The Science of Real Estate
Buying or selling is not a matter of luck or instinct. It is a decision you can measure. I combine market data and decision psychology for one promise: that you make the right decision.
Receive the Tardif Index Free valuationReal estate science, combined with our proprietary index, makes it possible to understand in real time not only the market, but above all the micro-market where your property is located — to adjust the trajectory at the right time and reach the destination you're aiming for.
What is the science of real estate?
The science of real estate consists of treating every buying or selling decision as a measurable rather than intuition: combining reliable market data (the Tardif Index) and decision psychology to choose at the right time, at the right price. This is the method of David Tardif, OACIQ real estate broker and creator of the Tardif Index, in Montreal and Greater Montreal. (July 2026)
Where is Montreal's market at?
Strong buyer's 21–40
Buyer 41–60
Balanced 61–80
Seller 81–100
Strong seller's
In juillet 2026, the Tardif Index stands at 29 out of 100, soit un market favorable to buyers on Montreal island. It's not an impression: it's the real pressure of demand on supply, measured from Centris data compiled by Endurance Groupe Immobilier par Tardif.
Monthly score, updated every month. See the current score and subscribe →
Why science, and not advice?
Everyone has advice on real estate: your uncle, your neighbor, the headlines. Advice is an opinion. And the market doesn't care about opinions.
Science is something else: verifiable data, une method constant, and the honesty to admit that our biggest mistakes come from our emotions, not our calculations. I don't tell you what to do: I give you what you need to decide for yourself, with real market numbers and a clear reading of the pitfalls that cost dearly.
The three pillars of the method
A good real estate decision rests on three supports. Remove one, and you're deciding blind.
1. Data
TheMethodology : a monthly score from 0 to 100 that measures the real pressure of Montreal island's residential market, based on Centris data compiled by Endurance. The fact, not the noise.
2. Psychology
Anchoring to the neighbor's price, fear of missing out, attachment to your home: human reflexes that cost thousands of dollars. Naming them is already deciding better.
3. The decision
Data and clarity in service of a single goal: the best decision for you, not the fastest sale for me. Buy better, sell right.
What a number changes in a decision
The most costly bias in selling has a name: anchoring.
An owner often sets their price based on what their neighbor got in 2022, at the market peak. The Tardif Index, on the other hand, measures the true balance of power between buyers and sellers in the present moment — and it often contradicts that price anchored in the past. Ignoring this number is the classic scenario: an overpriced property that stagnates, accumulates days on market, then sells below its true value once "burned" by too long a listing.
The role of data isn't to bruise the ego. It's to protect the portfolio. A fair price, backed by the Index and actual comparable sales, sells faster and closer to asking price than a "dream" price. That's deciding right.
The science of real estate, applied
Every real estate decision — a price, an offer, an inspection — is played out as much on numbers as on psychology. We dissect each situation, one at a time, to help you decide right.
Is paying less really saving?
1.25%, 2%, flat fee... Why a broker's rate says nothing about what you actually gain, net, in the end.
Read the article →Late inspection report: whose fault is it?
A delayed report isn't a fault: it's a situation to manage methodically. How to keep a cool head and protect your transaction.
Read the article →Loss aversion
Why a $100 loss hurts twice as much as a $100 gain feels good — and how this reflex makes you sell at the wrong time.
Read the article →How it all connects
This page is the starting point. Each pillar has its concrete extension:
David Tardif
OACIQ real estate broker (license E2815) since 2006, over 20 years in the field. Former SPVM police officer, now founder of Endurance Groupe Immobilier par Tardif (eXp Realty) and creator of theMethodology, the monthly indicator of Montreal island's residential market.
David Tardif led the team ranked #1 in Canada and #1 in Quebec at Royal LePage (2024-2025), aujourd'hui courtier chez eXp Realty sous la marque Endurance Groupe Immobilier par Tardif. Sa conviction : l'immobilier mérite la même rigueur qu'une science, et chaque famille mérite de décider avec des faits — pas sous pression.
Learn more about DavidSource: Centris, compiled by Endurance Groupe Immobilier par Tardif — team average (2024-2025). "#1" ranking attributed to the team led by David Tardif at Royal LePage (2024-2025), now at eXp Realty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "the science of real estate"?
It's a way of approaching buying and selling as measurable decisions rather than bets. We combine reliable market data (the Tardif Index) and decision psychology to choose at the right time and the right price. The goal: decide right, with facts.
How is this different from a broker's advice?
Advice is an opinion. The method is based on verifiable numbers and an honest reading of the biases that make us overpay or sell poorly. David Tardif doesn't tell you what to do: he gives you what you need to decide for yourself, backed by data.
What is the Tardif Index?
The Tardif Index is a monthly score from 0 to 100 that measures the pressure of Montreal island's residential market, based on Centris data compiled by Endurance Groupe Immobilier par Tardif. A weekly bulletin comments on the score, without replacing it. Details and subscription on the Tardif Index page.
How do you read the Tardif Index score?
The score is read in five zones: 0–20 strongly favorable to buyers, 21–40 favorable to buyers, 41–60 balanced, 61–80 favorable to sellers, 81–100 strongly favorable to sellers. The current month's score is displayed at the top of this page and updated every month.
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