The problem
A market value in a Level 3 survey needs comparable evidence, and gathering sold prices from portals and the Land Registry by hand is slow. At 15 valuations a month and 30 minutes each collecting and laying out comparables, that is 7.5 hours a month.
What the AI does
PropertyData is a UK property data service paid for in monthly credits. Its pricing page says Local Data covers sold prices for any area you draw on a map, and a comparables search uses one credit. Basic includes 20 credits a month, and unused credits roll over up to twice the allowance. You choose which sales are truly comparable, adjust for condition and size, and make the valuation yourself; the data is evidence, not the answer.
A worked example
A surveyor in Bath includes a market valuation in about 15 Level 3 surveys a month. They use one PropertyData comparables search per job on the Basic plan and select and adjust the evidence themselves.
Before
30 minutes a valuation gathering sold prices: 7.5 hours a month
After
10 minutes a valuation running one comparables search and selecting evidence: 2.5 hours a month
What it's worth
About $266£200€238A$384C$376 a month saved, against a $19£14€17A$27C$26 to $24£18€21A$35C$34 cost. That is 5 hours a month (20 minutes x 15 valuations), valued at $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour. Basic is $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month plus VAT ($24£18€21A$35C$34 with VAT) on a rolling monthly plan, or $215£162€193A$311C$305 a year plus VAT, about $19£14€17A$27C$26 a month.
How to set it up
- Start PropertyData's 14-day free trial and run comparables for 3 recent jobs where you already know the evidence.
- Compare its results with your own to see what it finds and what it misses.
- On each new job, run one comparables search and pick the sales you'd rely on, noting why.
- Adjust for condition, size and date of sale yourself, and record your reasoning in the file.
- Check credit use at the end of each month and move to Standard (50 credits, $32£24€29A$46C$45 a month) if you run out.
What goes wrong
- Recent sales can take a while to show in sold-price data. Ask local agents about agreed sales that haven't completed.
- Every search, valuation and comparables run uses a credit. Extra map or area searches use up Basic's 20 credits quickly.
- The valuation is your professional opinion under RICS rules. Never copy a figure from the data into a report without your own analysis.