CG
COSTAR GROUP, INC. (CSGP)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Revenue landed at $732.2M (+12% YoY), at the top of guidance and above Street; Adjusted EBITDA was $65.6M, also above guidance, while GAAP diluted EPS was $(0.04), pressured by ~$31M of Matterport-related costs .
- Against S&P Global consensus, revenue modestly beat ($732.2M vs $729.6M*) and GAAP EPS missed ($(0.04) vs $0.01*); management emphasized Adjusted EBITDA outperformance vs consensus and guidance .
- FY25 revenue guidance was raised to $3.115–$3.155B (midpoint ≈ +15% YoY), but FY25 Adj. EBITDA trimmed to $355–$385M (midpoint ≈ 12% margin) due to Matterport; Q2 revenue guidance is $770–$775M and Adj. EBITDA $50–$60M .
- Operating momentum improved in core businesses: CoStar and LoopNet net new bookings surged (CoStar +68% YoY, LoopNet +200% YoY), Apartments.com added 4,300 properties (most since 2016), Homes.com salesforce scaled rapidly with rising NPS and >50% demo-to-close rate in April—key catalysts for further growth .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Commercial engines re-accelerated: CoStar annualized net new bookings +68% YoY (best since Q3’23); LoopNet +200% YoY (best since Q3’22) as GTM refocus and asset-based pricing started to pay off .
- Multifamily execution: Apartments.com revenue +11% YoY; 4,300 properties added (most since Q1’16); 80,000 multifamily properties on platform; lead quality and brand metrics strong .
- Homes.com traction: network 104M avg. monthly uniques; unaided awareness rose to 36% from 4% pre-launch; Member agents win 61% more listings; demo-to-close >50% in April; NPS improved to 43 .
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What Went Wrong
- GAAP profitability remained pressured: Q1 GAAP net loss $(14.8)M and EPS $(0.04), including ~$31M negative impact from the Matterport acquisition; EBITDA was roughly breakeven .
- Homes.com revenue cadence: Q1 residential revenue $27.2M reflects cancellations from early 2024 cohort; management expects sequential bookings improvement and H2 acceleration, but near-term growth modest in Q2 (low single digits) .
- Operating expense intensity: S&M $368.9M and G&A $141.1M elevated as the company scales sales capacity and integrates acquisitions; while Q1 Adj. EBITDA outperformed, FY25 Adj. EBITDA guidance midpoint stepped down due to Matterport .
Financial Results
Q1 vs S&P Global consensus (Street):
- Revenue: Actual $732.2M vs $729.6M estimate* → Beat .
- GAAP EPS: Actual $(0.04) vs $0.01 estimate* → Miss .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
KPIs and Operating Metrics
- Net New Bookings: $56M in Q1 (up 6% QoQ; +29% vs Q3’24) .
- Contract Renewal Rate: 89% in Q1; 94% for 5+ year customers .
- Average Monthly Unique Visitors (global sites): 130M in Q1 .
- Homes.com unaided awareness: 36% (from 4% pre-launch) .
- Homes.com NPS: 43 (up ~85 points since May 2024) .
- Apartments.com properties added in Q1: 4,300 (most since Q1’16) .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Q1 revenue came in at $732 million, a 12% increase year-over-year… Adjusted EBITDA was $66 million… both at the top end of our guidance range.” — Andrew Florance, CEO .
- “Our commercial… brands delivered healthy 43% profit margins in the first quarter.” — Christian Lown, CFO .
- “Apartments.com added 4,300 properties, the most properties in one quarter since Q1 2016.” — Andrew Florance .
- “In one year, the Homes.com Network has become the second largest… with 104 million average monthly unique visitors… unaided consumer awareness grew to 36%… Member agents are winning 61% more listings…” — Andrew Florance .
- “We completed the Matterport acquisition in February 2025… we plan to deploy Matterport across CoStar Group and meaningfully expand this unique data set.” — Andrew Florance .
Q&A Highlights
- Zillow/NAR policy implications: Management characterized agent reaction to Zillow’s policy as “overwhelmingly negative,” viewing it as an opportunity for Homes.com’s model of routing leads to listing agents .
- Matterport monetization: Plan to embed deeply across CoStar, LoopNet, Apartments, Homes; expand sales/R&D; expect tailwinds via higher engagement and lower cancellations as usage grows .
- Investment mix: ~$50M annualized savings reallocated toward sales capacity; total 2025 investment plan unchanged, with more emphasis on Homes.com sales hiring .
- Multifamily cadence: Q2 growth guided to ~10% due to timing/seasonality; added headcount and rooftops strategy expected to drive H2 acceleration; implied apartments bookings mid-$20M in Q1 .
- Pricing power in CoStar Suite: Historically restrained in tough markets; expect to be “a touch more aggressive” as CRE improves while adding new data modules (e.g., lease benchmarking) .
Estimates Context
- Q1 2025 vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue $732.2M vs $729.6M estimate* (beat); GAAP EPS $(0.04) vs $0.01 estimate* (miss) .
- Q2 2025 revenue guidance midpoint ($772.5M) ≈ in line with S&P consensus $772.1M*; FY25 revenue guidance midpoint ($3.135B) below S&P consensus $3.239B*, suggesting potential estimate trims on revenue ex-Matterport and/or mix, while EBITDA consensus likely recalibrates lower given Matterport’s ~$30M 2025 drag disclosed by management .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Core engine re-acceleration is evident: CoStar/LoopNet bookings strength and Apartments rooftop adds support multi-quarter revenue growth durability despite a still-normalizing CRE backdrop .
- Mix matters for profitability: FY25 Adj. EBITDA guidance reset reflects Matterport integration; medium-term, management expects margin tailwinds as engagement/retention benefits accrue and sales productivity scales .
- Homes.com is inflecting on sales effectiveness and retention: NPS improved to 43 and April demo-to-close >50%; near-term revenue cadence tempered by early-contract cancellations, but bookings should build through 2H25 .
- Apartments.com remains a high-quality compounder: +11% revenue, record property adds, and strong brand/lead conversion underpin 11–12% FY25 growth outlook .
- LoopNet’s pricing/packaging shift is a 2025–26 catalyst: silver-tier volume focus and asset-based pricing are driving bookings now, with revenue acceleration expected to build through 2025 .
- Integration scale creates optionality: Matterport, STR, Visual Lease/Real Estate Manager, and potential Domain acquisition expand data, marketplaces, and monetization vectors across regions and asset classes .
- Trading lens: Narrative likely centers on sustained top-line beats from core marketplaces vs. transitory GAAP EPS pressure from integration and Homes.com scaling; watch Q2 bookings, LoopNet growth trajectory, and Homes.com renewal metrics for confirmation .
Additional Relevant Press Releases (Q1 2025)
- CoStar completed the acquisition of Matterport (Feb 28, 2025), highlighting plans to deepen AI/computer vision, expand 3D digital twins, and integrate across marketplaces .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.