It's all about the numbers such as traffic counts, demographics, and sales. 

The do work, many wholesalers have built entire businesses on them but it's a very specific demographic who will call you.  

I have a understanding of commerical/residential developments and demographics of the Chicagoland area.

Then the investors will usually hit me up for my perspective as well to evaluate the rental market, tenant demographic, and an overview of the types of issues in those neighborhoods or age of home (roofs, mechanicals, and sewer lines mostly.)

I also checked citydatadotcom for the demographics of the population, the average income, and a bunch of other things pertaining to the local community as a whole.

Can they provide you with school ratings, crime statistics, area demographics and other important metrics for analyzing a neighborhood?

There are economic and demographic shifts in the area that will see a major shift in the South Shore area in our view. 

A lot of apprehension and financial difficulty in purchasing in that area + East Downtown (inside the beltline) given the current demographics and economics.

Unless your strategy is to target older couples that want to avoid stairs, does it make sense to change your property simply to cater to that demographic? 

That said many health workers have unrealistic expectations on rent so they might not be the best demographic to cater too.