Start with what an investor wants to know, not the dataset name.
REIQReal Estate IQPortal loginREIQ graphics cookbook
Use the right visual for the investor question.
A bar chart is not the default. Pick the graphic that helps an investor decide where to research, what to verify, and what to avoid.
Design rule
Each graphic should lead to a better investor action.
Keep one question, one dominant visual, one source line, and one local verification step.
Pair pressure with demand, affordability with jobs, or rent with vacancy.
Use state, metro, county, ZIP, or tract only when the source supports that geography.
Show margins of error, date windows, and source limits where they affect decisions.
Template library
Eight reusable graphics for REIQ market stories.
Use these as the starting point before designing another ranked bar chart.
State comparison
State tile map
Where is the signal strongest across the U.S.?Statewide foreclosure, migration, ownership, or affordability screens.
Start broad, then pick the states that deserve metro or county research.WALowMTLowNDLowMNLowNYLowORLowIDMedCOMedMOMedPAMedCAMedAZHighTXHighALHighNCHighFLHigh
County drilldown
County heat map
Inside one state, which counties deserve a closer look?Texas affordability, foreclosure pressure, vacancy, rent support, and job strength.
Darker counties are not automatic buys. They are places to verify ZIP, rent, title, and exit.Decision screen
Market quadrant
Which markets have pressure plus enough support to study?Affordability vs. jobs, seller pressure vs. demand, rent pressure vs. vacancy.
The winning corner depends on the strategy: rental, resale, creative terms, or pass.strong supportmore pressureTXNCFLOH
Metro comparison
Affordability bubble chart
Where are prices stretched, but local demand still supports the exit?Metro or county affordability using price pressure, wage support, and rent support.
Big bubbles with strong job support can be worth studying; stretched markets with weak support are caution zones.DFWPHXRDUMIA
Pattern scan
Small multiple cards
Which markets share the same pattern?Comparing counties or metros with the same five metrics.
Find markets with the same shape, then compare the underlying numbers.CollinDentonTarrantDallas
Local scorecard
Scorecard map
Does this county have enough supporting signals?County pages where investors need affordability, rent, jobs, vacancy, and risk in one view.
A county with more green badges earns research time; red badges tell you what to verify first.AffordJobsRentVacancyRisk
Trend shift
Change-over-time slope chart
Which places got better or worse since last year?Affordability, vacancy, rent burden, listings, and days-on-market changes.
The direction can matter more than the current rank when timing a market entry.ABC
Incentive screen
Opportunity overlay card
Do incentives overlap with demand?Opportunity Zones, QCT/DDA, hazard risk, flood zones, and redevelopment screens.
The incentive is a filter, not the deal. Demand and exit support still decide whether to study it.Source pairing
The visual is only as good as the drilldown source.
For county and metro stories, pick the geography before writing the chart copy.
Use for stretch and entry-price risk.
Carry margins of error for county, ZCTA, and tract.
Use to check whether demand has economic backing.
Use to test whether a rental exit may pencil.
Route by geography before making local rankings.
Treat as filters that need demand confirmation.
Publishing check
Before a graphic goes public, verify the decision it supports.
Investor question is visibleSource and date are visibleMobile layout has no overflowSmall-area caveats are carriedNext local check is clear