Pros
EXCELLENT benefits (health, dental, vision). Substantial starting for salary for entry-level research/sales. Ample paid vacation/sick/personal time. Great place to gain office experience. On-site employee fitness room. Free coffee, fruit, granola, oat meal, orange/apple juice, yogurt, and veggie cups provided daily to fuel its employees. Discount/Occasional complimentary tickets to special events (concerts, sporting events, etc.) If you have interest in commercial real estate, this is a great place to start.
Cons
HEAVY performance-metric environment... Calls are recorded, monitored, and evaluated based on your ability to capture real estate information that many contacts are not willing to provide. At times, quantity overrules quality. The metrics are a double-edged sword, promoting productivity while also rushing and fear-mongering the research process. This leads to a painfully low employee morale and drains much enjoyment out of the research process. Success and growth are greatly determined by your ability to collect info of the activity in your research market (leases, sales, new properties available). If you're researching a stagnant market with less activity or one where CoStar Group has not yet established substantial clientele, your numbers will suffer. Employee turnover rate has remained high, both from dissatisfied employees like myself or those unable to meet the demanding standards. As a former employee, my reasons for leaving were personal. I don't function at my best in an office environment, especially one so numbers driven. Make no mistake, this is a truly entry-level position. The pay is substantial as are the benefits for a reason... The job is not enjoyable. More often than not, the work is stressful, demanding, and soul-sucking. It's not for everyone. If nothing else, it's an ideal place to develop office experience.