When a Sample Is Too Small to Publish

Sample size is part of the figure

A median without a sample size invites false precision. When recorded sales in a slice fall below our publish threshold, we withhold the chart rather than stretch a handful of deeds into a market story. The as-of date and count always travel with any figure we do release.

What we do instead

Widen the geography, lengthen the lookback, or leave the cell blank. Each choice is labeled. Blank is better than a three-deal median dressed up as coverage.

Property-level subscribers can still open the individual deeds. Free analytics simply refuse to chart a slice that cannot carry a responsible sample size.

This rule applies across asset classes and metros. The threshold is methodological, not marketing.

How to read a withheld cell

A blank chart means the recorded count was too small for that cut. It does not mean zero activity. Open the underlying filings when the asset matters.

Always check the as-of date on any figure we do publish. County filing lags are part of the record.

Methodology checklist:

• require a published sample size next to every median
• withhold charts when the recorded count is below threshold
• prefer blank cells over thin-sample medians
• keep as-of dates visible on every published figure

Bottom line

Coverage quality beats chart volume. If the sample is too small, we do not publish the median.

Esser Capital Research. Free analytics with sample sizes. Paid property-level records. Not a brokerage.

Source: recorded county deeds. Methodology note.