Embodiments are directed towards generating market-specific ranking models by leveraging target market specific pairwise preference data. The pairwise preference data includes market-specific training examples, while a ranking model from another market captures the common characteristics of the resulting ranking model. In one embodiment, the ranking model is trained by applying a Tree Based Ranking Function Adaptation (TRADA) algorithm to multi-grade labeled training data, such as editorially generated training data. Then, contradictions between the TRADA generated ranking model and target-market specific pairwise preference data are identified. For each identified contradiction, new training data is generated to correct the contradiction. Then, in one embodiment, an algorithm such as TRADA is applied to the existing ranking model and the new training data to generate a new ranking model.