Edsel Charles is the founder and Chairman of the Board for MarketGraphics Research Group, Inc., a new home market research company headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee.

After building over $100,000,000 of new single-family homes during the late 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Charles started MarketGraphics® in 1988 with Nashville, Tennessee being the first market.  The company has grown to be one of the largest privately-owned companies of its type in the United States with research in 26 markets in 20 states.  MarketGraphics® clients include builders, developers, banks, retailers, health-care institutions, planners, utility companies, Realtors, appraisers, city and national government offices.

Mr. Charles has been a National Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders Board of Directors since 1987 and a past president of the Middle Tennessee Home Builders Association.  He is a member and a past National Trustee for the NAHB’s Institute of Residential Marketing Council; a 3 year Trustee for the National Sales and Marketing Council (N.S.M.C); a member of the Graduate Realtor Institute (G.R.I.), and has his State of Tennessee Real Estate broker’s license.

In addition to being a consultant to many of the top builders in the United States; Mr. Charles has received the following awards: a National Marketing award from Professional Builder Magazine; the Gold National award for Marketing for the Parade of Homes; Builder of the Year award and top development awards.

Mr. Charles speaks for different Home Builders Associations across the United States.  Additionally he has spoken for such groups as: FDIC Atlanta Regional office, the Federal Reserve Bank of Nashville, the National Association of Home Builders Conference, the TMA Mid-America Regional Conference, City/State Leadership and Planning organizations, the Economic Department for Middle Tennessee State University and other organizations.   He has also served as an expert witness for real estate legal cases.

Edsel Charles | PO Box 1071, Brentwood, TN 37024 | 615.371.2282 | info@mgresearch.net

A database of new home and subdivision information is compiled from recorded plats and planning commission activity.  A MarketGraphics® field auditor then drives the streets of active new home subdivisions to determine the inventory of lots and homes. Data collection and field audits are conducted every four months.  The raw data is then processed, analyzed and compiled into a final report.  When starting a new market, the field auditor will gather approximately 10 years of historical recorded plats.

MarketGraphics’® philosophy is to track the market conditions to determine if the industry is under-building or over-building in a given area and price-point.  MarketGraphics® tracks the start and closing rate by subdivision, MG Area, county, market area and, in some markets, product information.

The demand for houses and corresponding demand for lots is determined through an analytical process involving historical and current market trends and conditions.  The historical record of each four month audit provides a basis for forecasting demand.  Additional market factors such as over-building, under-building, permit trends, economic conditions, the existing-home market and the apartment market are also factored into the demand forecast.