WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CoStar Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSGP), commercial real estate's leading provider of information and analytic services, announced today that Mark Berry has joined its Property and Portfolio Research (PPR) division as Senior Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Strategist. He is based in CoStar's New York office.
As Senior CRE Strategist, Berry is responsible for client service, sales and marketing activities, and media engagement. He works with both debt and equity-focused clients, particularly those employing PPR's Compass™, a commercial real estate debt analytics platform.
Berry joins PPR with more than 20 years of experience as a portfolio manager and REIT analyst. He previously held the position of Portfolio Manager for Deutsche Bank's commercial real estate collateralized debt obligations, where he was responsible for developing investment strategies, trading in commercial real estate loans and securities, credit surveillance, loan workouts, and investor relations. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Berry was a Senior Analyst with Green Street Advisors, covering REITs in the apartment and other sectors, and managed AMB Institutional Alliance Funds I and II. Berry also brings experience in capital markets, asset management, and financial reporting to his role with PPR.
"Mark's strong background in finance, market analysis and media relations make him a natural fit for PPR as we work to expand our presence in New York," said Hans Nordby, Managing Director of PPR. "We are excited to further enhance the services we provide to our clients and to add another valuable CRE economist to our team."
"PPR is the undisputed leader in providing econometric forecasts and client solutions to the commercial real estate industry," said Berry. "I look forward to joining PPR's talented team of real estate economists and to supporting PPR's commitment to marrying client needs with market leading product offerings."
In addition to his strong background in finance and market analysis, Berry is an experienced speaker and writer. He has presented and spoken on panels at events hosted by the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (now the CRE Finance Council) and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, and has authored a broad range of publications on the REIT industry, specific companies and the property sector. Berry also has been featured in Commercial Mortgage Alert and quoted in The New York Times.
Mr. Berry holds master's degrees in both real estate and finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
About PPR
Property and Portfolio Research (PPR) provides unparalleled expertise and objective thinking in analyzing and forecasting commercial real estate markets. PPR sets the pace in offering independent research, a unique set of analytic tools, and actionable insights to commercial real estate investors on hundreds of global markets in North America, the UK and Europe. Clients range from commercial banks and financial institutions to pension funds and insurance companies, as well as government and rating agencies.
With a dedicated commitment to providing the best in commercial real estate research, PPR's widely respected knowledge of the markets allows clients to stay ahead of market trends, act decisively, and feel confident about their investment decisions. PPR is a division of CoStar Group.
About CoStar Group, Inc.
CoStar Group (Nasdaq:CSGP) is commercial real estate's leading provider of information and analytic services. Founded in 1987, CoStar conducts expansive, ongoing research to produce and maintain the largest and most comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. Our suite of online services enables clients to analyze, interpret and gain unmatched insight on commercial property values, market conditions and current availabilities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CoStar maintains offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe with a staff of approximately 1,500 worldwide, including the industry's largest professional research organization. For more information, visit www.costar.com.
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" including, without limitation, statements regarding CoStar's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. More information about potential factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those stated in CoStar's filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including CoStar's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, under the heading "Risk Factors." In addition to these statements, there can be no assurance as to when or if CoStar or PPR will further enhance its services and successfully expand its presence in New York. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to CoStar on the date hereof, and CoStar assumes no obligation to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.