Work

Transactional (Case–Shiller) vs. Hedonic (Zillow) Housing Price Indices (HPI): Different Construction, Same Conclusions?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Housing price indices (HPIs) are employed to assess the impact of the business cycle, monetary policy, housing policies, and local market dynamics. However, comparative empirical analysis of different HPI methodologies has not been conducted to measure why or when they may diverge and whether these differences are meaningful. Two leading US HPI choices, the repeat-sale transactional (S&P Case–Shiller) and characteristic-based hedonic (Zillow) indices, although highly correlated, generate different distributions and time-series properties primarily at the city level. The spread between these two HPI choices measures the difference between housing market transaction intensity and a willingness-to-pay characteristic valuation. We find that transactional indices are more volatile, with HPI spreads associated with both macro and local drivers. The transactional index will rise more rapidly in a market with increased buying (positive macro and local market conditions) and fall further in a market with increased selling (negative macro and local market conditions) relative to a hedonic index. A buyer- or seller-biased spread between a transactional and hedonic housing price index (HPI) may impact policy judgments during housing market extremes.

Source: Real Estate

DOI: 10.3390/realestate2040019

Authors: Mark Rzepczynski, Wei Feng

Institution: Barry University

Language: English

Topic: Housing Market and Economics

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207