MSCI Real Estate is a major provider of institutional-grade commercial real estate benchmarking, performance analytics, and transaction data to large asset managers, pension funds, and REITs. If you’re evaluating alternatives to MSCI for portfolio analytics, market benchmarking, or data-driven real estate insights, this guide walks through eight direct and overlapping competitors, each with distinct strengths in data coverage, methodology, and use cases.
The choice between these platforms depends on your specific needs—whether you’re focused on private real estate performance measurement, public REIT analysis, multifamily market research, or broader commercial property analytics across all sectors and geographies.
Quick Ranked Alternatives List
- CoStar Group — Comprehensive commercial real estate data covering 6+ million properties, lease and sale comps, and market analytics across 3,000+ markets and submarkets; best for investors, lenders, and operators seeking deep market intelligence and property-level research.
- Green Street Advisors — Independent research and analytics firm focused on REITs, private market fundamentals, valuation models, and sector-specific forecasting; best for REIT investors and asset managers seeking predictive insights on public and private real estate.
- NCREIF — Gold standard for institutional performance measurement and benchmarking via the NCREIF Property Index (NPI) and Fund Index (ODCE); best for pension funds and core equity investors tracking unlevered and levered portfolio returns.
Comparison Table
| Company | What It Sells | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| CoStar Group | Commercial property records, lease and sale comps, market analytics, submarket trends, and risk models across all CRE sectors | Investors, lenders, operators, and brokers seeking comprehensive market data and local market intelligence |
| Green Street Advisors | REIT research, private market comps and forecasts, valuation models, proprietary indices, and advisory services | Institutional investors, REITs, and asset managers seeking sector-level insights and independent research |
| NCREIF | Performance measurement indices (NPI, ODCE), benchmarking databases, and institutional reporting standards | Pension funds, core equity fund managers, and institutional investors tracking portfolio performance |
| CBRE Research | Global market forecasts, submarket analytics, property-level data, and subscription-based research platform with API access | Institutional investors, occupiers, and operators seeking global coverage and forecast-driven analytics |
| Yardi Matrix | Property-level data on multifamily, student housing, office, industrial, and self-storage with rent, occupancy, and transaction history | Investors, developers, and lenders focused on residential and select commercial property types |
| ATTOM Data | Residential and commercial property data, transaction history, assessor records, and public records aggregation | Investors, lenders, and analysts tracking transaction trends and property valuations across wide geographies |
| CoreLogic | Residential and commercial property data, valuations, risk analytics, and market intelligence products | Lenders, servicers, and insurers seeking property valuation and credit risk insights |
| JLL Research | Commercial real estate market research, capital markets analytics, and brokerage-integrated insights across sectors and regions | Investors, operators, and occupiers seeking brokerage-backed market intelligence and transaction-level data |
Detailed Alternatives
CoStar Group
CoStar is the leading provider of commercial real estate information and analytics, with direct access to data on millions of properties across North America and Europe. The platform combines extensive property records with verified lease and sale comparables, enabling users to benchmark deals, analyze market trends, and support investment underwriting across office, industrial, retail, apartment, hospitality, and other property types.
Key features
- 6+ million commercial property records with 11 million+ lease and sale comps across 3,000+ markets and submarkets
- Real-time submarket analytics, rent trajectories, vacancy projections, and demographic overlays
- CoStar Risk Analytics module for credit risk analysis and portfolio stress testing
- CoStar Commercial Repeat-Sale Indices (CCRSI) for transaction-based property price benchmarking
- Custom reporting and comparative asset analysis tools with alert and notification features
Best for
CoStar is ideal for investors and lenders who need detailed comps and submarket analysis to underwrite individual transactions or monitor regional market conditions. It’s also well-suited for owners and operators tracking asset performance relative to comparable properties and for brokers supporting client negotiations with data-backed market insights.
Pricing
CoStar operates on a subscription basis, with pricing dependent on geography, number of users, and feature access. When searching their website to write this article, we couldn’t find standard public pricing. Contact sales for a customized quote based on your use case and geographic scope.
Green Street Advisors
Green Street is an independent research and advisory firm that has provided analysis of real estate markets and REITs since 1985. The firm combines proprietary data collection, financial modeling, and boots-on-the-ground sector expertise to deliver actionable intelligence on both public REIT performance and private commercial real estate fundamentals across North America and Europe.
Key features
- Deep REIT coverage with company-level analytics, valuation models, and sector-specific research
- Private market comps, forecasts, and fundamentals delivered with regional and sector-level specificity
- Commercial Property Price Index (CPPI) for tracking real-time asset price movements across CRE sectors
- Seamless integrations with Excel, Snowflake, and API connections for scalable data workflows
- Predictive analytics and macro-level insights bridging public and private market analysis
Best for
Green Street is best for institutional investors and asset managers who want independent research on both public REIT and private real estate valuations, forecasts, and capital allocation decisions. The platform is particularly strong for REIT analysts and macro-focused investors seeking forward-looking sector and market intelligence.
Pricing
Pricing is not publicly listed on their website. Green Street offers tiered access to research, data, and analytics products, with subscription pricing based on product selection and user access. Contact their sales team for a custom quote aligned with your specific research and data needs.
NCREIF
NCREIF is the gold standard for institutional real estate performance measurement and benchmarking in the United States. The organization operates the NCREIF Property Index (NPI), which has tracked private commercial real estate returns since 1978, and the NCREIF Fund Index (NFI-ODCE), which measures the performance of open-end, diversified core equity real estate funds. NCREIF serves pension funds, asset managers, consultants, and researchers seeking standardized, rigorous performance data.
Key features
- NCREIF Property Index (NPI): quarterly, unlevered total return index across office, apartment, industrial, retail, hotel, and other core property types
- NFI-ODCE Fund Index: cap-weighted, time-weighted fund performance benchmark reflecting leverage, cash, and real fund operations
- Property-level and fund-level data contributed and validated by member institutions, ensuring institutional rigor
- Reporting standards and attribution analysis tools for transparent performance decomposition
- Educational resources and peer benchmarking forums through NCREIF Academy
Best for
NCREIF is essential for pension funds and institutional investors who must benchmark their private real estate portfolios against standardized indices. It’s also used by appraisers, consultants, and academic researchers studying real estate returns and risk profiles across property types and geographies.
Pricing
NCREIF pricing is not disclosed publicly and is structured as membership-based access to indices and databases. Institutions typically pay annual fees tiered by membership level and data access requirements. Reach out to NCREIF directly for membership and pricing details.
CBRE Research
CBRE’s Research division delivers global market forecasts, analytics, and actionable intelligence powered by 500+ researchers and proprietary econometric tools. The platform integrates market data, transaction records, and forecast models to support investment decisions, occupier strategies, and portfolio optimization across all major property types and geographies.
Key features
- Subscription-based research platform with historical and forecast data across 250+ markets globally
- Property-level and submarket analytics powered by CBRE Econometric Advisors forecasting methodology
- Custom reporting tools (Builder, Locator 2.0) and bulk data extracts in XLS or CSV format
- Snowflake and API integrations for real-time, scalable data delivery and automation
- Vantage Analytics intelligence platform combining data visualization, benchmarking, and AI-enhanced insights
Best for
CBRE Research is ideal for large institutions—investors, operators, and occupiers—seeking consistent, globally-integrated market intelligence with strong local market depth. It’s particularly valuable for organizations managing multi-market portfolios and needing data-driven forecasts to guide capital allocation and strategic planning.
Pricing
Pricing varies based on the subscription tier, geographic coverage, user count, and integrations selected. Exact rates are not available on their site. Contact CBRE for a custom quote reflecting your market focus and data requirements.
Yardi Matrix
Yardi Matrix is a commercial real estate market intelligence platform focused on residential and light commercial sectors. Powered by data from Yardi’s property management operating platform and independently sourced market data, it provides property-level intelligence on multifamily, student housing, affordable housing, office, industrial, and self-storage across more than 180 U.S. markets.
Key features
- 19 million+ property units and billions of square feet of commercial coverage across major property types
- Property ownership, rent, occupancy, loan maturity, transaction history, and sales comparables
- New supply pipeline forecasts, demographic overlays, and market-specific research reports
- Supplement data from 10+ million multifamily units transacting on the Yardi operating platform for validation and insight
- Mobile app access and desktop platform with custom search, alerts, and portfolio tracking
Best for
Yardi Matrix is best for investors and lenders focused on multifamily, student housing, and affordable housing who want detailed property-level data and new supply tracking. It’s also valuable for developers, asset managers, and brokers operating in residential-centric markets seeking fast access to comps and occupancy trends.
Pricing
Yardi Matrix operates on a subscription model with tiered pricing based on property type coverage and user access. Standard public pricing isn’t listed on their website. Contact their sales team at sales-matrix@yardi.com or 480-663-1149 for subscription options and customized quotes.
ATTOM Data
ATTOM Data Solutions aggregates residential and commercial property information, transaction records, and public records across the United States. The platform consolidates assessor data, deed records, and transaction history to support property research, valuations, and market trend analysis for investors, lenders, and data analytics firms.
Key features
- Aggregated property records, deed information, and historical transaction data across the U.S.
- Assessor-level valuations and property characteristic data for portfolio screening
- Transaction databases tracking sales and rental activity across residential and light commercial properties
- API access and data feeds for bulk data extraction and integration into third-party systems
- Market reports and trend analysis on transaction activity, pricing, and affordability
Best for
ATTOM Data is best for lenders, investors, and hedge funds tracking transaction trends and property valuations at scale across broad geographies. It’s also useful for data analytics platforms and research firms needing standardized property records and transaction history for model development and validation.
Pricing
Pricing details are not readily available publicly. ATTOM Data offers custom data packages and API subscriptions based on geographic scope, data volume, and refresh frequency. Reach out to their sales team for specific pricing and package options.
CoreLogic
CoreLogic is a provider of property data, valuations, and risk analytics used by lenders, insurers, and servicers across residential and commercial real estate. The platform combines property records, valuation models, and credit risk tools to support lending decisions, portfolio monitoring, and regulatory compliance across the financial services sector.
Key features
- Comprehensive property records and valuation models for residential and commercial assets
- Automated valuation models (AVMs) and property risk assessment tools
- Loan servicing and credit risk analytics for portfolio monitoring and stress testing
- Data feeds and API integrations for lenders and financial institutions
- Regulatory reporting and compliance support for financial institutions
Best for
CoreLogic is ideal for banks, mortgage servicers, and insurers who need property valuations, credit risk models, and regulatory reporting capabilities. It’s also used by large commercial real estate lenders and investors seeking systematic valuation and portfolio risk tools.
Pricing
CoreLogic does not publish standard pricing on their website. Pricing varies based on data products, user license count, and customization requirements. Interested users should contact CoreLogic directly for a product demonstration and pricing proposal.
JLL Research
JLL Research is the research and analytics arm of the global commercial real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The division combines market data, transaction records, and advisory expertise to deliver research on capital markets, investment trends, occupier demand, and sector-specific insights across geographies and property types. JLL’s insights are integrated with its brokerage and advisory services, giving clients access to ground-level market knowledge alongside data analytics.
Key features
- Market research and transaction analytics across major capital markets and sectors globally
- Capital markets insights on investment demand, capital flows, and pricing trends
- Occupier demand and space planning research for office, retail, industrial, and other property types
- Sector-specific reports on real estate trends, supply, and investment conditions
- Integration with JLL brokerage data for proprietary transaction and deal flow insights
Best for
JLL Research is best for institutional investors and corporate occupiers seeking brokerage-backed market intelligence and transaction-level data from a global real estate services platform. It’s particularly strong for organizations needing integrated advisory and research support on capital markets and occupier strategies.
Pricing
Pricing is not published publicly. Research access is typically available to clients of JLL’s brokerage and advisory services, with custom research and data products available on a project or subscription basis. Contact JLL for details on research access and pricing.
FAQ
How is MSCI Real Estate different from CoStar?
MSCI Real Estate focuses on institutional-grade benchmarking, fund analytics, and transaction data across global markets with an emphasis on institutional investors and performance measurement. CoStar emphasizes transaction-level market data, comps, and submarket analysis primarily for North American markets, serving a broader audience including brokers, lenders, and individual asset operators. MSCI targets macro-level institutional insights while CoStar serves property-level decision-making.
Should I use NCREIF or CBRE Research for portfolio benchmarking?
NCREIF is the standardized benchmark for institutional private real estate performance and is required by many pension funds and investors for formal reporting and comparative analysis. CBRE Research delivers forward-looking market analysis and forecasts across global markets, which is better suited for strategic positioning and identifying emerging opportunities. Many institutions use both: NCREIF for performance attribution and CBRE for market outlook and capital allocation decisions.
What’s the difference between Yardi Matrix and CoStar Group?
Yardi Matrix specializes in multifamily, student housing, and affordable housing with deep property-level detail in those sectors across U.S. markets. CoStar covers all major commercial property types globally with strong emphasis on comps, submarket analysis, and risk tools. Choose Yardi Matrix if your focus is residential-heavy investing in the U.S.; choose CoStar if you need broader commercial property coverage or international data.
Do these platforms integrate with each other or third-party tools?
Most platforms offer API access, data feeds, or integrations with common tools like Excel and Snowflake. Green Street, CBRE Research, and Yardi Matrix explicitly support Excel and Snowflake integrations. CoStar and CoreLogic provide API access and custom data exports. Integration capabilities vary, so confirm specific integration needs with your chosen vendor before committing.
How often is the data updated?
Update frequency varies by platform and data type. CoStar updates property records and comps on a rolling basis; CBRE Research provides quarterly forecasts and regular report updates; NCREIF publishes quarterly benchmark data; Yardi Matrix updates rent and occupancy data monthly; ATTOM and CoreLogic provide ongoing transaction and valuation updates. Confirm refresh frequency with each vendor based on your decision-making timeline.
