What is Altos Research?
Altos Research is a real estate market intelligence platform that publishes weekly market data — inventory, median list prices, price-reduction rates, and days on market — for every U.S. ZIP code. Agents use it to send branded weekly market reports to their sphere and build listing authority with data-backed presentations.
At a Glance
- Rating4.5/5
- CategoryMarket Analysis
- Best forAgents who want data-backed pricing, neighborhood insight, or investment context.
- Pricing noteLite free; Professional from ~$29/mo (annual); check altosresearch.com for current rates.
- UpdatedMay 2026
Quick Verdict
★★★★★ 4.5/5 starsAltos Research is a strong weekly-market-data tool for agents building market-authority positioning with their sphere. The Professional tier at $79/month is a reasonable bet for agents covering a mid-size metro; Advanced at $149/month is the sweet spot for multi-market agents and small brokerages. The functional free tier means there's zero excuse not to try the product before committing.
The key mental model: Altos is not a CMA tool, not an AVM, not a lead-gen platform. It is a market-data-as-content engine. Agents who commit to the weekly push rhythm — to their sphere, to social media, to past clients — extract disproportionate value. Agents who subscribe and never send a report waste the money.
Visit Altos Research → Overall Quality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.6 Pricing Value 4.3 Real Estate Fit 4.5 Features 4.4 Customer Support 4.2Bottom line: Altos Research scores 4.5/5 across the dimensions above.
What Is Altos Research?
Altos Research is a real estate market intelligence platform that tracks and publishes weekly market statistics for every ZIP code in the United States. Founded in 2006, it was acquired by HousingWire in 2023. Its core product is automated, agent-branded weekly market reports showing inventory levels, median list prices, days on market, price-reduction rates, and the proprietary Market Action Index (MAI).
Unlike AVMs (which value specific properties) or CRMs (which manage client relationships), Altos Research is a market-data publishing tool. It gives agents a consistent, branded cadence of local market statistics to push to their sphere — turning market expertise into a weekly touchpoint rather than a one-off conversation.
How Real Estate Agents Can Use It
The highest-ROI workflow for Altos Research is weekly sphere nurture. Agents who push an Altos-branded report to their sphere every Monday — via email, text, or social — build market-authority positioning that converts to listing leads over 6-18 month windows. The key is consistency; the tool doesn't deliver value unless the agent actually distributes the reports.
The second workflow is listing appointment preparation. Walking into a listing meeting with last week's Altos report for the seller's specific ZIP — showing current inventory levels, days-on-market trends, price-reduction rates, and the Market Action Index — demonstrates that the agent operates from current data rather than stale impressions. Sellers who see an agent arriving with fresh market analytics trust that agent more than sellers who get platitudes about "the market is hot" without supporting data.
The third workflow is buyer offer coaching. In buyer-favoring markets, Altos data helps buyers understand that waiting, negotiating harder, or requesting price reductions is supported by the data. In seller-favoring markets, the data helps coach buyers toward competitive offers and tightened contingencies. Either way, specific market data beats gut feel in client conversations.
The fourth workflow is social media and content. Altos reports generate a steady stream of market-data posts. Agents building LinkedIn or Instagram presences use weekly market data as a content anchor that requires minimal effort to produce.
For brokerages, the operational lesson is that an Altos subscription without an agent distribution motion wastes the money. The tool doesn't sell homes — the agent's consistent distribution of the data does. Brokerages that buy Advanced or Enterprise tiers should also invest in training and accountability around how agents actually use the reports.
The realistic starting point for a new agent is Starter (free, 1 ZIP) while building distribution habits, then upgrading to Professional ($79/mo) once the habit is consistent and the agent covers more than 1 market. Jumping to Advanced ($149/mo) makes sense once an agent is covering 10+ ZIPs or running multi-office brokerage workflows.
Key Features
Weekly Market Reports. Every Monday, Altos refreshes data across every ZIP code. Agents receive updated market reports with inventory levels, median list prices, price reductions, and Altos's proprietary Market Action Index (MAI) — a numerical score indicating whether a market is favoring buyers or sellers.
Custom-Branded Reports. Reports are branded with the agent's photo, contact information, and brokerage identity. Agents push these to clients via email, text, social media, or print.
Market Action Index (MAI). Altos's signature metric — a single number that represents whether a market is in buyer-favoring, balanced, or seller-favoring conditions. Updates weekly. Useful as a fast-read conversation anchor with clients.
Automated Marketing Suite. Paid tiers include email delivery automation, contact list management (up to 1,000 contacts on Professional, 5,000 on Advanced), and scheduled report pushes.
Multi-User and Brokerage Tools. Advanced tier supports 3 users with shared branding; Enterprise supports unlimited users with full national coverage.
Live Training. Altos offers regular training sessions covering how to read market data, how to present reports to clients, and how to integrate Altos into listing and buyer workflows.
Data Depth. Real-time inventory, list price distribution, price reduction rates, days-on-market trends, and historical comparison series going back multiple years in most markets.
Integration with HousingWire. Post-acquisition, Altos data feeds into HousingWire content and analysis, giving Altos subscribers cross-reference value with industry news coverage.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | Free | 1 ZIP code, limited features |
| Professional | ~$29/mo (annual) | Multiple ZIPs, branded reports, automated sphere emails |
| Advanced / Brokerage | Contact sales | Unlimited in-state ZIPs, multiple users, 5,000 contacts |
| Enterprise | Custom | National coverage, API access, unlimited users |
All paid plans allow cancellation. No free trial on paid tiers — the Lite tier (1 ZIP) effectively serves as a trial. Verified at altosresearch.com/pricing on 2026-06-08. Check Altos Research’s pricing page for current rates.
What We Like
✅ Pros
- ✓ Weekly data refresh is differentiating. Most market stats agents cite are monthly or quarterly. Weekly cadence catches trends faster and gives agents fresher talking points.
- ✓ Branded reports are client-ready. No formatting work required — push from Altos, hit send.
- ✓ Market Action Index simplifies buyer/seller conversations. A single number that clients can understand cuts through noise.
- ✓ Functional free tier. Starter with 1 ZIP is usable for agents focused on a single market.
- ✓ Professional at $79/month is a reasonable entry point for agents covering a small metro.
- ✓ Advanced at $149/month with unlimited in-state reports is strong value for multi-market agents or small brokerages.
- ✓ Post-HousingWire integration adds industry authority. Reports tie into broader industry narrative.
- ✓ Live training is included on paid tiers — lowers the learning curve.
❌ Cons
- × Data is market-level, not property-level. Altos doesn't give you comps for a specific property; it gives you trends across the ZIP.
- × Advanced tier cap at in-state coverage creates friction for agents in multi-state border markets. Enterprise is the step up for multi-state coverage.
- × No free trial on paid tiers beyond the 1-ZIP Starter. Agents who want more than 1 ZIP commit to paid immediately.
- × No direct affiliate program confirmed. Agents cannot earn referral commissions by recommending Altos Research to peers.
- × Advanced analytics platform is not clearly scoped publicly. The differentiator between Professional and Advanced beyond report count and contact count needs clarification.
- × No API pricing disclosed. Agents wanting data-feed integration have to go through Enterprise sales.
- × Report aesthetics are functional, not premium. For luxury brokerages wanting high-end presentation polish, Altos reports may feel utilitarian.
- × Single-ZIP Starter is too thin for most working agents. Most agents cover 5-15 ZIPs; realistic starting tier is Professional.
What to Consider Before Buying
- Altos is a market-data tool, not a CMA or AVM. It shows ZIP-level trends — inventory, price reductions, days on market — not property-specific valuations. Use it alongside your MLS comps, not instead of them.
- Value depends entirely on agent distribution habits. If you subscribe but never send a report, you get nothing. The tool requires a consistent weekly push motion to your sphere to deliver ROI.
- Lite (free) tier covers only 1 ZIP. Most agents cover 5–15 ZIPs. The Professional tier is the realistic entry point for most working agents.
- Pricing has changed. The old Starter free / Professional $79/mo / Advanced $149/mo structure has been updated. Verify current plans at altosresearch.com/pricing before purchasing.
- Advanced analytics platform scope is not fully disclosed publicly. The exact feature differences between tiers beyond ZIP count and contact limits are not clearly documented; review the pricing page carefully.
- No API access below Enterprise. Agents wanting to pull Altos data into their own tools need Enterprise-level engagement, not a self-serve API key.
Market Data / Real Estate Compliance Notes
- Market statistics are aggregate trends, not appraisals. Altos Research data shows ZIP-level trends. Do not represent these statistics as a valuation of any specific property.
- Weekly data reflects list-price trends, not sale prices. Altos tracks active listing data. Closed-sale data comes from MLS. Distinguish between these data sources when presenting to clients.
- Confirm brokerage approval for branded report distribution. Some brokerages require compliance review of client-facing marketing materials, including market reports. Verify your broker’s requirements before distributing Altos-branded reports.
- Do not imply Altos data predicts future prices. Market trends inform decisions; they do not guarantee future values. Avoid forward-looking price claims based solely on Altos data.
- Fair housing applies to market data framing. When sharing market data with clients, do not frame neighborhood statistics in ways that could imply steering. Focus on property and market factors, not neighborhood demographics.
Alternatives
| Tool | Best For | vs Altos Research |
|---|---|---|
| HouseCanary | Property-level AVM + market forecasts | Property-specific valuations; Altos is ZIP-level trends |
| Mashvisor | Investment analysis, rental projections | Investor-focused; Altos focuses on listing-market trends |
| PropStream | Lead gen, off-market data, comps | Lead generation focus; Altos is sphere nurture via market data |
| Quantarium | Enterprise AVM data (B2B only) | Enterprise-only; Altos is agent-accessible and self-serve |
Who Should Use It?
Best For:
- Real estate agents who want a weekly, automated market-data push to their sphere.
- Listing agents building market-authority positioning in buyer-heavy or shifting markets.
- Brokerage owners wanting a consistent, branded market data product for their agents.
- Mortgage professionals and title agents wanting cross-market data for conversation pieces.
- Past-client nurture workflows — automated monthly Altos reports keep agents in front of sphere contacts.
- Social media content — Altos reports generate market-data posts consistently.
Not Best For:
- Agents looking for property-level AVMs — use HouseCanary, Redfin Estimate, or Zestimate.
- Agents who only close 2-3 deals a year and don't build a sphere nurture motion — the monthly cost doesn't pay back.
- Brokerages wanting a fully integrated CRM + market data + lead-gen stack — Altos is a data layer, not a CRM.
- Markets where Altos has thin coverage (rare — Altos covers most US markets well).
- Agents in a single ZIP who can survive on the Starter tier indefinitely.
- Agents wanting API access without Enterprise pricing conversations.
Is It Worth It?
Altos Research is worth it for agents who will actually distribute the reports. The free Lite plan is a no-risk starting point; the Professional tier at around $29/month (annual) is reasonable for agents building a sphere nurture habit across multiple ZIPs. The ROI calculation is simple: if weekly market reports to your sphere generate even one additional referral per year, the subscription can be worth the cost if the workflow produces enough real client or transaction value. If you subscribe and never push reports to clients, it is a waste. The tool rewards consistent distributors and penalizes passive subscribers.
FAQs
What does Altos Research do?
Altos Research delivers weekly market statistics for every U.S. ZIP code, including inventory levels, median list prices, price-reduction rates, days on market, and the proprietary Market Action Index. Agents use it to send branded weekly reports to their sphere and prepare for listing appointments with fresh local market data.
How much does Altos Research cost?
Altos Research offers a free Lite plan (1 ZIP, limited features) and paid tiers starting at approximately $29/month (billed annually) for the Professional plan. Higher tiers cover more ZIPs, more contacts, and multi-user access. Verified at altosresearch.com/pricing on 2026-06-08. Check their pricing page for current rates.
Does Altos Research work for real estate agents?
Yes — it is purpose-built for agents, brokers, and mortgage professionals. Its core workflow is the weekly market report push to a sphere of influence. Agents who commit to distributing reports consistently report stronger listing leads and repeat/referral business over 12–24 months.
What is the Market Action Index?
The Market Action Index (MAI) is Altos Research’s proprietary market-condition score. A reading above 30 indicates a seller’s market; below 30 indicates a buyer’s market. It updates weekly based on current inventory and demand signals, giving agents a single number to anchor client conversations.
Is there a free trial for Altos Research?
Altos Research does not offer a free trial for paid tiers. However, the free Lite plan covers 1 ZIP code with limited features, which effectively lets agents evaluate the product before committing to a paid plan.
How We Reviewed
AIandRealtors.com reviewed this tool using publicly available product pages, pricing pages where available, help documentation, feature descriptions, terms or policy pages where relevant, and editorial analysis of how the product fits real estate workflows. This review is based on public product information and real estate workflow analysis. We have not independently tested every feature, output, integration, credit calculation, compliance control or support experience unless specifically stated.