Don't work here if you're looking for a challenge - Research Associate CoStar Group Employee Review

2.0
19 Mar 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you work under the right manager, you'll be recognized for your hard work. You'll get a basic understanding of commercial real estate if you stay long enough. Benefits are comparable to government which are well known for being great. It's not a job you bring home with you or are stressed about outside of the office.

Cons

Despite what I mentioned about being recognized for hard work under the right manager, you won't necessarily be compensated based on that hard work. There is a quarterly bonus, but there is no transparency with respect to how that bonus is allocated amongst your team members. The job is essentially day in and day out. Making calls to brokers, who for the most part, have no interest in speaking with you. The most rewarding part of the job will probably be sales comparable research, which demands, and I say this lightly, some actual research and digging. I've been thoroughly disappointed with my attempts to ask for more challenging work and projects from management with very little follow through. I often question how management makes the decisions they do. The massive advertising campaign following our acquisition of apartments.com was referred to multiple times as 'very expensive' and the company just bought a plane for aerial field research. Why is none of the company's wealth going towards better compensating its employees? Free salads, snacks, and coffee do not make CoStar an enjoyable place to work.

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CoStar Group Response
11y
Our researchers are paid fairly for their role that requires no work being brought home and weekends free. All researchers, with the exception of those on a corrective action plan, receive quarterly bonuses that are awarded based on their performance and ability to meet or exceed expectations. In addition, there are opportunities for on-the-spot bonuses throughout the quarter for those who bring light to major breakthroughs and their hard work. Everyone is measured on the same scale, but an employee has the right to keep their compensation private from colleagues, and as such we do not discuss bonus amounts as a team. Our clients rely on us for good information, and while they can be short on the phone at times they ultimately know the value of regular communication with our researchers. Persistence has proven time and again in this role that it will gain the respect and admiration of CoStar clients – if it didn’t work we wouldn’t be doing it this way. It’s great to have a manager who will be an advocate for you, but being an advocate for yourself and continuing to make stronger connections with others will get you far. With a growing research force, many of the newly available opportunities are quite competitive as researchers vie for the chance to take on new roles, and there are increasing opportunities for you to take on something new here. The Research Associate role is largely considered an entry level position, and we require no extensive or technical skill beyond basic ability and the right kind of drive to fit the role. We teach our research trainees about the basics of commercial real estate and how to use our database, and with that they are able to gain expertise on the job. We recognize that developing expertise our researchers give us, and increase pay with merit increases and quarterly bonuses.

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Cons

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2.0
1 Jul 2026
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CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I worked for Homes.com - Great first job out of college to learn a lot about sales and can make good money in the first 3 months - FIND PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS JOB AND HAVE LEFT AND FIGURE OUT WHY CUZ THEY'LL TELL YOU

Cons

I worked for Homes.com - You're doing 3 jobs in one and the pay does not reflect that - it is churn and burn. The average tenure here is 7 months - Management doesn't know what's going on 3/4 of the time. It is all up to the CEO and he's on his private jet more than 3/4 of the time

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