Director, Public Relations & Corporate Communications

Job Description

Company Overview

CoStar Group is a global leader in commercial real estate information analytics online marketplaces and 3D digital twin technology. Included in the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100 CoStar Group is on a mission to digitize the worlds real estateempowering people to discover properties insights and connections that improve their businesses and lives.

With leading brands across commercial and residential real estate - including CoStar LoopNet STR Matterport and other global online marketplaces - CoStar Group delivers trusted data powerful analytics and high-traffic online marketplaces that shape the future of the industry.

Role Overview

CoStar Group is seeking a Director of Public Relations & Corporate Communications to lead and execute the companys enterprise-wide corporate communications strategy across its global portfolio of brands during a period of continued growth competitive intensity and heightened market visibility.

The role encompasses corporate reputation executive visibility media relations thought leadership financial communications support and crisis communications and operates in close partnership with the Founder and CEO and executive leadership team with broad cross-functional visibility across Investor Relations Legal Finance Product Analytics Research and Marketing.

This is not a traditional PR role; it requires a proactive strategist who anticipates narrative shifts before they surface and positions the company on offense rather than waiting to respond.

The Director will manage and develop a high-performing communications team including the Manager of Residential Communications the Manager of Commercial Communications and the Manager of UK & European Communications. This leader will also oversee and direct the work of external public relations agencies supporting CoStar Groups brands and corporate initiatives.

This is a senior leadership role based in Arlington Virginia requiring five days per week in the office. The position reports to the VP CoStar Group Marketing & Communications and maintains a direct working relationship with the CEO with responsibility for leading corporate communications efforts and partnering closely with external agency teams.

Why This Role Matters

CoStar Group is digitizing the worlds real estate markets and operating in an intense competitive environment where narrative matters the CEO expects their communications leader to be in the room shaping strategy not drafting press releases after the fact.

The Director of Public Relations will ensure CoStar Groups industry transforming innovation data leadership and marketplace growth are clearly understood by customers investors media and the broader industry while actively shaping how the market interprets CoStar Groups momentum versus competitors.

This is a strategic narrative leadership position responsible for:

• Shaping how the market interprets CoStar Groups strategy and momentum
• Ensuring the company leads not follows industry conversations
• Building brand awareness and driving site authority for CoStar Group and the companys industry leading brands
• Neutralizing competitive narratives before they gain traction
• Serving as a strategic advisor to the Founder and CEO on executive profiling and external positioning

Success requires anticipation decisiveness and executive-level confidence.

Key Responsibilities

CEO Partnership & Executive Communications

• Work in close high-frequency partnership with the CEO on corporate positioning market narrative and external visibility.
• Act as a strategic thought partner on market perception competitive framing and reputational exposure.
• Provide candid counsel privately while ensuring disciplined unified messaging publicly.
• Anticipate media angles analyst questions and competitive narratives before they surface and proactively bring forward messaging strategies rather than waiting for direction.
• Coach executives on media appearances public messaging and earnings communications.
• Prepare leadership for interviews conferences and high-stakes public engagements.
• Operate effectively at CEO speed and intensity within a founder-led environment.

Media Relations & Thought Leadership

• Architect and lead national and industry media strategy across business technology real estate and financial press.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with top-tier journalists and influential media voices.
• Position executives as industry authorities through proactive media engagement commentary and speaking opportunities.
• Drive proactive storytelling and earned media coverage using proprietary data analytics and research insights.
• Ensure high standards of quality consistency and accuracy across all press materials and public communications.

Product & Marketplace Communications

• Lead PR strategy supporting major product initiatives and marketplace growth (e.g. LoopNet).
• Partner with Product Marketing Sales Research Analytics and Data teams to communicate innovation differentiation and growth milestones.
• Elevate CoStars competitive advantages through data-backed storytelling.

Strategic Communications & Narrative Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive corporate communications strategy that advances CoStar Groups reputation supports business growth and aligns with company-wide strategic priorities.
• Shape and amplify CoStars enterprise narrative across residential commercial and international markets ensuring consistent positioning across brands and geographies.
• Craft sharp decisive messaging that consistently positions CoStar as the category leader in real estate data and digital marketplaces.
• Translate complex data research and marketplace insights into clear compelling narratives.
• Ensure alignment across PR marketing investor messaging product communications and executive visibility.
• Develop corporate messaging frameworks positioning statements and narrative platforms that influence market perception and sentiment.

Market & Investor Narrative Management

• Understand how communications impact stock performance analyst interpretation and investor confidence.
• Partner closely with Investor Relations Finance and Legal to align messaging with earnings cycles corporate disclosures and strategic milestones.
• Operate fluently within SEC disclosure requirements and Regulation FD ensuring communications are bold yet compliant.
• Support messaging strategies for earnings announcements acquisitions major corporate initiatives and market-moving events.

Rapid Response & Reputation Management

• Lead corporate reputation management including proactive media outreach rapid response and issues management.
• Direct crisis communications planning and execution including development of response frameworks holding statements and executive messaging.
• Coordinate cross-functional responses with Legal IR and executive leadership during high-visibility situations.
• Anticipate reputational risks and prepare proactive communications strategies.
• Maintain calm decisive leadership during high-pressure moments.

Competitive Intelligence & Narrative Positioning

• Monitor competitor messaging analyst sentiment industry coverage and social narratives in real time.
• Identify opportunities to capitalize on competitor missteps while preserving brand credibility.
• Frame CoStars narrative in differentiated contrast to competitors in ways that resonate with customers investors and media.
• Provide ongoing narrative intelligence and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Digital & Modern Media Strategy

• Leverage social media podcasts and direct-to-audience platforms to amplify messaging beyond traditional channels.
• Understand how narratives spread digitally and proactively shape or counter viral conversations.
• Develop modern communications strategies that expand reach and influence.
• Apply data and analytics to measure message penetration share of voice sentiment and overall effectiveness.

Performance & Operational Leadership

• Establish KPIs including share of voice sentiment analysis narrative penetration and media impact.
• Deliver executive-level reporting linking communications outcomes to business performance and market perception.
• Oversee relationships with external public relations agencies set objectives managing scope evaluating performance and ensuring measurable impact.
• Ensure integrated execution across communications programs with consistent standards of excellence and strategic alignment.

Required Experience

• 10 years of progressive experience in public relations corporate communications or strategic media leadership with at least 35 years operating in a senior leadership capacity.

• Experience supporting a publicly traded company preferably within a high-growth technology platform digital marketplace data-driven business financial services or real estate environment.
• Demonstrated success developing elevating and protecting corporate reputation at a national or global organization during periods of growth competitive intensity or market scrutiny.
• Proven experience leading communications tied to earnings cycles M&A activity product launches major corporate milestones and other high-visibility market moments.
• Strong understanding of capital markets communications SEC disclosure requirements and Regulation FD; ability to partner effectively with Investor Relations Legal and Finance.
• Experience serving as a trusted advisor to CEOs and C-level executives providing strategic counsel on messaging media engagement crisis response and public positioning.
• Established relationships with national business financial technology and real estate media.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and measure external agency performance against defined KPIs and measurable impact metrics.
• Exceptional writing editing and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex data research and business strategy into clear compelling narratives.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence at the highest levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in high-pressure high-visibility fast-moving environments with multiple competing priorities.
• Prior experience in the real estate industry is required.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working closely with CEO/Founder Executive Leadership Investor Relations and Legal teams in a founder-led or high-performance culture.

• Background in SaaS marketplaces or data-driven businesses.
• Track record of shaping narratives during periods of intense competition or market scrutiny.

Key Competencies

• Strategic storyteller and narrative architect

• Market- and investor-aware communicator
• Strategic foresight anticipates rather than reacts
• CEO-level advisory presence
• Proactive forward-learning communicator
• Competitive intelligence mindset
• Calm and decisive under pressure
• Regulatory fluency
• Data-driven decision maker
• Highly collaborative yet independent operator

Education

• Bachelors degree from an accredited not-for-profit in person University or College required in Communications Journalism Public Relations Marketing Business Political Science or a related field

• Advanced degree (MBA Masters in Communications Journalism Public Policy or similar) preferred but not required.

#LI-AR

CoStar Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer; we maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing