Most of a property’s value is determined by the tangible assets within its four walls, but the remainder depends on its location, which is much harder to quantify. Real estate companies are turning to data-driven solutions to gain more concrete location insights, which they can then pass on to their clients.

Company

Wahi provides Canadians with a better way to buy and sell real estate, on their own terms

Wahi is a digital real estate platform that supports both consumers and realtors along their real estate journey. The company empowers Canadians to make better, more informed decisions by providing them with free access to digital tools, insights, and trusted industry experts.

Through its range of homebuyer and seller services, the company offers the choice of five different ways for Canadians to buy and sell real estate, helping them reclaim control of the real estate process. As a digital brokerage, Wahi also offers more competitive pricing thanks to its various commission structures.

Challenge

Gathering the right data to create standout property listings

Lack of quantifiable data beyond the four walls of a property

Multiple listing service (MLS) websites tend to look the same. A typical listing includes information about the property itself, such as the year of construction, type of renovation, and amenities like parking.

Despite being essential, that information may not answer all of a home buyer’s questions. Nor does it create content that stands out. Home seekers are looking for more than property listing data. For real estate websites to attract users, there must be something that differentiates them from their competitors. Wahi wanted to provide its users with unique neighborhood experiences. To do so, the company needed valuable insights beyond what most MLS have to offer.

A person’s first step in finding a home is to choose which neighborhood they want to live in. However, quantifying the feel of a neighborhood is challenging. Generally speaking, tangible items are easier to value — a three-bedroom house is worth more than a two-bedroom house, for example. Location is different. It can be hard to pinpoint why a property may be more valuable than a similar one that’s located two streets away.

Fragmented datasets across various providers

Wahi relied on external sources to obtain the datasets it needed since it was nearly impossible to produce them in-house. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a 360° solution that could collect all the data within one place.

The company had to contact a number of different providers in order to gather the required information. Some of them only offered neighborhood boundaries, while others focused exclusively on amenities or demographics data. As a result of these fragmented datasets, Wahi couldn’t provide comprehensive insights to its users, which may have prevented them from capturing crucial growth opportunities.

Solution

Local Logic’s location insights provide unique content as a key differentiator

Understanding the sense of a neighborhood for better buying decisions

Through its localized approach to real estate, Wahi offers streamlined, historical data for nearly 400 neighborhoods in the GTA to help home seekers find their ideal place to live. By integrating hyperlocal data from Local Logic into their property listings, Neighborhood Guides, and Neighborhood Finder tool, Wahi provides consumers with a deeper knowledge of the area where a home is located.

Local Logic’s Local Profile (which contains Location Scores, heat maps, and text descriptions) and contextual Points of Interest (POI) data (such as nearby transit options or services) played a key role in optimizing people’s search for homes. With these data points, home seekers gain insights into a neighborhood’s unique characteristics that go beyond gut instinct. Through this enhanced real estate experience, Canadians can make informed decisions about their next move that they felt confident about.

Comprehensive data solution with precise neighborhood insights

A search experience that was different from other MLS sites — one that offered more context — was necessary for Wahi to keep users coming back. The company knew what its customers were looking for, but it needed a way to get that information without going through multiple channels.

No other data provider had an end-to-end solution like Local Logic. Through Local Logic, Wahi was able to access and display all the data they needed in one place, so their users don’t have to search multiple sites for information on location. To enhance their property listings and Neighborhood Guides with relevant content, Wahi used our Schools, Demographics, and Geographies APIs.

Schools Canada

Schools Canada was the most impactful integration for Wahi. With the help of Schools data, Wahi created the best real estate experience for families looking for homes with school options. Parents can access school information beyond boundaries and ratings to find out which schools are nearby and if they are on their way to work or in the opposite direction. Compared to the average user, website visitors who interacted with Schools data are five times more likely to stay on the site.

Demographics

Our Demographics API is widely used by customers. The dataset contains robust information about the population anywhere in Canada and the US. It is organized by categories, such as mother tongue, commute mode, education level, age, income, and more.

Geographies

Using Geographies API, Wahi was able to obtain neighborhood-specific data. With these precise insights, they built the most comprehensive real estate guides on neighborhoods in the GTA and a Neighborhood Finder tool. Both of these resources help users find properties that were best suited to their lifestyles.

Faster time to market through a human approach

Wahi recognizes the importance of human touch when it comes to delivering quality experiences, which is why they provide their users with access to Licensed Wahi Experts. In a similar way, Local Logic’s team is available and responsive when clients need clarity on our data solutions. The ease of use and integration of our products, combined with our client support, allows Wahi to go to market faster and see results sooner.

Results

Increased website stickiness provides Wahi with an edge over competitors

Unique insights highlighting the value of listed properties

People often do their own research before reaching out to a realtor or broker. By providing useful location information on their website, Wahi has become a premier resource for home seekers looking to learn more about living in different GTA neighborhoods.

Through an exclusive license, Wahi receives text data that is 66% unique to the company. This content has helped showcase the unique location characteristics and cachet of each property.

Improved stickiness by featuring relevant content

Wahi increased its stickiness by 5x for users engaging with school data. Providing a best-in-class school experience allowed Wahi to focus and double down on the content that its users cared about. Content that users find relevant will encourage them to spend more time on the website.