I do data analytics for a living and so far the best data source I've found is the zillow data but even that falls well short of what I would like to see (I'm used to using Tableau for advanced work, but the time to standardize data... plus not having the listing level details ugh...) 

My current employer purchases narrow body aircraft and leases them to airlines throughout the world so many of the economic principles (prudent asset/liability management, active asset management and conservative cash flow management) and analytical metrics (margin/spread analysis, IRR, ROA, etc) translate well to the real estate industry.I’ve been reading books/blogs and listening to podcasts and 2 things have become evident to me: 1 – the more I learn the more I see how little I know and,2 – there is a myriad of ways to find, finance and exit a property.

All in all, I am analytical by nature and refuse to offer what competitors are paying in the area for REOs.

I believe there are several analytical tools on BP available.  

It's an addicting and very fun industry to be a part of and for someone who is analytical, it will spark your creativity when needed!

That's interesting data mining and sounds like an analytical approach.  

Lenders are very analytical so that probably tells a story in itself.

I would seriously rethink your analytical approach and definitions of profitability.

Does anyone use real estate analytics to do macro analysis of where to invest?

I tend to be analytical, so creating a chart that compares the different options on things like how much capital they generate, interest rates, long term implications (selling vs refi vs helocs), etc.