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Transparency & Sources

Where do UrbanHome figures come from, how is market data interpreted and what are its limitations? This page makes data sources, calculations and update status transparent.

View data sourcesGo to market data
Source 01UrbanHome listing dataActive and newly published listings from the platform.
Source 02UrbanHome platform dataLeads, search and usage data where used for indicators.
Source 03Official dataFederal authorities, cantons, municipalities and other public bodies.
Source 04Editorial reviewContextualization, source comparison and visible data status.
Short answer: UrbanHome uses its own listing and platform data as well as official and institutional sources for property market analyses. Its own supply data and external statistics are labelled separately. Data status, definitions and limitations are shown where they are relevant to interpreting an indicator.
Our principle

Own market data and official statistics are shown separately

01

UrbanHome combines its own platform data with external sources on city, market and guide pages. It should always remain clear which figure comes from UrbanHome itself and which was taken from a public or external source.

Current listings reflect the supply market visible today. Official surveys may instead measure a different reference date, a different population or existing tenancies. Such values are therefore not treated as equivalent without explanation.

First-party data

UrbanHome's own data

01

This includes indicators calculated directly from the UrbanHome platform or UrbanHome statistics database. Examples include – where shown on the relevant page – active listings, newly recorded listings, asking rents, listings by region or property type and internal lead metrics.

Only data sets that match the relevant definition are used for market indicators. As a result, not every indicator is based on the same number of listings.

External sources

Official and institutional data

02

For population, vacancies, municipal structure, taxes, transport, schools, urban climate or comparable facts, UrbanHome refers wherever possible to the competent public authority. Depending on the topic, this may include federal offices, cantons, municipalities or municipal statistics offices.

For local city profiles, the specific source or data status is shown directly with the relevant topic block or at the end of the section.

Contextualization

Editorial recommendations are not official rankings

03

Labels such as “family-friendly”, “urban”, “quieter living” or recommendations in the district finder serve as editorial guidance. They are not official classifications and do not guarantee that every street within a neighbourhood has the same characteristics.

UrbanHome therefore aims to present such statements as a starting point for the search and to point users to the specific address, public transport connections, noise situation or personal priorities.

Timeliness

Data status and updates

04

Where data is time-dependent, a reference date or update date is shown where possible. UrbanHome market data may be updated more frequently than official statistics, some of which are published annually or at longer intervals.

If an external source is updated, the UrbanHome page may be updated with a delay. For legally or financially relevant decisions, the linked original source therefore remains the authoritative reference.

Editorially reviewed: UrbanHome market data & editorial team · Last reviewed: 10 September 2026.

Property market

How UrbanHome interprets market data

02
Indicator
Meaning
Context
Asking rent
Rent of a property currently offered or offered during the period under review.
Supply market
Existing rent
Rent from an existing tenancy or an official sample of existing tenancies.
Do not equate directly with asking rents
Median
Middle value of an ordered data series; less sensitive to extreme values than the average.
Meaningful only with sufficient data
Active listings
Listings marked as active on UrbanHome at the time of the query according to the filter definition used.
Snapshot
Change
Comparison of a defined indicator with an earlier period.
Comparison period must use the same definition

Detailed methodology: How UrbanHome filters, calculates and contextualizes data is summarized on the methodology page Sources answer the “where from?”, while methodology answers the “how?”.

Calculation

Filters, outliers and rounding

03
  • An indicator is calculated only for the region, property type and offer type specified for the respective value.
  • Missing, obviously implausible or unsuitable values may be excluded from calculations.
  • Values may be rounded for better readability. This may result in small differences compared with a detailed analysis.
  • With very small sample sizes, an indicator should not be interpreted as a representative market value.
Reach & usage

Website and reach metrics

04

When UrbanHome publishes user, visitor, session or lead metrics, the source, period and definition should be stated directly with the figure. Analytics data and listing data are different types of data and are not mixed.

UrbanHome may use internal web analytics for reach figures. Automated traffic, consent settings and measurement methods can influence such metrics; they should therefore be understood as measurements from the analytics configuration used.

Data limitations

What the figures do not automatically mean

05
  • A listing is not the same as a successfully completed rental or sale.
  • An asking value is not a binding market, tax or appraisal value for an individual property.
  • A district or neighbourhood value does not describe every micro-location within the area.
  • External sources may change their methodology, area definitions or data status.
  • Editorial residential-location recommendations do not replace a personal viewing or individual assessment.
Source matrix

Which primary source for which topic?

06

Where possible, UrbanHome prefers the primary source responsible for the subject matter. The relevant source depends on whether an indicator describes the current supply market, population and housing structure, tenancy law, the interest-rate environment or local conditions.

Topic
Primary source
Use
Listings & asking rents
UrbanHome
Current supply market and platform-based market indicators
Population, housing & vacancies
Structural data and official national statistics
Mortgage reference interest rate
Reference interest rate relevant to tenancy law
Policy rate & money market
Interest-rate environment, SNB policy rate and monetary-policy context
Taxes & local indicators
Cantons, municipalities and municipal statistics offices
Regional and local context
Public transport & accessibility
Transport associations and operators
Timetables, connections and local accessibility
Source hierarchy

Preferred external sources

07
Federal Statistical OfficePopulation, housing and national statistics
Federal Office for HousingTenancy law and mortgage reference interest rate
Swiss National BankPolicy rate, money market and monetary-policy environment
Canton of ZurichCantonal data, taxes and specialist information
City of ZurichCity statistics, geodata and local specialist offices
Zurich Transport NetworkTimetables and public transport connections
Sources directly with the content: On city and guide pages, particularly important or time-dependent facts should wherever possible be linked to the specific original source and a data status.
Corrections

Found an error or outdated source?

08

Reports of outdated data, incorrect source information or methodological ambiguities can be submitted via UrbanHome contact Helpful information includes the affected URL, the specific figure or statement and – if available – the more recent original source.

Direct AI answers

Frequently asked questions about transparency & sources

Short, self-contained answers that users and search systems can understand and cite directly.

5Questions & answers

UrbanHome calculates its own market indicators from listing and platform data and supplements them, where useful, with official or institutional sources. The origin of an indicator is shown so that UrbanHome’s own data can be distinguished from external statistics.

Basis: Data sources

Rents calculated from property listings are generally asking rents, unless stated otherwise on the relevant page. Existing rents from ongoing tenancies or official surveys measure a different part of the market and are therefore not treated as equivalent without explanation.

Basis: Interpret market data correctly

Timeliness depends on the respective data source. UrbanHome’s own supply data can be updated more frequently than official statistics. For time-dependent indicators, a reference date or data status is therefore shown where possible.

Basis: Data status & timeliness

Missing, obviously implausible or unsuitable values may be excluded from calculations. Region, property type, offer type and other filters must match the relevant definition. With small sample sizes, an indicator should be interpreted with corresponding caution.

Basis: Limits of significance

Differences may arise from different reference dates, populations, geographic definitions and calculation methods. A current supply market based on listings, for example, is not the same as official statistics on existing tenancies or the housing stock.

Basis: Sources & context
More questions about transparency & market data? View all topics in the general FAQ →
Apply transparency directly

Understand sources – interpret market data correctly

View the current UrbanHome market data or open the methodology to understand the origin, calculation and significance of the property indicators.

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Cached: 10/30/2026 4:29:04 PM