+ US metro areas. Operating benchmarks are most granular for the top 50 markets. Freehold Find's owner/distress signal monitoring is currently available in the top 50 metros and expanding. If you own properties in a market where coverage is limited, the platform will tell you.

See the intelligence in action.

Every number in Freehold traces back to real data. Try it yourself.