--- title: "Median or average prices in agent market reports" description: "Choose and label median and mean sale prices for a real estate website. Explain sample changes, keep comparable filters, and preserve the method." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/median-average-prices-agent-market-report" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Median or average home prices: label a real estate website report correctly Publish the statistic you calculated, identify the homes it describes, and explain the comparison's limits. Median and average sale price answer different questions. Neither label turns a neighborhood summary into a valuation of a visitor's home. This is a page specification for real estate agents. The proposed editing checks are recommendations, not a report of current prices. ## What is the median sale price? **It is the middle point of the reported sale-price distribution.** Census describes its median as the point with half the reported prices above and half below. Retain the publisher's method for grouped data. [Census statistical definitions, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.census.gov/construction/soc/definitions.html). ## What is the average sale price? **The arithmetic mean divides total reported sale prices by the count of houses reporting a price.** Census documents that definition for its new-home statistics. Distinguish it from a median in every website label. [Census average definition, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.census.gov/construction/soc/definitions.html). ## Does the definition establish which homes belong in a local report? **No. Define the source population separately.** Census's cited definitions concern its construction statistics; they do not identify your local resale sample. Record the actual feed, property types, sale status, boundary, and period used for your page. ## Which price field should the report use? **Use the documented closed-sale field for a closed-sale report.** CRMLS distinguishes Close Price, List Price, and Original List Price in its field descriptions. Confirm the equivalent fields in your own export. [MLS price-field definitions, fetched 2026.10.22](https://kb.crmls.org/knowledgebase/crmls-paragon-field-descriptions/). ## Should asking prices and sale prices share a headline statistic? **Keep their labels and populations separate.** The MLS dictionary gives them distinct meanings. A seller should not need to inspect an export to discover that a chart titled sale price contains asking prices. [MLS listing and closing fields, fetched 2026.10.22](https://kb.crmls.org/knowledgebase/crmls-paragon-field-descriptions/). ## Does average always mean arithmetic mean in a report tool? **Confirm the tool's stated calculation before using that label.** Census explicitly defines Average as arithmetic mean. Treat an undocumented aggregation in another source as **UNRESOLVED** rather than borrowing the definition without checking. [Census terminology, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.census.gov/construction/soc/definitions.html). ## Which statistic should a real estate agent feature? **Choose the statistic that matches the page's question and approved source series.** Describe why it was selected. If the page presents both median and mean, give each its own label, sample count, and interpretation. ## Can a change in the kinds of homes sold affect the result? **Yes. Explain that the comparison describes the observed sales mix.** NAR notes that changes in home characteristics and size affect reported prices. Do not describe a median change as identical appreciation for every home. [NAR sales-price methodology, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## How should the editor handle an unusually expensive sale? **Check its accuracy and inclusion criteria before changing anything.** Keep valid records that meet the stated scope. If a documented exclusion applies, record it and apply it consistently rather than removing a sale to improve the headline. ## Can the page average neighborhood medians to create a wider median? **Do not label that result as the combined median.** Return to the permitted underlying distribution or the publisher's combined series. Census's median definition concerns the middle of the values, not an average of subgroup summaries. [Census median definition, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.census.gov/construction/soc/definitions.html). ## What if only rounded subgroup averages are available? **Request the source's combined result or sufficient underlying inputs.** Avoid implying that rounded summaries reproduce a precise overall mean. Mark the combined statistic **UNRESOLVED** while the required values or method remain unavailable. ## Should the page publish the sample size? **Show the included transaction count beside the statistic.** Keep it tied to the same filters and period. Explain when a narrow sample limits interpretation instead of presenting a broad market conclusion from sparse observations. ## How many sales make a report reliable? **There is no verified universal cutoff for this page.** The minimum publishable count is **UNRESOLVED** until the source's rules and editorial standard are confirmed. Ask the data provider about suppression and aggregation before setting a threshold. ## Should property types be combined? **Combine them only under a clearly labeled scope.** Preserve separate results where the reader needs a property-type comparison. Keep the filter definition visible so an editor cannot silently change the series while retaining the old headline. ## Should national prices replace missing neighborhood data? **Keep national context separate from the local result.** NAR documents national and selected metropolitan price series. That scope does not supply a missing neighborhood statistic. [NAR geographic reporting scope, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## Are NAR sale prices seasonally adjusted? **NAR says its sales-price series are not seasonally adjusted.** Preserve that source label when discussing its figures. Do not assume that a seasonally adjusted sales-count series gives the price series the same treatment. [NAR price-series methodology, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## How should the page describe a percentage change? **Name the statistic and comparison periods before describing the movement.** Keep the same source series and filters. If the earlier value is unavailable or unsuitable as a denominator, withhold the percentage instead of manufacturing a comparison. ## Should the report include seller concessions in the price? **Confirm the selected source's treatment before making a net-price claim.** The applicable concession adjustment is **UNRESOLVED** unless its documentation establishes it. Keep recorded sale price distinct from an estimated seller net or buyer cost. ## What should a chart caption contain? **Identify the statistic, closed-sale scope, boundary, period, sample count, and source.** Add a plain limitation about sales composition. Put these fields in the chart component so they remain with the image when shared. ## How should missing prices be handled? **Follow the documented missing-value method and disclose it.** Do not replace an unknown closing price with its asking price. Ask the data provider how excluded or nonreported prices affect the published count and statistic. ## What belongs in the real estate agent's source record? **Keep the permitted data extract, field mapping, filters, aggregation method, and approved explanation.** Save enough information to reproduce the result. Keep private transaction records outside the public article and initial website inquiry. ## What should the builder test? **Require checks for field selection, sorting, missing values, aggregation labels, and comparison periods.** Include a dataset whose median differs from its mean. Treat the test values as synthetic fixtures, never as market evidence. ## When should the published page be reviewed? **Review it when the source updates, corrects its data, or changes its method.** Check the chart and explanation together. Record the completed review rather than changing a date while leaving the old calculation untouched. ## Bring this work into your website scope Bring the approved brief, source records, and unresolved checks to the [real estate hub](/for/real-estate). Describe the pages and acceptance checks in your [written work request](/work). - [Absorption and inventory: publish a real estate market report readers can interpret](/articles/absorption-and-inventory-agent-market-report) - [Cumulative days on market: explain listing exposure on a neighborhood page](/articles/cumulative-days-market-neighborhood-reports) - [Use the FHFA price index carefully in real estate market reports](/articles/fhfa-price-index-agent-market-reports) ## Related: Real estate - [Absorption and inventory: publish a real estate market report readers can interpret](/articles/absorption-and-inventory-agent-market-report) - [Cumulative days on market: explain listing exposure on a neighborhood page](/articles/cumulative-days-market-neighborhood-reports) - [Use the FHFA price index carefully in real estate market reports](/articles/fhfa-price-index-agent-market-reports) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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