Composed charts (line and bar combination)

How composed charts work

A composed chart always includes:

• One dimension (X-axis)

• One metric displayed as bars

• One metric displayed as a line

Both metrics share the same dimension but are visually separated by chart type.

Example:

• Dimension: Month

• Bar metric: Number of listings

• Line metric: Average price

Result:

• Bars show listing volume per month

• Line shows how prices evolve over time

Configuration options

Dimension

• Defines the X-axis (horizontal axis)

• Typically time-based (e.g. months, quarters, years)

Example:

• Dimension: Month

• Result: X-axis shows Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.

Bar metric

• Displayed as vertical bars

• Best for absolute values or volumes

Example:

• Number of listings

• Number of inquiries

Line metric

• Displayed as a continuous line

• Best for trends, averages, or rates

Example:

• Average property price

• Conversion rate

Display options

Display legend

Shows a legend explaining the bar and line metrics.

Use it when:

• The meaning of bars vs. line is not immediately obvious

Best practice:

• Always enable when both metrics need clear distinction

Show X-axis title

Displays a label for the X-axis.

Example:

• “Month”

• “Year”

Best practice:

• Enable when the dimension is not self-explanatory

Y-axis title

Displays a label for the Y-axis.

Example:

• “Listings and average price”

• “Number of inquiries and conversion rate”

Best practice:

• Clearly reflect both metrics or use a neutral label if units differ

Compact numbers (Y-axis)

Shortens large numbers on the Y-axis.

Example:

• 1,000 → 1K

• 1,500,000 → 1.5M

Recommended for:

• Property prices

• Large volumes of listings or inquiries

Show dots (line)

Highlights individual data points on the line.

Use it when:

• You want to emphasize exact values on the line metric

Avoid it when:

• The dataset is dense (can clutter the chart)

Show data labels (bars)

Displays values directly on top of each bar.

Use it when:

• Exact values are important for interpretation

Avoid it when:

• There are many bars or limited space

Footnote field

You can add additional context below the chart.

Formatting options:

• Bold

• Links

Use the footnote for:

• Data sources

• Metric definitions

• Explanations of how values are calculated

Example:

• “Data based on internal Engel & Völkers listings (2022–2025).”

• “Conversion rate = inquiries divided by total listings.”

Best practices

Do’s

• Combine metrics that are logically related

• Use bars for volume and line for trends or averages

• Keep units understandable and clearly labeled

• Enable the legend for clarity

• Use data labels selectively for key insights

Don’ts

• Do not combine unrelated metrics (e.g. website visits and property prices)

• Do not use two metrics with completely different scales without clear explanation

• Do not overload the chart with too much information

• Do not enable all display options at once if it reduces readability

• Do not skip the footnote when additional explanation is needed

Example setup

Scenario: Listings vs. price development

• Dimension: Month

• Bar metric: Number of listings

• Line metric: Average property price

• Display legend: Enabled

• Show X-axis title: Enabled (“Month”)

• Y-axis title: Enabled (“Listings and average price”)

• Compact numbers Y-axis: Enabled

• Show dots: Disabled

• Show data labels: Enabled (bars)

This setup clearly shows how listing volume and price trends interact over time, making it easy to identify correlations.