Database strategy propels CoStar Group - washingtonpost.com

Not long ago, in what now seems like the technological Dark Ages, data on commercial properties were scattered among guidebooks on sales and leasing activity, myriad public records and real estate listings.

Back in 1986, while a senior economics student at Princeton University, Andrew Florance saw the potential of aggregating Washington-region data for building owners, real estate agents and banks. His software reduced research time from hours to seconds. Over time, his databases expanded to include details on properties in all 50 states, making his company, CoStar Group, the largest commercial real estate information firm in the United States...