Buildability™ vs PropertyShark
Data version: Q2 2026 · Last updated 2026-05-13
TL;DR. PropertyShark is a property records platform that excels at deep ownership history, title lookup, and building-violation records — strongest in NYC where it grew up around PLUTO and ACRIS data. Buildability™ is a per-property buildability analysis platform that excels at zoning interpretation, environmental risk, and feasibility scoring. PropertyShark answers "who owns this and what is its title history?" — Buildability™ answers "what can I actually build on it?"
Quick comparison
PropertyShark: property records platform with owner records, title history, mortgage records, building permits and violations, comparable sales, and foreclosure data. Subscription pricing roughly $80-$300/month depending on tier and market coverage. Deepest in NYC and major metros, thinner outside. Buildability™: instant 142-factor Buildability™ Report per parcel covering zoning code, setbacks, FAR, FEMA flood zone, wildfire and seismic risk, EPA contamination, infrastructure readiness, comparable sales, and permit pathway. $29 per report or $249-$1,083/month subscription tiers, with a free first report and uniform national coverage.
Where PropertyShark wins
PropertyShark is the right tool when your question is "what is the full ownership and title story of this property?" It has industry-leading depth on title chain, mortgage records, building violations, ACRIS document indexing in NYC, and historical sales records. If you are running title due diligence, researching a chain of ownership, looking up open building violations, or doing pre-acquisition records pulls — particularly in NYC and other major metros where its data is deepest — PropertyShark is purpose-built for that workflow.
Where Buildability™ wins
Buildability™ is the right tool when your question is "given everything about this parcel, what can I actually build on it?" PropertyShark tells you what is there and who owns it; Buildability™ interprets the zoning code, computes setbacks and FAR, checks ADU eligibility, scores environmental and seismic risk, surveys infrastructure, and outputs a 0-100 Buildability Score with plain-English narrative. PropertyShark does not interpret zoning or model buildability. Buildability™ also has uniform national coverage (not metro-skewed), runs in 20 seconds, offers a free first report, and exposes an MCP server for Claude and other AI agents to call analysis directly.
Best use cases
Choose PropertyShark if: you are a title researcher, attorney, broker, or investor who needs deep ownership and records data — particularly in NYC or major metros — and you have your own zoning expertise to interpret what you find. Choose Buildability™ if: you are evaluating whether a specific parcel is buildable, running ADU feasibility, checking environmental and zoning constraints together, screening collateral risk, or asking "what can I build here?" The two tools are complementary — PropertyShark for the records story, Buildability™ for the buildability story.
Pricing comparison
PropertyShark: roughly $80-$300/month subscription depending on tier, market coverage, and team size. Buildability™: free first report, $29 per single report, $129 for a 5-pack, or $249-$1,083/month subscription tiers, with bulk and API pricing for teams screening 200-3,000+ parcels per month. Buildability™ also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all subscription plans.
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