RWI-GEO-RED/REDC/REDX: Real Estate Data and Indices
The FDZ Ruhr offers original real estate data (RWI-GEO-RED and RWI-GEO-REDC) as well as price indices (RWI-GEO-REDX and RWI-GEO-RED ABRS).
The table provides a first overview of the different data sets, access restrictions and access paths. Further explanations are provided in the text and data descriptions below.
RWI-GEO-RED | RWI-GEO-REDX | RED Campus Files | RWI-GEO-REDC | |
Current Version | V11 | V14.1 | V5 | V2 |
Available variants | 1. SUF | 1. SUF | 1. Panel-Daten | 1. SUF 2. Weakly anonymized data (on-site use) |
Time coverage | 2007 – June 2024 | 2007 – Mai 2024 | 2007 – December 2023 | January 2010 – June 2023 |
Time Unit | Month | Quarter | Month | Month |
Smallest regional unit | 1. Grid | Municipality (Gemeindeverband) | 1. Zip Code | 1. Grid 2. Geocoordinate |
Differences between variants | 1. no exact geographic localization | 1. Minimum number of observations: 5 | 1. 15 largest cities over time | 1. no exact geographic localization 2. geographical localization given (longitude and latitude) |
Differences from previous version | Observation period extended (June 2024) | Fixed data issue for GRIDS data file | Observation period extended (December 2023) Cross section 2023 | Observation period extended to the past |
Access | 1. Researchers* | 1. Researchers* | Use for teaching purposes (lecturers, students and researchers*) | 1. Researchers* 2. Researchers* in Data Room |
*PhD students, research assistants, postdocs or persons with a higher position in a publicly funded research institution, also on behalf of students interested in data.
RWI-GEO-RED
In cooperation with the internet platform ImmoScout24, the FDZ Ruhr prepares at least twice a year a dataset with all residential properties published on the internet platform that are offered for sale or rent. In addition to the price and the geo-coordinates, the RWI-GEO-RED dataset contains almost all property-specific characteristics that are queried on the website. The supplied raw data is checked for plausibility, labeled, geo-referenced and assigned IDs. Advantage of this data compared to webscraping data is, among other things, that all geo-coordinates are available and small-scale analyses are possible. In addition, precise aggregation to any larger regional level is also possible.
RWI-GEO-REDC
Thanks to intensive cooperation with the Internet platform ImmoScout24, the FDZ Ruhr also offers commercial real estate as a dataset additionally to real estate on the private market (RWI-GEO-RED). In addition to classic characteristics such as size and price, the data also includes the geocoordinates of the individual properties, which enable precise localization and analysis. The geocoordinate is only available in the onsite dataset. The SUF version has a grid identifier as the smallest spatial unit. As with the other datasets, the data is verified, processed and georeferenced.
RWI-GEO-REDX: Hedonic Price Indices
Based on the RWI-GEO-RED dataset, FDZ Ruhr derives annual real estate price indices at the district, municipality (Verbandsgemeinden), and labor market region levels (RWI 2018). The indices are calculated as a regional index to the national average, based on a hedonic price function that controls for property-specific characteristics. The estimations are computed separately for apartments for sale and for rent, and for houses for sale. The indices are available for the years 2007 to the current margin. In addition, time trends are available on a quarterly and annual basis.
RWI-GEO-RED: ABRS Price Indices
The dataset includes the price indices generated and used in the paper "Quality of life in a dynamic spatial model" by Ahlfeldt, Bald, Roth and Seidel (2020). The estimation of the price indices can be found in section K1.5 (SS.58ff) of the paper. The indices are generated at the labor market level as defined by Kosfeld and Werner (2012).
Data Availability
The RWI-GEO-RED and RWI-GEO-REDC datasets asre available free of charge for non-commercial research as a Scientific Use File (SUF). The Scientific Use File includes the 1km² specification as the smallest spatial unit. Use is restricted to non-commercial scientific research and a data request is required. The weakly anonymized version with geo-coordinates is usable on request in the data security room of the FDZ Ruhr after prior use of the Scientific Use File. For information on data access, please follow this Link.
Two Campus Files exist for use by students and for teaching purposes. One of the two Campus Files contains the gird level (1km2) as the smallest regional unit and includes all advertisements from the year 2022 (Cross-Section Campus File). Older versions also show additional years (2019, 2020 and 2021) as a cross-section. As another campus file, we provide all ads from the 15 largest cities since 2008 at the grid level (1km2, Panel Campus File). Both files are already further processed and cleaned than the Scientific Use File. The Campus Files are available for faculty and students. However, this offer only applies to properties on the private market (RWI-GEO-RED). Please send your request to fdz@rwi-essen.de.
The dataset RWI-GEO-REDX is available as Public Use File free of charge for all. Researchers can also be provided with the dataset as a Scientific Use File. The SUF differs from the PUF in the number of observations needed to calculate the price index. Only after a minimum number of 50 observations (per municipality) the price index is shown in the PUF. For the SUF already 5 observations are sufficient. To download.
The dataset RWI-GEO-RED: ABRS is available free of charge as a public use file for researchers, teachers and students. If you are interested in using it, please send an email to FDZ@rwi-essen.de.
Data Descriptions
RWI-GEO-RED: Thiel, Patrick (2024), FDZ Data Description: Real-Estate Data for Germany (RWI-GEO-RED v11) - Advertisements on the Internet Platform lmmobilienScout24 2007-06/2024. Download
RWI-GEO-RED: Campus Files: FDZ Data description: Schaffner, Sandra & Thiel Patrick (2024), FDZ Data Description: Real-Estate Data for Germany Campus Files (RWI-GEO-RED Panel and RWI-GEO-RED Cross-Section)- Version V5: Advertisements on the Internet Platform lmmobilienScout24 for teaching purposes. Download
RWI-GEO-REDC: Thiel, Patrick (2025), FDZ Data Description: Commercial Real-Estate Data for Germany (RWI-GEO-REDC V2) – Commercial advertisements on the Internet Platform ImmoScout24 01/2010-06/2023. Download
RWI-GEO-REDX: RWI-GEO-REDX: Thiel, Patrick (2025), FDZ Data Description: Regional Real Estate Price Indices for Germany (RWI-GEO-REDX) - Version 14.1: 2008-05/2024, RWI Projektberichte, Essen. Download
RWI-GEO-RED: ABRS: Ahlfeldt, Gabriel & Bald, Fabian & Roth, Duncan & Seidel, Tobias, 2020. "Quality of life in a dynamic spatial model," CEPR Discussion Papers 15594, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1736.pdf
Additional information for RWI-GEO-RED SUF
Summary Statistics of most recent wave
Labels of most recent wave
Metadata Schemes
RWI-GEO-RED Campus Files
Panel Campus File 2007-2023:
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:panel:v5
Cross-Section Campus File 2023
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:cross:v5
RWI-GEO-RED Scientific Use File
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data (Scientific Use File) - Apartments for Sale
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:wk:suf:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data (Scientific Use File) - Apartments for Rent
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:wm:suf:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data (Scientific Use File) - Houses for Sale
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:hk:suf:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data (Scientific Use File) - Houses for Rent
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:hm:suf:v11
RWI-GEO-RED Weakly anonymized files (Accessible via Data Secure Room)
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data - Apartments for Sale
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:wk:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data - Apartments for Rent
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:wm:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data - Houses for Sale
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:hk:v11
RWI-GEO-RED: RWI Real Estate Data - Houses for Rent
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:hm:v11
RWI-GEO-REDC Scientific Use File
RWI-GEO-REDC: RWI Commercial Real Estate Data – SUF
RWI-GEO-REDC Weakly anonymized files (Accessible via Data Secure Room)
RWI-GEO-REDC: RWI Commercial Real Estate Data
DOI: 10.7807/immo:redc:v2
RWI-GEO-REDX (PUF)
RWI-GEO-REDX: Regional Real Estate Price Index for Germany – 2008-05/2024
DOI: 10.7807/immo:redx:puf:v14.1
RWI-GEO-REDX Scientific Use File (SUF)
RWI-GEO-REDX: Regional Real Estate Price Index for Germany – SUF, 2008-05/2024
DOI:10.7807/immo:redx:suf:v14.1
RWI-GEO-RED: ABRS Preisindizes
DOI: 10.7807/immo:red:abrs:lmr:v1
DOIs of previous versions can be found here: http://fdz.rwi-essen.de/doi.html.
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New data co-operation
As part of the RWI-Geo-Connect project, the FDZ Ruhr has agreed new co-operation partnerships. From now on, the ‘RWI-GEO-REDX’ property price indices can be linked with data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) in Bamberg. This means that the RWI-GEO-REDX data product can be used directly at the LIfBi without prior registration at the RWI (subject to a valid on-site data utilisation contract). Further information on RWI-GEO-REDX can be found here.
Contact:
If you have any questions about our data services or data applications, please use the FAQ of the FDZ Ruhr at Forum4MICA. For further questions, please contact us from Monday to Thursday: fdz@rwi-essen.de
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