How is BMV (Below Market Value) calculated?

BMV compares a property's listing price against recent comparable sold prices nearby. The process: 1. We search comparable sold prices within expanding radius tiers (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, then 3.0 miles) 2. Each comparable is scored for similarity using weighted factors: - Property type match (25 points) - Bedroom count (20 points) - Bathroom count (10 points) - Same street bonus (20 points) - Postcode proximity (10 points) - Geographic distance (10 points) - Sale recency (8 points - newer sales score higher) 3. Only comparables scoring 60+ out of 103 are used 4. If the comparable set has a bimodal price distribution (e.g. flats at 90K and purpose-built at 160K), we detect the gap and select the cluster closest to the listing price 5. A conservative 3% discount is applied to the weighted average 6. The listing price is compared against this adjusted comparable value Confidence levels: - High: Low price variation (CV under 0.15), 5+ quality comparables - Medium: Moderate variation (CV 0.15-0.30) - Low: High variation (CV over 0.30) or fewer than 5 comparables Properties without enough quality comparables get no BMV value rather than an inaccurate one.

How are rental yield estimates generated?

We use a tiered system, prioritising the most accurate source available: Tier 1 (Most Accurate): Spatial comparable rentals - We search nearby rental listings using geographic proximity - Finds what similar properties actually rent for in the specific area - Weighted by similarity to the subject property Tier 2: Market data estimates - Regional rental data when direct comparables are not available - Based on aggregated market data for the property type and area Tier 3: Stored values - Historical rental data already associated with the property Gross yield formula: (Monthly Rent x 12) / Property Price x 100 This means a property listed at 200,000 with an estimated rent of 1,000/month would show a 6.0% gross yield. We always use gross yield for consistency across the platform.

What do the Deal Scores mean?

Every property is scored across 6 investment strategies. Each score reflects how well the property suits that specific approach: Buy-to-Let (BTL): Focuses on rental yield, cash flow potential, tenant demand in the area, and long-term income stability. BRRR (Buy, Refurbish, Refinance, Rent): Evaluates refurbishment potential, value-add opportunity, and refinance viability after improvement. Flip: Looks at capital appreciation potential, price-to-value gap, and quick-sale margin in the local market. HMO (House in Multiple Occupation): Assesses room count, conversion potential, licensing area requirements, and per-room rental income. Serviced Accommodation (SA): Scores short-term rental income potential based on location tourism/business demand and property suitability. Rent-to-Rent (R2R): Evaluates the subletting margin between achievable market rent and potential tenant income. Higher scores indicate stronger alignment with that strategy. You can sort the entire property catalogue by any strategy to surface the best opportunities for your approach.

How does the Investment Score work?

The Investment Score is a composite metric shown on each property detail page. It combines multiple signals into a single quality indicator: - Yield performance relative to the area average - BMV discount (if available and confident) - Deal score across your preferred strategy - Market demand indicators - Price trend direction for the postcode area It is designed as a quick-glance indicator to help you prioritise which properties to investigate further. It is not a buy/sell recommendation - always do your own due diligence.

How are comparables selected and scored?

When you view comparables for a property, the system: 1. Searches sold price records within expanding radius tiers (starting at 0.5 miles, up to 3 miles) 2. Filters to the same general property type category 3. Scores each comparable using weighted similarity: - Property type match: 25 points - Bedroom count: 20 points (exact match = full, +/-1 = partial) - Bathroom count: 10 points - Same street: 20 bonus points - Postcode match: 10 points (full or partial match) - Distance: 10 points (closer = higher) - Sale recency: 8 points (sales within 6 months score highest) 4. Only comparables with a total score of 60 or above are included 5. Minimum of 3 quality comparables required for a valid BMV estimate The scoring ensures you see the most relevant comparisons, not just the nearest or cheapest sold prices.

How often is property data refreshed?

Property data is refreshed on multiple schedules: - New listing detection: Continuous scanning throughout the day - AI analysis (yield, BMV, deal scores): Runs hourly on new and updated properties - Comparable sold price data: Updated as new transactions are recorded - Off-market scoring: Refreshed when underlying data sources update New listings typically appear on the platform within hours of being published. Price changes and status updates (sold STC, under offer) are captured in subsequent scans.

How does Archie find properties?

Archie uses natural language understanding to convert your request into a structured property search. Behind the scenes: - An intent classifier determines what you are asking (property search, analysis, comparison, etc.) - A search agent extracts criteria: location, price range, bedrooms, property type, yield targets, strategy preferences - The search executes against the full property database with the same filters available on the properties page - Results are ranked and returned with investment metrics Archie maintains conversation context, so you can say things like "show me cheaper ones" or "what about Glasgow instead?" without repeating your full criteria. Conversation context is preserved for the duration of your session.

What is the off-market analysis and how reliable is it?

Off-market analysis identifies properties where the owner may be motivated to sell, even if the property is not actively marketed. We score 8 factors: 1. Ownership Duration - How long the current owner has held the property 2. Mortgage Status - Whether the fixed rate may be ending 3. Probate Indicators - Signs of deceased owner 4. Vacancy Signs - Evidence the property may be empty 5. Disrepair Evidence - Properties visibly needing work 6. Landlord Fatigue - Multiple property owners with eviction history 7. Financial Distress - County Court Judgments, bankruptcy filings 8. Life Events - Divorce, relocation indicators Reliability note: This is probabilistic analysis based on publicly available data. A high score indicates higher likelihood of selling motivation but is not a guarantee. Always verify through your own research before approaching an owner.

How do I use the Map view and Draw-to-Search?

The Map view lets you browse properties geographically: 1. Switch to Map view from the properties page (grid/list/map toggle) 2. Pan and zoom to load properties in the visible area (viewport-based loading) 3. Select any marker to see property details in a popup Draw-to-Search: 1. Select Draw Area in the map controls 2. Select points on the map to place polygon vertices around your area of interest 3. Select Done (you need at least three points) to complete the polygon 4. Only properties within your drawn boundary are shown Both methods work with all existing filters (price, bedrooms, strategy sort, etc.) so you can combine geographic and criteria-based searching.

What does the "Back on Market" badge mean?

A "Back on Market" badge means the property was previously taken off the market (archived, marked as sold, or sold STC) and has since been relisted. Common reasons properties come back on market: - Sale fell through (survey issues, chain collapse, mortgage declined) - Seller changed their mind - Previous listing expired and was relisted These properties can represent opportunities because: - Sellers may be more motivated after a failed sale - The property may have been reduced in price - There is less competition from other buyers who saw it the first time We track the previous status and relisting date so you can see how long ago it returned.

How do Property Alerts work?

Alerts come from scanners. A scanner is a saved search that keeps checking new and updated properties against your criteria. 1. Open More, then Scanners, and select "Save a search" 2. Pick a strategy, add the postcode areas you want to track, then set price, bedrooms and property type 3. Save the search, review the matches, then select "Enable Alert" to be told about new ones Alerts arrive by email, WhatsApp, or push notification in your browser or the PAID app. Choose your channels in the Alerts tab of Settings. Each alert carries the key details and a link to the full property page.

How do I create and manage alerts effectively?

Tips for getting the most from alerts: - Start specific, then broaden: Set tight criteria first. If you get too few matches, gradually loosen filters. - Use yield thresholds: Setting a minimum yield (e.g. 6%) filters out properties that won't meet your investment targets. - Combine location + strategy: Set alerts by your preferred strategy sort (e.g. "Best BTL in Manchester") to get pre-ranked results. - Multiple alerts for different strategies: Create separate alerts for BTL, BRRR, and Flip in the same area to see how properties rank differently. - Review match history: Check your alert matches regularly to refine criteria based on what you are actually seeing. To edit, pause or delete an alert, open More, then Scanners, and select the search.

How are property types and features normalised?

Different listing sources use different names for the same property type. For example, one source might list "Mid Terrace House" while another says "Terraced". We normalise these into standard categories: - Detached / Semi-Detached / Terraced / End Terrace - Flat/Maisonette / Purpose Built Flat / Converted Flat - Bungalow / Cottage / Park Home This normalisation ensures: - Filters work consistently regardless of the original listing source - Comparable scoring accurately matches property types - Deal scores correctly account for property type characteristics Features like parking, garden, EPC rating, and tenure are similarly standardised across sources.

Can I import a property from another website?

Yes. The Import Property feature lets you paste a URL from a property listing on another website. How it works: 1. Go to Import Property (in the navigation menu) 2. Paste the listing URL 3. We extract the property details and match it against our database 4. If found, you get full access to our analysis (yield, BMV, deal scores, comparables) 5. If not yet in our system, we will attempt to add it This is useful when you spot a property elsewhere and want to see our investment analysis before making a decision.

Account and billing

Common questions

Answers on how deal figures, search, alerts and import work.

6 min read

Data & Calculations

Search & Discovery

Alerts & Notifications

Platform Features

Ask Archie3 min read Search and filters3 min read Set up a scanner3 min read

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Updated October 2026