CoStar Group Reviews

Pros

Good pay, good coworkers, mediocre training (at least the training is paid)

Cons

The metrics system is impossible as it is always changing. Managers are rarely aware of the changes. Little opportunity for job growth.

Advice to Senior Management

Managers are decent, the executive staff needs to stop running the place like a police state

Pros

Level of technical knowledge in-house is unparalleled, great support from managers and rewards for hard-work.

Cons

Be ready to put in long hours in a very complex environment but the rewards you reap will not be obvious initially.

Pros

Office based in central London. Easily accessible to shops and bars.

Cons

Rude and arrogant sales team where everyone is bickering and bad mouthing each other.
Unhealthy aggressive environment.
Bad commission plans.
No recognition for the people who put their heads down and do a good job. Seems like the loud empty vessels get all the praise.
Management can not be trusted.

Advice to Senior Management

Smile more and be approachable.
Treat everyone equally instead of your selected few favorites.
Communicate equally with all.

Pros

Good pay, benefits; Excellent company and management

Cons

Pretty satisfied, but work can be repetitive and tedious like any job at times

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work!

Pros

The pay was pretty good considering it didn't require previous experience or special skills (though photography skills certainly help). Mileage reimbursement and bonus really add a lot to the income. You'll only get your bonus if you complete the term, though (for temporary employees).

Management was pretty supportive overall, though since they're in a completely different city, there can be some miscommunication at times. But they're quick to respond and will help if you're having trouble. Sometimes it felt like they were a little clueless, but it's just because they don't know anything about my city. It's a pain to deal with a long-distance boss, but a little patience will get you through it.

If you like to work independently, apply for this job today. You have to call in and out and handle the occasional call from your manager, but that's about it.

Cons

Cleaning up other researcher's poor data is terrible. There's not much in the way of standardization, and the software is pretty terrible and not at all user-friendly. They quality check the data, but from what I can tell, it doesn't take much to pass. Some people obviously take advantage of this and do just enough to get by. After all, if the company is a thousand miles away, how are they going to know? You can kill yourself trying to get all the data perfect. Again, patience is a big help here.

As far as the field work, it can be kind of frustrating and intimidating. People have no idea who you are and get very suspicious if they see you snooping around writing down tenant names and taking pictures. You can explain what it's for and that CoStar actually helps the building management out a lot. Some people will be cool with it, others will call security and kick you out of the building. It probably gets easier to deal with after a while, but temporary employees aren't very convincing to suspicious people. If you can "sell" the service to the property managers, you're more likely to be welcome, and they might even help you out by just giving you the rent rolls.

Advice to Senior Management

Have someone who has done field research for a while train all your field researchers (even the temporary ones). That will improve your data and make everyone's life easier. Also, give temporary guys a generic business card or something so they can at least look official when somebody asks, "Can I help you with something?"

Oh, and scrap that hideous software and start over. No amount of updating is going to fix that trash heap.

Pros

Low pay, cutting edge technology in all offices, great employess, there is always a happy hour somewhere, you dont take your job home with you

Cons

after 3-6 months your job is constantly on the line, high turnover rate in all departments, low employee moral, not needed in the industry as much as they'd like to think, management across the board with a few exceptions have little to no management experience

Advice to Senior Management

Make lazy employees improve their performance as to not drag not the moral of hardworking employees. If they don't then replace them. Don't tout a career path if it doesn't really exist.

Pros

The people are nice and you can form friendships
The pay is decent for a recent college grad.
The Bethesda office (I have heard they moved to DC recently) was in a great location. Right next to a metro stop.

Cons

Horrible management
Can fire you for no reason
High turn over
No respect for employees
Micro management
No career advancement
Impossible metrics
employee moral is very low

Advice to Senior Management

Stop micro managing. Let employees know they are valued and respected. Stop with the impossible metrics. Listen to employee concerns and address them.

Pros

Salary is decent. They provide expense paid market visits. Decent benefits plan. New facility in DC has top technology and perks.

Cons

Cannot expect career growth unless you plan to move to DC. No job security. Salary increases/merit increases frozen almost two years. Cut our company match on 401k down to 50%. Management for the most part is incompetent and lacks people skills. Employees are not treated with respect. The metrics do not capture ones abilities or worth in the company but are the only things looked at to measure an employee's importance.

Advice to Senior Management

Value those that work hard. Dont expect miracles with the metrics. The goals that are set forth are always unattainable. People lack motivation due to feeling disrespected and unappreciated.

Pros

The benefits are good especially health care

Cons

Management is incompetent and is always changing performance metrics. They find the smallest reason to put one on PIP and then eventually fire him or her.

Advice to Senior Management

Needs to communicate clearly with employees; treat employee fairly without discrimination. they should stop introducing new performance metrics every other month.

Pros

Good pay, cutting edge technology in all offices, great employess, there is always a happy hour somewhere, you dont take your job home with you

Cons

after 3-6 months your job is constantly on the line, high turnover rate in all departments, low employee moral, not needed in the industry as much as they'd like to think, management across the board with a few exceptions have little to no management experience,

Advice to Senior Management

dont express favoritism, get rid of cancerous employees who promote low moral, dont express dissatisfacttion with upper management, strive to spend more one on one time with each or your subordinates to help each improve without talking down to them