Research Photographer, Stuttgart - Costar (M/W/D) at CoStar Group

Research Photographer – Stuttgart

Full‑time on‑site position. 2‑year fixed‑term contract. Offers opportunities for career growth.

Overview

CoStar Group is a leading global provider of commercial and residential real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces. It is listed in the S&P500 Index and is on a mission to digitise the world’s real estate, empowering all people to discover properties, insights and connections that improve their businesses and lives.

Role Description

Research Photographers support the team by building an in‑depth understanding of the commercial real estate of Stuttgart and surrounding areas. They ensure that CoStar products contain current and accurate information and photographs of commercial properties and listings through on‑site inspections within the assigned geography.

Responsibilities

• Drive or walk assigned submarkets within core territories to collect required imagery, information and updates, including identifying new availabilities, missing inventory, updating construction status and adding up‑to‑date high‑resolution images.
• Cross‑reference new leads with current information on the CoStar database by researching sales and lease comparable data.
• Collect building data and contact information for properties and send to the in‑house research team.
• Photograph and collect building attribute data for all commercial properties with lease or sale signs within the entire assigned territory.
• Record all visible data fields about the property (address, building type, number of stories, gross building area, building height, industrial loading information and retail‑specific details).
• Post‑process digital images using the Adobe software suite.
• Create footprints and rooftop geocodes for each building using a polygon tool in field‑mapping software.
• Associate any assigned tenant locations with a property and photograph tenant space.
• Follow daily research procedures, including quality communication to the Photography Manager, logging working time and providing production updates.
• Upload data and images collected on the day the properties are canvassed and photograph multiple properties per day as defined by the manager.
• Visually scan commercial properties while driving or walking, achieving the target number of potential listings per day for lead projects.
• Use a provided drone to capture high‑quality aerial imagery to enhance accuracy and visual insight.
• Communicate professionally with property managers and customers via phone, e‑mail and in person.
• Abide by CoStar safety standards, maintain company vehicle and equipment, represent CoStar professionally, participate in monthly conference calls and represent research at trade functions.

Physical Requirements

• Up to 8 hours per day of repetitive standing, seeing, sitting and walking.
• Holding 2kg in one hand for 5 minutes and carrying camera gear for up to 8 hours.
• Repetitive hand and arm movements to type and write.
• Exposure to various weather conditions, vehicle noise and exhaust fumes.

Qualifications

• A full local driving licence (clean record preferred).
• Reading and writing proficiency in English and German.
• Technical proficiency in digital photography and post‑processing via Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere Pro.
• Degree or equivalent education with a significant component related to photography.
• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally for field research projects.
• Knowledge of MacOS, Microsoft Office and internet applications.
• Existing portfolio of property exterior and interior imagery.
• Excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills.
• Flexibility and ability to adopt new processes.
• Hands‑on drone experience and valid European A2 drone licence.
• Ability to quickly learn commercial real‑estate terminology and mapping software.
• Ability to work independently and follow CoStar protocols remotely without supervision.
• Comfortable working alone with daily support via phone and email.

Benefits

• 29 days annual leave
• Pension plan
• Life assurance
• Competitive remuneration package
• Collaboration and innovation culture with career development opportunities

Equal Employment Opportunity

CoStar Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer; we maintain a drug‑free workplace and perform pre‑employment substance abuse testing. We value diversity and promote equality, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds, including gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, religion and beliefs.