When Is the Best Time to Invest in Des Moines?

The Context

Marketing content for real estate investors and potential investors, and particularly, those interested in multifamily properties. This niche customer segment typically invests in partnership with several investors and who usually do so from well outside the property's marketplace, i.e. out of state.

The Mission

To get attention, provide accurate data, and influence old-school, cold, financial, data-driven decision-making in an industry that is perfectly happy looking at flat files, list data, and table data? Such as the following 'Just the Facts Ma'am' data table:

Answer

You color outside the lines, dressing up everything except the facts. So, I created the following unconventional line chart. Well, it once was a line chart anyway.

What is so great about the unconventional use of a line chart for this data visualization, you ask?

I mean, it is sacrificing a lot of data analytics best practices cows with the following violations:

• The x-axis starts at 1999 (even though the property was built in 1951)
• The x-axis (left to right timeline) is not to scale—not even close!
• The highlighted property is not identified in the visual (Note: The property and its two more-recent transaction dates are in the body copy.)
• The introductory question isn't literally possible, i.e., you can't retroactively pick any of the three dates (duh!)
• The angle of the appreciation trajectory of the two called-out time periods is actually the reverse of what actually transpired (The line representing 24.3 years should gradually climb and the line for 6.5 months should shoot straight up.)
• One property does not a market-wide value appreciation make (Meaning this is not an appropriate sample size for any market-wide determination.)

Note: The data missing from the chart is in the body copy, which is a just-the-facts list of several multifamily real estate transactions in 2024. Two transactions of which are highlighted in the visual because the same property changed hands twice in list, prompting further research of the transaction history of that particular property.

So, what is so great about the unconventional use of a line chart for this data visualization?

• The y-axis (up & down) of the line chart is to scale. So that makes up for the x-axis indiscretion? Maybe, maybe not, but it is more critical to highlight and accurate value appreciation versus having a to-scale x-axis timeline. The date labels provide timeline clarity (If anyone is confused.)
• The introductory question is far more attention-focusing than a simple title like 'Value Appreciation for X Property in Des Moines Iowa'
• It's a sales and marketing-worthy hybrid of
  • accurate figures
  • useful distortions for data point conservation and canvas size considerations
  • fun, helpful representations of the subject matter
  • attractive, attention-getting visual elements that dress up an otherwise drab line chart (If I don't say so myself. :) )

Should data visualizations be bastardized in the pursuit of marketing excellence?

Putting that aside, the real question is, "Is the intended message (The best time to buy a multifamily property in Des Moines is 24.3 years ago. The second-best time is now) conveyed effectively?"

Is the given data visualization more likely to get attention, provide accurate data, and influence old-school, cold, financial, data-driven decision-making in an industry that is perfectly happy looking at flat files, list data, and table data?

We'll see.

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See also a recent post on using questions to control and focus audience attention: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jadehandy_opentowork-datavisualization-dashboards-activity-7262479564063293440-4X7L

See the original post, When Is the Best Time to Invest in Des Moines? And while you're there let's connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jadehandy_opentowork-realestate-multifamily-activity-7263247622138671104-qw8Y