What belongs in a quarterly neighbourhood market report?
A useful report states the neighbourhood boundary, property type, complete reporting period, comparison period, data source and extraction date. Explain what each statistic measures and which questions the sample cannot answer. An area report is context for a conversation; it is not an estimate of an individual home's value.
The Canadian Neighbourhood Farming Campaign includes four editable one-page quarterly layouts plus a preparation page. You enter and check the local figures. There is no live MLS feed, automatic chart refresh or included licence to redistribute third-party market data.
Wait for complete data and keep the comparison consistent
Schedule publication after the quarter ends and the necessary data is available. Record the retrieval date because source records can be revised. If your area uses a particular board definition of a sale or a reporting cutoff, retain it. Do not compare firm sales in one period with a different transaction definition in the other.
Keep geography, property type, filters and periods consistent. A detached-home subset is not the same as all property types. A citywide number is not a neighbourhood number just because it is easier to obtain. If you broaden the area because the sample is small, label the broader scope clearly and explain why.
Use the same quarter of the previous year when that is the comparison you intend to discuss. If you also compare the previous quarter, label it separately. Seasonal differences can matter; avoid turning a short change into a confident forecast. The campaign calendar should accommodate release timing rather than force an unfinished report.
Distinguish a period count from a snapshot
Sales during January 1 through March 31 are a period count. Active listings as at March 31 are a snapshot. Label both, rather than presenting the inventory snapshot as if it were the number of listings throughout the quarter. Use the source's definition for days on market, and distinguish a median from an average.
FICTIONAL REPORT EXAMPLE — NOT CURRENT MARKET DATA
A sample Maple Grove report shows 18 firm sales in Q1 2026 versus 15 in Q1 2025. That is three more sales, or 20% using (18 − 15) ÷ 15. The percentage can sound large while describing only three additional transactions. The sample also labels its active-listing count as a March 31 snapshot.
When a comparison starts at zero, percentage change is undefined. Explain the counts instead of printing a misleading growth percentage. Where data is unavailable or suppressed, say so. Never fill the gap with an invented number just to complete a layout.
Explain average, median and benchmark without mixing them
The arithmetic mean is the sum of sale prices divided by the sale count. The median is the middle observation after sorting; for an even count, use the average of the two middle values. Neither statistic alone adjusts for which kinds of homes happened to sell.
| Five sale prices | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000; $520,000; $540,000; $560,000; $880,000 | $600,000 | $540,000 |
The higher sale affects the mean more than the median in this example. That does not make the median a valuation of every home. Explain the mix and sample limitations instead of selecting whichever statistic gives the stronger marketing headline.
CREA's MLS® Home Price Index explanation distinguishes its modelled benchmark approach from average and median prices. Use a valid published series for the relevant area and property type where available. Do not label a manually calculated average as an HPI benchmark, or imply that the kit calculates one.
Add one measured interpretation and a useful next step
Write a short observation supported by the displayed figures, then identify the limitation. For example, “There were three more recorded sales in this fictional sample; the count is small and does not establish a price trend.” Avoid claims about a guaranteed direction or an individual property's likely sale price.
Keep the source credit, period and extraction date visible after export. Confirm the source's display and redistribution conditions. Save the underlying query or report so a colleague can reproduce the figures. A manual transcription check is worthwhile before distributing hundreds of copies of a number.
Invite a homeowner to ask about the evidence relevant to their property and plans. If they request a property-specific discussion, gather the appropriate comparables and facts separately. Use the mail-and-email preparation guide before distribution. The report is useful when its scope and limits are understandable, even when the honest conclusion is that more evidence is needed.
Official references checked October 20, 2026: CREA MLS® Home Price Index explanation. General information only. Confirm current postal, brokerage, privacy, data-use and sending requirements for your campaign.