CoStar Licensing Rights – FAQs

May I email to a prospective or existing client a report or presentation that includes Information from CoStar services?

Yes. A licensed CoStar customer can send a presentation with property-specific and/or market trend information and photos via email to its prospective or existing client. This particular Information should be insubstantial and reasonably tailored to the needs of the client or prospective client.

What about market statistics? Can I include them from CoStar services into a general market research report for in-house use? How about clients’ or prospective clients’ use?

Yes. A CoStar customer may do so in the ordinary course of business. But such general market reports should not contain building-specific or tenant-specific Information obtained from CoStar, nor should the reports be sold or generally distributed. (Note – This doesn’t limit the subscriber’s ability to create a report with property-specific and/or market trend information, whether for internal research or for presentation to a client. Rather, this solely addresses the creation of a general market report profiling a certain geographic area and is intended to preclude the use of the CoStar service to create a fungible listing directory.)

Can I incorporate market statistics from CoStar services into a press release or article?

Yes. A CoStar customer may incorporate a limited amount of market statistics (i.e., not building-specific or tenant-specific data) from CoStar services into a press release or an article, so long as (i) “CoStar Group” is cited as the source, and (ii) the statistics are calculated and described accurately.

I have an internal database, software application or cloud database solution that I’d like to populate with CoStar Information. Is that okay?

No. CoStar customers are not allowed to integrate or incorporate Information into any database or software program (internal or cloud-based) for any purpose, including storage, analysis or later use or retrieval, unless specifically authorized by CoStar in a written contract. However, CoStar customers may copy some material from CoStar into word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs so that CoStar customers can use the Information to conduct internal research, market properties and availabilities, prepare valuations, manage portfolios, provide their clients with discrete amounts of information or imagery to aid in market analysis or leasing or purchasing decisions, among other things. CoStar customers may also retain the Information solely for back-up/archival, legal or regulatory purposes, but such Information may not be used, copied, distributed or displayed for internal research or marketing or for establishing, populating or used within any commercial real estate information service or other searchable database or for any other purposes.

What about another information or listing service? Can I take CoStar Information and submit them there?

No. No one is permitted to take content from CoStar services and post it on the Internet (other than your own website, see below) or provide it to another information or listing service. CoStar invests significant resources to build and maintain the valuable content in its services, and it is unfair for CoStar’s competitors to profit from CoStar’s efforts.

My company owns a website for marketing properties/availabilities. Can I post Information, including photos, from a CoStar product here?

A CoStar customer who is a subscriber in good standing may display solely on its own website CoStar Information, including photos, of properties that it owns, controls, represents or holds exclusives. To learn more about use of CoStar Media, please see the CoStar Media FAQs [hyperlink].

Do I lose my ownership rights when I submit a photograph, information or imagery to CoStar?

Absolutely not. You always retain your ownership rights in the content you provide to CoStar. You remain free to use or distribute such content as you wish.

How are CoStar’s services licensed and priced?

Like other providers of information and software, CoStar restricts use of its services to those who have entered into proper license agreements. These license agreements specify the number and location of authorized sites as well as the number and names of authorized users at each such site.

Customers generally pay fixed monthly amounts rather than fees based on actual system usage. Monthly charges vary depending upon a number of factors, including number of sites, a company’s business focus and the number of services and markets to which a client subscribes.

Some customers enter into separate license agreements with CoStar for each office and product. Others enter into one national or regional agreement that covers multiple offices, products and markets.

Do subscribers need to renew their CoStar agreements or do they renew automatically?

In order to avoid service interruptions, the standard CoStar license agreement renews automatically for successive one-year periods when the initial term expires.

Who can be Authorized Users under a customer license?

Authorized Users are licensed individuals designated by a customer at a particular customer site that receive the CoStar services. That list accompanies the license and may be modified from time to time. However, Authorized Users must be the customer’s employees or, if applicable, exclusive independent contractors who work solely for the customer and only while they work for the customer. Employee and contractors cannot be an Authorized User if they also work for another firm with commercial real estate information needs.

As a CoStar customer, do all my employees need to be included as Authorized Users?

Typically that is not required. Rather, the individuals at a particular licensed site who would benefit from the CoStar subscription need to be licensed Authorized Users. Individuals who are not Authorized Users may not use the CoStar service or receive customer service from CoStar; however, such individual may receive some Information from an Authorized User (e.g., limited and specific Information about a property or general market statistics in a report) as permitted above or otherwise by CoStar in writing.

Does CoStar compete against real estate brokers?

No, absolutely not. CoStar does not engage in traditional commercial real estate brokerage activities.

What about passcodes? I’m an authorized licensed CoStar user. May I share my passcode to CoStar services with other employees in my office or with people outside my office?

No, absolutely not. Each authorized user’s User ID and Password are meant for that individual user’s sole use and benefit in accordance with the applicable license terms and conditions. To protect CoStar and its customers, sharing passcodes is strictly prohibited, and CoStar enforces this restriction vigilantly.

What can I do to stop the unlicensed use of CoStar services by competitors?

Just like any information or content provider, CoStar must fight digital theft and unauthorized use. Such unlicensed use or copying of CoStar’s services hurts you, the CoStar customer, because it reduces CoStar’s ability to deliver high quality services at reasonable prices.

Please alert us to any suspected misuse of CoStar services by sending an email to whistleblower@costar.com. When you help CoStar bring a successful legal action against those involved in data theft or illegal sharing of passcodes that generates at least $10,000 in payments to CoStar, you can earn a sizable reward. CoStar is prepared to share the greater of $10,000 or 25% of any net monetary payment to CoStar resulting from prosecution (subject to our Reward Program Terms and Conditions – see link to the right).

Are there exceptions to these answers and the standard license agreement?

CoStar sales, marketing research, customer service and other personnel and are not authorized to grant any exceptions to the rules noted here or the standard license agreement, which may only be modified in writing and agreed to by the contracting parties. Please note that these FAQs are designed to be a plain language aid for our customers and not a substitute for Terms and Conditions, Terms of Use or other applicable contract for a CoStar service.