Pros
Benefits (health, gym, communter), Readily available snacks, food stipend for lunch. Bright and fun people along side you.
Cons
Soul sucking to the point that your bones will come out with it. How? You are told it is research and led to believe that you will call, retrieve and enter data points on commercial real estate. But it's not. It's a CALL CENTER stocked with (at the time I was there) very smart, well educated people stuck doing demeaning dial outs to get anyone with a pulse on the phone. Yes, ideally it should be a broker but they block your number. (and the company employs another company to "spoof" your number to have the same area code as the area you call...you are essentially becoming those people you hate that call you!) They want you to call early and often and the cell....sorry if they are in church, a hospital or in bed. Just call later. Why restraining orders aren't taken I don't know...it is truly warranted. We are told numerous times ( I know I was and other were) to "remove my name" from the call list. Sorry...call back again the next month regardless. Other way to get around it is they re-assign the portfolio - new unknown phone number and naive person reaching out. Yes.,..many of us have been cussed out. But that's fine....as long as you HIT YOUR NUMBERS. You MUST make the calls. 15-20 depending on your port. Doesn't matter if the math doesn't work (as I pointed out to my manager) of X amount of brokers divided by Y days doesn't come close to getting that number even if all of them did answer! So lets say you get a high profile portfolio which should mean you have arrived...Yikes. You definitely will not get these brokers on the phone...they have underlings that take those calls. They will block your number. Their admins will keep your mailbox full of changes to prices, comps, changes etc but you have to save that for later. You have to get those 15-20 calls somehow. Oops...it's 5pm...no OT so save it for the next day.! That is the M.O.....every day. The call metrics outweigh the data. SO many times I received ports that were not kept up to date to the ire of the admins and brokers because the poor sap who previously had it never had time to add in information. Ironic huh? It's a company that sells the data. But do not fear...now the brokers who subscribe can enter their own info so not exactly sure why they have researchers now. Oh wait...that's to field the calls from the irate customers for when things are wrong or screwed up! And I did mention great people to work with....but don't get too attached. I watched too many led to the door with a box of personal items in hand. Demoralizing. Many I worked with had illnesses likely stress related ....shingles, stomach problems and headaches. Some went out for long periods of time, left or came back to no more desk. If you are gone for any long period you are re-assigned elsewhere. Very impersonal. Others tried to cheat the system by leaving too many voicemails (fired), calling friends (fired) or other to try to make the metrics. Creativity abounds when it comes to this. All researchers will tell you that anyone who makes their number has either a low level port with many many landowners who will answer or cheats the system in some way. Turnover is rampant and not through firings. That should be a loud message to management but amazingly it is not acknowledged. I started with 30 in my training class. A year later there are 11 left. I know of 4 others who left just in the past week. What kind of company finds that acceptable? What kind of company values employees to an extent that turnover to that degree is not viewed with alarm?? It speaks volumes....so if you are thinking of Costar just walk in with your eyes open. It IS a call center. You will have 15-20 BROKERS (admins and others DO NOT count) to call each day even though realistically you only have about 10 per day you could call. People will constantly leave. They will move you around on a whim (oh yea...it's like a sports teams. If you do hit those numbers you will be at risk of being switched to a different team. Had a manager actually tell me this. They are evaluated on their team average so their managers encourage moving the hi average people over to help out less performing teams). Expect to be judged by appearance. Young and pretty gets sent to shows and meetings...doesn't matter your experience. (but hey....they tell you Andy does have a "type") Yes...great money but anyone you speak to who has worked there will say it is NOT WORTH IT. You are supposed to be happy AND proud of what you do .... talking to Costar clients will not make you either. Your are bugging the snot out of them no differently than the telemarketers that call you. Have some decency and self respect. Just say no.