Free RP Data reports: where to get one

You can request a free RP Data property report through Police Credit Union's report page. It can help you check sales history, nearby sales and an estimated price range before making an offer. The information available depends on the property.

I'd start with the comparable sales rather than jumping straight to the estimated value. A report becomes much more useful when you can see why a similar home sold for that amount. Below are the report options worth checking and how to use them in your buying research.

Police Credit Union is a different institution from Police Bank. Use the linked Police Credit Union page if you want the RP Data report described here. ANZ's report is an alternative source of property information; it is not an RP Data report.

Open the report page, enter the requested property and contact details, and read the privacy and contact permissions before submitting. Answer the questions accurately. A free report may involve follow-up from the provider, so check what you are agreeing to rather than assuming a particular answer prevents calls.

Police Credit Union lists a price estimate, nearby sales and sale or rental listings among the report's contents. Photos, floor plans, rental history and other details may be included where available. A free report does not give you a login to the full RP Data subscription platform.

ANZ offers a sales report and an equity report. The sales report includes property history, similar sales and suburb information. The equity option adds estimates based on the property value range and loan balance you provide. ANZ says the report is emailed after you complete its form.

Some addresses will not have enough information for a price estimate. You may still receive other property and suburb information. An equity estimate is not loan approval or a promise of how much you can borrow. Our guide to using equity explains the lending checks.

NAB's current Property Insights page gives research guidance and links to local market updates. Use the tools actually available on the provider's site. An old article or app screenshot is not enough to confirm a free report service still exists.

Make sure the address, property type, land size and bedroom count match the home you inspected. A unit should not be compared with a house just because they share a suburb. If the report has missed an extension or major renovation, factor that into how much weight you give the estimate.

Pick recent sales of homes with similar size, condition and location. Open the listing photos where available and compare the layout, parking, land and street position. A renovated house on a quiet street may tell you very little about an unrenovated one beside a main road.

Separate sold prices from asking prices. A listing shows what a seller wants; a completed sale gives you evidence of what a buyer paid. If your best comparisons are old or quite different, widen the search carefully and recognise that your price estimate is less certain. Our property research guide walks through that process.

An automated valuation model, or AVM, estimates value using data. It does not replace a professional valuation, building inspection or your own assessment of the property. Cotality's guidance explicitly says its AVM estimate must not be relied on as a professional valuation.

I would investigate a big gap between the estimate and the asking price before assuming either one is right. Ask the agent which completed sales support the price, then compare those homes yourself. Our house price negotiation guide explains how to use the evidence in your offer.

A report will not tell you whether the roof leaks, whether every renovation is approved or whether you will enjoy living on that street. Use it alongside inspections, your solicitor's searches and checks with the relevant council. Visit at different times so you can judge traffic, noise and access for yourself.

Treat old photos and floor plans as background information until you confirm them. A missing sale or blank field does not prove that nothing happened. Coverage and timing vary, and recent transactions may not yet be recorded.

A property can look fairly priced and still stretch your repayments too far. Once you have a shortlist, put the purchase price, deposit, buying costs and expected repayments together. We can compare suitable lenders across our panel and help you check the finance before you commit.

If you are researching a property you already own, separate the estimated equity from the amount a lender might let you access. That depends on its valuation, lending limits, your income, existing debts and the reason for borrowing more. See our reasons to refinance guide if you are weighing up a loan change.