Toxic Company - Research Associate CoStar Group Employee Review

1.0
Nov 5, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The office is in a great location and the space is very nice. Pay and benefits are relatively good for th job.

Cons

I was excited to start at CoStar because I wanted to work in CRE. However shortly after starting I became disillusioned. By setting up metrics so that researchers compete against each other and against other markets, they really undermine the team spirit that a company should have. I felt disrespected working there and felt as though my manager treated me like a child, even as I was performing in the top 30%. Setting QA's metrics so that they profit from researchers' mistakes is seriously unhealthy. I am now in a job that I love. My boss trusts me and respects me, and in turn I am incentivized to work hard, and I'm rewarded for it. I'm writing a review because after a several months away from CoStar, I realize that they offer a truly terrible work environment. Now, I am almost excited to go to work each morning because I work with great people toward a common goal, compared to pure dread for going to CoStar. I would not recommend that anyone accept a job with CoStar. I hope that this forum helps potential employees know about what they will face there.

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5.0
May 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Development, work life balance, competitive environment, career growth opportunities

Cons

A lot of priorities to juggle

1
1.0
May 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

401k, medical benefits snacks decent base salary

Cons

Working at CoStar Group was one of the most emotionally exhausting sales environments I’ve experienced. The culture on my team was extremely male-dominated, hyper-competitive, and very much “sink or swim.” Collaboration was talked about constantly by management, but in reality the environment rewarded internal competition, territorial behavior, favoritism, and politics over actual teamwork. As one of the few women on the sales team, I often felt isolated and unsupported. Instead of mentorship or coaching, the expectation was basically: “figure it out yourself.” New hires were thrown into difficult situations with inconsistent training and unrealistic expectations, while certain reps appeared to receive stronger books of business, better territories, or more support than others. It created resentment and a toxic atmosphere where coworkers often felt more like competitors waiting for you to fail than teammates. The turnover was incredibly high, which should have been a red flag. Management pushed aggressive quotas and nonstop pressure while failing to address morale, burnout, or fairness concerns. There was also an unhealthy obsession with leaderboard culture and internal politics that made the workplace feel stressful every single day. What disappointed me most was that I genuinely believed in the product and enjoyed helping clients. Many customers loved working with me, and I built strong relationships. But internally, the environment became mentally draining. The constant competitiveness, lack of support, and toxic culture eventually outweighed the positives of the role.

5
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