Building Your Business with CCPIA® is a monthly video and podcast series featuring leading voices in the commercial property inspection industry. Each episode delivers insight and guidance while breaking down key trends and educational topics.
Episode #28 — December 1, 2025:
Building a successful commercial inspection business is challenging, but with the right tools, you can discover new opportunities.
In this episode, host Rob Claus welcomes Bethany Messier, Sales Growth Expert, CoStar Group, the world leader in commercial real estate information. CoStar has the most comprehensive database of real estate data throughout the US and Canada.
CoStar is the parent company of LoopNet, Homes.com, Apartments.com, Land.com, and Matterport, among others. They are considered to be the worldwide leader in real estate information. The information on the CoStar websites has helped many in the commercial inspection industry research and better understand properties before they inspect them. This conversation will enlighten the audience about how this new relationship could not only provide a deeper understanding of the properties but also identify future projects and relationships.
- What it is: CoStar is described as a comprehensive resource for commercial real estate data, similar to the MLS for the commercial side, but “times about a thousand.” It provides access to commercial ownership groups and all asset classes in all markets.
- The Real Estate Giant: CoStar is the leading real estate platform group, owning LoopNet.com, Apartments.com, and Homes.com. Many inspectors may recognize these brands. LoopNet, in particular, is essentially the Zillow of commercial real estate.
- Bigger Than LoopNet: LoopNet is a marketplace where properties for sale or lease are listed, but CoStar is much more robust, containing about 60% more property data, as it includes properties that are not actively marketed on LoopNet.
Pricing varies based on size of company and number of licenses needed. Find the form below to connect with our CoStar Partnership Executive for specific pricing details and platform overview:
Benefits for Commercial Property Inspectors
- Owner Identification: CoStar allows inspectors to easily find the true owners behind LLCs (piercing the “LLC veil”), along with their contacts, names, emails, and phone numbers. This eliminates the need to spend “hours” manually searching public/county websites.
- Property Data: It provides essential property data for Commercial Standards of Practice (ComSop) research, including:
- Year built and construction type.
- Size, vacancy rates, and occupancy rates.
- Portfolio Expansion: Inspectors can see an owner’s entire portfolio, enabling them to expand their business beyond a single property.
- Strategic Marketing: The platform serves as a “search tool” allowing users to filter properties to find strategic inspection targets, such as buildings of a specific age, size, or asset type that may need roof maintenance inspections or are “under contract.”
Key Features Demonstrated
- Advanced Filtering: The platform allows filtering by location (state, market, zip), asset type (Office, Industrial, Retail, Flex, Multifamily, Hospitality, Healthcare, etc.), size (square footage), age (year built), and lease status.
- Owner List View: Search results can be viewed by the ownership groups, allowing users to quickly identify large portfolio owners.
- Contact and Relationship Data: Users can view contacts (name, phone, email, and sometimes LinkedIn) for ownership groups, as well as the names and contact information of brokers who have relationships with those owners.
Contract and Support
- Contract Structure: CoStar requires a 12-month contract with monthly payments.
- Unlimited Access: This includes unlimited searches, data access, and training with an account manager.
- Account Management Team: Subscribers get access to a local specialist and a market researcher: The researcher can be utilized to actively update outdated property or contact information, acting as an “in-house sales team” to verify data.
Final Takeaway on Success
- Beth Messier stresses that CoStar is not a “set it and forget it” tool. Success requires time, effort, and a strategic marketing plan to act on the vast amount of data. The easiest way to start is by looking up an existing client’s portfolio and expanding from a known relationship.
Watch or listen now to strengthen your inspection knowledge and stay ahead in the industry. Listen to it on podcast format (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, etc.). Subscribe now to stay updated on all new releases!
Related Resources for Commercial Property Inspectors:
- Getting Started as a Commercial Inspector: Defining Your Service Area Article
- Getting Started in Commercial Inspections: Moving from Residential to Commercial Inspections Article
- Commercial Property Inspectors: Who They Are and Who Hires Them Article
- Exclusive CoStar Member Benefits for CCPIA® Members for ROI-Driven Business Development Discount
- Business Development Resources for Commercial Property Inspectors