Costar cost? Any alternatives?

Question

Hello Friends,

I am new to this forum or real estate investing for that matter. Wondering if you guys know how much would Costar would cost.Any other alternatives to Costar and why?Thanks in Advance!

FYI: My search criteria for Costar is - Multifasmily in Northern California.

Russ Kitzberger · Answer

This is where a commercial broker can help you save money and time; When you interview any broker, confirm they have CoStar, CREXI, Catylist, their local MLS and Commercial MLS, are members of the local Commercial REALTOR council, and receive other brokers IDX feeds.  You will find lots of Carpetbaggers trying out commercial from residential as the residential markets shift.  It takes $14-20k per year to participate fully in datasources for most markets plus hours per week to see all the listings and movement. Finally, if you want a broker to be fully committed, consider retaining them in an exclusive agreement.

Josh Shaughnessy · Answer

I believe Costar pricing depends on what market area you want, but for a single license, I'd expect >$500/mo.

If you're new to investing, I'd suggest working with an agent, at least until you better understand the process and common pitfalls.

The cheapest/potentially no-cost option is just doing public records searches and contacting owners directly. You can also network with commercial agents and sign non-exclusive representation agreements for the stuff they bring you.

Parikshith Gari · Answer

Thanks for the Reply!I was been quoted $925 per month (1-2 users). I am just a beginner/aspirant. No transactions under my belt. I am feeling like they are asking is outrageous. Could you please help me, get in touch with the right agent?Thanks!

Scott Mednick · Answer

Reonomy is about $400 a month, but I have been doing mailings and 30% come back.  I dont this their fault. People buy real estate and move.

Chris Seveney · Answer

@Parikshith Gari

Last time we checked I believe it was $10-$15k/yr and if you wanted more territory pricing was higher.

Crexi is an alternative for 1/10th the price but of course not as much info

Victor Chukwuemeka · Answer

Hey guys, new here — just came across this thread. I hear you on the CoStar pricing — it can be brutal for smaller firms and solo investors. I’ve seen people pay eye-watering amounts just to get access to fairly basic data.

I’ve been in CRE research for 30 years, and part of what I do is help investors access the full platform in a way that doesn’t require the same massive overhead. Alongside that, I also look at cap rates, yields, rental growth, and market shifts.

If anyone’s curious, I’ve put together some proof videos where I show how I forecast and back-test outcomes against the real world. Happy to point you to them if it helps.

Gabriel Graumann · Answer

Costar is the Goliath of the commercial property and company data. Solo brokers at a boutique may pay up to $650 per license, while those with bulk pricing at a major commercial firm can get it for under $400 per license. Crexi Pro has added features to their platform and the data is getting better, but it's no Costar yet. Yet, for the non-broker investor, what you can get off Crexi is likely a better option for most investor budgets. A few lesser names out there like RealNex have some features, but honestly didn't find much value there outside of their listing platform if you're an active broker in that space.

Account Closed · Answer

Depending on the # of licenses, Costar might range from $300-$450/month per user.

Costar cost? Any alternatives?

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