This is not a photography job, this is a data collection job. - Field Research Photographer CoStar Group Employee Review

1.0
Oct 17, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They help you get a drone license so you can use that to get a job that is actually about taking photos.

Cons

CoStar created an entire department of Architectural Photographers and their only job is to do all the photo/add shoot work. They do zero data stuff. So if you have a Architectural Photographer in your market you will never do photography just data collection. The photographer part of the Field Research Photographer is just to rope you in… you’ve been warned. Micromanaging on steroids, if you are stopped somewhere for more than 10 minutes you get a call from your manager asking why. Just think about that, if you’re working they assume you’re not. Not only that they look at satellite images of where you were stopped and decide for themselves if you could see a particular building or data point. Get use to going to the bathroom in a bottle while in your car because the productivity requirements are so insane it’s more productive to pee in a bottle than go find a decent washroom. Also if you spend too much time trying to find a washroom they question your driving routes because productivity…

Explore other reviews about CoStar Group

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.

3
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