Sanderford Speaker Series Featuring CoStar

On October 21, 2024, the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate welcomed Alexandra Rodriguez (Campus Recruiter) and Jason Lail (Director, Research) from CoStar as part of the fall Sanderford Speaker Series. The event offered a comprehensive overview of CoStar’s history, its global research and investment footprint, powerful analytic reports and forecasts, CoStar’s new Richmond campus (to be completed in 2026), and the various career opportunities available, including summer and full-time analyst roles. Over 75 undergraduate and graduate students from across UVA participated, enjoying pizza from Mellow Mushroom and networking with both the CoStar representatives and fellow attendees before the presentation.

CoStar Overview

Founded in 1986 with a mission statement of “digitizing the world’s real estate, empowering all people to discover properties, insights, and connections that improve their businesses and lives,” CoStar has grown into a global leader with 38 years of innovation. CoStar’s portfolio includes major acquisitions such as Apartments.com, STR (hotel benchmarking), and Homes.com, enabling them to expand into both residential and commercial real estate. Over the years, CoStar’s market cap has skyrocketed from $22.5 million to $31.7 billion, with key brands like LoopNet, Ten-X, and Land.com. CoStar’s research teams focus on various factors such as neighborhood accessibility, park amenities, and educational quality to provide comprehensive data. Jason Lail emphasized how real estate is deeply integrated into our everyday lives, mentioning how it is “tangible” – people work in it, shop in it, and live in it.

Research & Technology

• Aerial Insights: Captured using Cessna plane
• 472 In-Market Canvassers: Gather on-the-ground data
• Technological Resources:
  • 1,035 drones for data capture
  • 90 analysts and economists
  • 1,600 researchers
  • 620 software developers aiding in data collection
  • 70 journalists across North America and Europe reporting on multi-asset classes

Internship and Career Opportunities

CoStar offers both full-time and internship opportunities, with recruitment beginning after winter break. Students were encouraged to explore how CoStar’s internship program and analyst roles could help launch their careers.