{
  "updated": "June 23, 2026",
  "generated_at": "2026-07-25T22:49:04Z",
  "publisher": "Real Estate Agent AI Index Research Desk",
  "model_name": "Expansion Readiness Scorecard",
  "decision": "hold_before_wave2_capture",
  "plain_english_decision": "Resolve live-market directory, refresh, or evidence-depth gaps before extending the next market group.",
  "public_launch_rule": "A planned market stays unpublished until it has enough source-backed teams and individuals, validated public sources, current refresh status, and no publication holds.",
  "national_maturity_rule": "The Index should claim national maturity only after the same top-25 team and top-25 individual standard is met across every major market being promoted.",
  "current_state": {
    "source_backed_directory_rows": 1197,
    "live_market_categories": 40,
    "useful_depth_categories": 40,
    "mature_depth_categories": 39,
    "featured_ready_categories": 40,
    "featured_overlap_shortfall": 0,
    "planned_expansion_markets": 15,
    "deploy_hold_count": 0
  },
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "gate": "live_market_directory_depth",
      "label": "Live-market directory depth",
      "status": "pass",
      "benchmark": "Every live market category has at least 10 source-backed candidates.",
      "current_value": "40/40 categories",
      "public_effect": "Supports useful live-market comparison."
    },
    {
      "gate": "top25_category_depth",
      "label": "Top-25 category depth",
      "status": "hold",
      "benchmark": "Every live market category has at least 25 source-backed candidates.",
      "current_value": "39/40 categories",
      "public_effect": "Supports mature category directory pages in live markets."
    },
    {
      "gate": "featured_top10_pool",
      "label": "Featured top-10 proof pool",
      "status": "pass",
      "benchmark": "Every live market category has at least 10 rows with both public review proof and positive AI signal.",
      "current_value": "40/40 categories; 0 overlapping proof rows still needed",
      "public_effect": "Holds featured-list expansion while keeping broad directory coverage live."
    },
    {
      "gate": "refresh_and_rank_movement",
      "label": "Refresh and rank-movement gate",
      "status": "pass",
      "benchmark": "Refresh status reports zero publication holds and public rank movement remains gated by validation and recompute.",
      "current_value": "0 publication holds; gate clear_after_layer_validation_and_recompute",
      "public_effect": "Supports the claim that the Index is maintained, not a one-time snapshot."
    },
    {
      "gate": "wave2_market_queue",
      "label": "Wave 2 market cohort",
      "status": "pass",
      "benchmark": "At least six next-batch major markets remain tracked through research, validation, and public launch.",
      "current_value": "17 Wave 2 markets tracked; 17 live / 0 planned",
      "public_effect": "Makes expansion orderly while preserving the distinction between live and planned markets."
    },
    {
      "gate": "public_market_launch_standard",
      "label": "Public market launch standard",
      "status": "hold",
      "benchmark": "A new public market needs 25 source-backed teams, 25 source-backed individuals, validated public sources, and current refresh safeguards.",
      "current_value": "The same evidence standard applies before each new public market goes live.",
      "public_effect": "Prevents thin planned markets from looking like completed rankings."
    },
    {
      "gate": "national_maturity_claim",
      "label": "National maturity claim",
      "status": "hold",
      "benchmark": "Top 25 teams and top 25 individuals across every major U.S. market, with current refresh status and no publication holds.",
      "current_value": "15 planned markets remain unpublished.",
      "public_effect": "Avoids claiming national maturity before market depth exists."
    }
  ],
  "next_batch": {
    "wave_2": [
      "Dallas-Fort Worth",
      "Atlanta",
      "Houston",
      "Miami / South Florida",
      "Washington DC / Northern Virginia",
      "Boston",
      "San Francisco Bay Area",
      "Seattle",
      "Denver",
      "San Diego",
      "Philadelphia",
      "Orlando",
      "Las Vegas",
      "Nashville",
      "Minneapolis-St. Paul",
      "St. Louis",
      "Kansas City"
    ],
    "wave_3": [
      "Phoenix",
      "Inland Empire / Riverside",
      "Austin",
      "Tampa Bay",
      "Charlotte",
      "San Antonio",
      "Detroit",
      "Raleigh",
      "Jacksonville",
      "Indianapolis",
      "Columbus",
      "Sacramento",
      "Cincinnati",
      "Portland",
      "Baltimore"
    ],
    "wave_4": []
  },
  "tests_before_public_market_launch": [
    "Build the site from source data.",
    "Run public site validation.",
    "Run deploy package validation.",
    "Confirm refresh safeguards report zero publication holds.",
    "Confirm validated source fields, schema, sitemap, robots, and llms.txt update from the rebuilt package.",
    "Run post-launch live route checks after deployment."
  ],
  "category_shortfalls": []
}