This project involves extensive land title searches, data scraping from the Land Owner Transparency Registry, and advanced analytics to map property ownership patterns. It identifies instances of illegal short-term rentals, excessive property flipping, and hidden investment practices. The insights are published on OpenHousing.ca, offering interactive visualizations and real-time data to inform public debate and advocate for housing policy reforms.
Open Housing Data Transparency
by Rohana Rezel
A citizen-led project that uses public land titles data and the Land Owner Transparency Registry to expose hidden trends in Vancouver’s real estate market and property ownership concentration.
Related Media Appearances
Citizen Researchers Comb Through B.C.’s Real Estate Data Trove
The Globe and Mail
This article details how housing activist and senior software architect Rohana Rezel, along with other citizen researchers, uses advanced data analysis and publicly available records to expose hidden trends in Vancouver’s real estate market. By leveraging tools such as land titles searches and the new Land Owner Transparency Registry, Rezel uncovers patterns of concentrated ownership—highlighting cases where realtors and investors hold multiple properties or flip houses for large profits. The work, which is shared on his website OpenHousing.ca and across social media, aims to level the playing field by revealing information that the real estate industry traditionally keeps out of public view. The article also discusses challenges with the registry’s cost and transparency, emphasizing the broader implications for housing affordability and policy reform in the region.
Read more