UX Product Designer, Homes.com at CoStar

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Product Designer, Homes.com

Company: CoStar

Location: Arlington, Virginia, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: UX Product Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-09T00:00:00

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Drive the design process for Homes.com, a rapidly growing residential real estate marketplace.
Architect world-class user journeys and deliver cutting-edge software experiences for millions of users.
Collaborate closely with product managers, engineering leads, researchers, and other designers within a high-functioning agile team.
Elevate design standards, balancing strong usability with compelling aesthetic appeal in digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role summary emphasizes both strategic design leadership (driving force, architecting journeys) and collaborative execution within a team setting, highlighting the importance of a "we, not me" mindset. This suggests a collaborative, impact-driven design environment focused on rapid growth in a competitive market.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Lead comprehensive design efforts from strategy and user flows through prototyping and final visual design.
Partner effectively with diverse cross-functional colleagues, including product leads, researchers, engineers, and marketing leads.
Utilize various research techniques (surveys, interviews, observations, data analysis) to deeply understand customer needs and pain points.
Define and uphold high design standards, ensuring a strong balance between usability, functionality, and visual appeal.
Produce detailed design solutions using a range of artifacts such as wireframes, user flows, mockups, and interactive prototypes.
Contribute actively to the evolution and implementation of the emerging design system, ensuring flexibility and consistency across products.
Help enhance team practices in key areas including user testing, user research methodologies, and interaction design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities outline a full-stack product design role, requiring end-to-end involvement from strategy to execution. The emphasis on contributing to a design system and elevating team practices indicates a focus not just on individual contribution but also on improving overall design maturity and collaboration within the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited, not-for-profit University or College, preferably in a design-related field such as HCI, Interaction Design, Graphic Design, or a related discipline.

Experience: 3+ years of professional experience in product design, human-computer interaction (HCI), usability, user interface (UI) design, and/or visual design roles. Experience should demonstrate a strong portfolio showcasing applied design skills and process.

Required Skills:

Excellent visual design sensibility with the ability to elevate designs from functional to exceptional.
Proven abilities in sketching, ideation, prototyping, and evaluating interaction design solutions.
Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Sketch and Invision.
Solid knowledge of best practices for interaction design across various platforms and devices (web, mobile, responsive design).
Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, with the ability to tackle complex design challenges.
Experience working effectively within agile development environments and collaborating with engineering teams.
A demonstrable track record of commitment and stability in previous roles.

Preferred Skills:

Prior experience contributing to or developing a comprehensive Design System.
Experience in defining, tracking, and analyzing product metrics to inform design decisions.
Comfortable working with data and information, and collaborating with data-driven colleagues.
An interest in the real estate industry or experience designing for marketplace platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills highlight core product design competencies with a strong emphasis on visual design quality and practical application through sketching and prototyping. The preferred skills point towards a desire for candidates who can contribute to broader design initiatives like design systems and leverage data, indicating a mature design organization. The "track record of commitment" suggests the company values stability in candidates.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Present a curated portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 significant product design projects.
For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role and responsibilities, the target users, and the project's goals.
Include case studies that detail your end-to-end design process, from initial research and problem definition through ideation, iteration, and final solution.
Demonstrate strong visual design skills through high-fidelity mockups and final designs.
If applicable, include interactive prototypes to showcase user flows and interaction design.

Process Documentation:

Showcase your approach to the research and discovery phase, including methods like user interviews, surveys, competitive analysis, and data synthesis.
Illustrate your ideation and iteration methods, such as sketching, wireframing, user flows, and collaborative whiteboarding.
Detail your validation and testing approaches, including usability testing, A/B testing, and incorporating user feedback into design revisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific request for a portfolio as part of the application, along with detailed expectations for case studies and process documentation, confirms that this is a hands-on design role where demonstrating your design thinking and execution is critical. The emphasis on showing the 'how' (process documentation) in addition to the 'what' (final designs) is standard for strong product design roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000 - $130,000 annually. This range is an estimate based on industry standards for a Mid-Level UX Product Designer in the Arlington, VA area, considering the cost of living and the company's size and industry. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

Comprehensive healthcare coverage including Medical, Vision, Dental, and Prescription Drug plans.
Life, legal, and supplementary insurance options.
Access to virtual and in-person mental health counseling services for both individuals and families.
Commuter and parking benefits to assist with transportation costs.
401(K) retirement plan with matching contributions from the company.
Employee stock purchase plan, allowing employees to buy company stock at a discount.
Generous paid time off policy.
Tuition reimbursement program to support continued education and professional development.
On-site fitness center or reimbursed fitness center membership costs (location dependent), including access to specialized equipment and classes.
Access to CoStar Group’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Employee Resource Groups.
Complimentary gourmet coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, and other healthy snacks available in the office.

Working Hours: This is a full-time position requiring attendance in the office Monday through Friday. While specific daily hours may have some flexibility depending on team needs, the core expectation is full-time on-site presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate based on publicly available data for similar roles in the Arlington, VA market for companies comparable to CoStar Group in size and industry. The benefits package is detailed and appears competitive, offering a wide range of support for employee well-being and professional growth. The explicit mention of the on-site requirement Monday-Friday is critical for candidate expectations.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Real Estate Information, Analytics, and Online Marketplaces. CoStar Group is a leading global provider, specifically focused on digitizing the world's real estate. This involves complex data visualization, search interfaces, and marketplace dynamics, offering unique design challenges in a high-impact sector.

Company Size: 5,001-10,000 employees globally. Working within a large organization like CoStar Group means access to extensive resources, established processes, and opportunities for cross-team collaboration. For a designer, this often translates to working on large-scale, complex products with significant user bases.

Founded: 1986. With over 35 years in the industry, CoStar Group has a deep history and established position, providing stability. The focus on "continually refined, transformed and perfected" approach suggests a culture of continuous improvement, relevant to design practices.

Team Structure:

The UX Product Designer will be part of the Homes.com team, which is described as high-functioning and highly collaborative.
Collaboration is emphasized with product managers, engineering leads, researchers, marketing leads, and other designers.
This structure suggests a cross-functional team model where design works closely with product and engineering throughout the development lifecycle.

Methodology:

The team operates in an agile environment, indicating iterative development cycles and a focus on delivering value incrementally.
User research techniques (surveys, interviews, observations, data analysis) are integrated into the design process.
There is a focus on using design artifacts like wireframes, flows, mockups, and prototypes to deliver solutions.
Contribution to an emerging design system suggests a move towards establishing scalable design practices and consistency.

Company Website: http://www.costargroup.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context highlights CoStar Group's established position and resources within the real estate technology sector. The description of the Homes.com team as collaborative and high-functioning, coupled with the mention of an agile environment and integrated user research, paints a picture of a design function that is embedded within product development and focused on data-informed decision making.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This position is described as requiring 3+ years of experience, aligning with a Mid-Level UX Product Designer role. At this level, designers are expected to lead design efforts on specific features or parts of the product, collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, and contribute to improving design practices.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Mid-Level UX Product Designer typically reports to a Senior UX Designer, Design Lead, or Design Manager within the design organization structure. Collaboration with product managers and engineering leads is key, suggesting a matrixed reporting or strong collaborative partnership model.

Design Impact: Designers on the Homes.com team are positioned to have a significant impact on the user experience for millions of visitors, directly influencing the home search process. The focus on reimagining the experience and disrupting the industry implies that design is seen as a critical function for achieving business goals and market leadership.

Growth Opportunities:

Progression towards a Senior UX Product Designer role, leading more complex projects and mentoring junior designers.
Specialization in areas like design systems, user research, interaction design, or a specific product area within Homes.com.
Opportunities to contribute to improving design team practices and potentially move into a Design Lead or Management position over time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis infers the typical progression for a Mid-Level Product Designer in a large tech company setting. The opportunity to contribute to a design system and elevate team practices are specific growth avenues mentioned in the description, indicating potential for leadership and impact beyond individual project work.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: The role is explicitly described as "in office Monday through Friday," indicating a traditional on-site office environment rather than remote or hybrid. This suggests a preference for in-person collaboration and team interaction.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Arlington, VA. CoStar Group has multiple office locations, but this specific role is tied to the Arlington office.

Design Workspace Context:

Being on-site five days a week facilitates spontaneous collaboration, whiteboarding sessions, and face-to-face interaction with product, engineering, and other team members.
Access to on-site amenities like fitness centers and complimentary snacks contributes to the overall employee experience.
The on-site requirement implies that the design workspace is designed to foster collaboration and creative work, though specific details about the design studio setup are not provided.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday, on-site. The specific daily schedule is likely standard business hours, though some flexibility may exist depending on team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The clear on-site requirement is a significant factor for candidates to consider. The enhancement note highlights the implications of this environment for collaboration and team dynamics, which are often different from remote or hybrid setups.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call, likely with a recruiter, to discuss experience, fit, and portfolio. Prepare to briefly articulate your design philosophy and interest in Homes.com.
Portfolio review with a design manager or senior designer. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key case studies in detail, focusing on your process, decisions, and impact.
Technical/Skills interview, potentially involving a design challenge or whiteboard session, to assess problem-solving skills and design execution. Practice articulating your design process under pressure.
Cross-functional interviews with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to assess collaboration skills and ability to work within the team structure. Prepare examples of successful cross-functional projects.
Final interview(s) with design leadership or hiring manager to discuss career goals, cultural fit, and overall alignment with the team and company vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Structure your case studies to clearly present the problem, your process (research, ideation, iteration, etc.), your solution, and the impact or results.
Focus on storytelling – guide the reviewer through your thinking and decisions at each stage of the design process.
Highlight your visual design skills with high-fidelity mockups, but ensure they are supported by a strong understanding of usability and interaction design.
Demonstrate your ability to work within constraints and make informed design trade-offs.
Tailor your portfolio presentation to the Homes.com domain and the specific requirements of the role where possible.

Challenge Preparation:

If a design challenge is part of the process, understand the format (take-home vs. on-site whiteboard).
For take-home challenges, manage your time effectively and present your process clearly, not just the final solution.
For whiteboard challenges, focus on articulating your thinking, asking clarifying questions, and demonstrating your problem-solving approach in a collaborative setting.
Be prepared to explain your design rationale and defend your choices based on user needs and business goals.

ATS Keywords: User Experience Design, UX Design, Product Design, UI Design, Interaction Design, Usability, Human-Computer Interaction, Design Strategy, User Flows, Wireframing, Prototyping, Visual Design, Mockups, Sketch, Invision, Figma (if used), Adobe Creative Suite, User Research, Usability Testing, Data Analysis, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Cross-functional Collaboration, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Design Systems, Style Guides, Pattern Libraries, Case Studies, Portfolio, Real Estate Tech, Marketplace Design, Responsive Design, Mobile Design, Web Design, User-Centered Design, Design Thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process section provides a likely interview flow based on standard industry practices for product design roles at this level in a large tech company. The detailed tips for portfolio review and challenge preparation offer actionable advice, filling in gaps in the original job description and helping candidates prepare effectively. The comprehensive ATS keyword list is designed to help candidates optimize their resumes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Sketch: Explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency. Expect to use Sketch for UI design and potentially some prototyping.
Invision: Explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency. Used for prototyping and potentially collaboration and handoff.
Other design tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD) may also be used or beneficial, though not explicitly required. Figma is increasingly common for collaborative design.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Tools like Invision are likely used for sharing prototypes and specifications with engineers.
Collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) are likely used for daily communication with the cross-functional team.
Project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) are likely used for tracking design tasks within the agile workflow.

Research & Testing:

Tools for surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).
Tools for user interviews (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet).
Tools for usability testing (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com).
Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) for data analysis and understanding user behavior.

📝 Enhancement Note: While only Sketch and Invision were explicitly mentioned, the enhancement note infers other commonly used tools in a product design workflow within an agile, cross-functional team at a large tech company. This provides candidates with a more complete picture of the potential technology environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Collaboration: Emphasized by the "we not me" mindset and the need to partner with diverse teams. This suggests a culture where teamwork and shared success are valued.
User-Centeredness: The focus on understanding customer needs through research and architecting world-class user journeys points to a strong user-centered approach.
High Standards & Quality: The requirement to take design from "good to great" and set a high design standard indicates a value placed on quality and attention to detail in design execution.
Innovation: The goal of reimagining the home search experience and disrupting the industry suggests a culture that encourages innovation and trying new approaches.

Collaboration Style:

Highly collaborative, working closely with product managers, engineering leads, and other designers.
Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions to improve work.
Cross-functional collaboration is key, requiring strong communication and the ability to articulate design decisions to non-design stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The enhancement note interprets the company description and role requirements to infer key design values and collaboration styles. The emphasis on "we, not me" and collaboration with diverse teams strongly suggests a team-oriented culture. The focus on reimagining the experience points to a value placed on innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Designing for a complex domain like real estate, which involves various user types (buyers, agents) and intricate data structures.
Working within a fast-growing product (Homes.com) means dealing with rapid changes, potential technical debt, and balancing speed with design quality.
Contributing to an emerging design system requires adaptability and potentially helping to define standards and processes.
Balancing strong usability with aesthetic appeal in a competitive online marketplace.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunity to deepen expertise in the real estate tech domain and marketplace design.
Gain extensive experience working on a product with a large user base and significant impact.
Develop skills in contributing to and evolving a design system.
Enhance collaboration skills by working closely with experienced product and engineering teams in an agile environment.
Potential for mentorship from senior designers or design leadership within CoStar Group.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are inferred based on the description of the company, the product, and the role's responsibilities. Designing for a complex industry and a rapidly growing product are typical challenges in this type of role, while contributing to a design system and working on a high-impact product are significant growth opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

"Walk me through your design process for a recent project." (Prepare to discuss each phase: research, ideation, iteration, testing, handoff).
"Describe a time you faced a significant challenge in a design project and how you overcame it." (Focus on problem-solving and adaptability).
"How do you use user research to inform your design decisions?" (Provide specific examples of research methods and how they impacted your work).
"Explain your approach to collaborating with product managers and engineers." (Share examples of successful cross-functional teamwork).

Company Culture Questions:

"What interests you about working on Homes.com and in the real estate industry?" (Show genuine interest in the domain).
"How do you approach receiving and giving design feedback?" (Discuss your methods for design critique and collaboration).
"Describe a time you had to advocate for a user-centered approach when faced with competing priorities." (Demonstrate your commitment to the user).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end process and relevant skills (e.g., complex problem-solving, data integration, visual polish).
For each project, start with the problem and user need, then walk through your process step-by-step, explaining your decisions and iterations.
Highlight your collaboration with cross-functional team members.
Clearly articulate the impact of your design work, if possible, using metrics or qualitative feedback.
Be prepared to answer questions about your choices and alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation section provides example questions and strategic advice based on the requirements and description of the role and company culture. The focus on design process, collaboration, and cultural fit aligns with the emphasis in the job description.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link
Ensure your resume is optimized with relevant design keywords from the ATS Keywords list provided above, highlighting your experience with UX Product Design, agile methodologies, and relevant tools like Sketch and Invision.
Prepare a compelling design portfolio, following the Portfolio Essentials and Process Documentation guidelines, with a focus on case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end design process and impact.
Research Homes.com and CoStar Group to understand their products, target audience, and recent initiatives, particularly in the residential real estate space.
Practice presenting your portfolio case studies and articulating your design process clearly and concisely, anticipating potential questions about your decisions and rationale.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

UX Product Designer, Homes.com