Data Journalist

Data Journalist, Economics & Research Group

At Compass, our mission is to help everyone find their place in the world. Founded in 2012, we’re revolutionizing the real estate industry with our end-to-end platform that empowers residential real estate agents to deliver exceptional service to seller and buyer clients.

About The Role:

The CIH Data & Analytics organization produces data-driven research and content that help agents, consumers, and the media understand what's happening in housing markets. We are looking for a Data Journalist to help us find the story in the data and bring it to life for a broad audience. You will work directly with the Chief Economist to turn housing market analysis into editorial content — reports, commentaries, social media, and visualizations — that is accurate, engaging, and built on rigorous data.

Responsibilities:

Writing & Editing

• Write and edit market reports, economic commentaries, and narrative summaries of housing data for agents, consumers, and media.
• Translate findings from quantitative analysis into stories that are accessible to non-expert audiences.
• Edit and refine content from the economics team for clarity, structure, and narrative coherence.
• Contribute to regular publications including market outlooks, regional reports, and luxury market coverage.

Data Journalism & Research

• Work with housing and economic datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and narratives worth telling.
• Collaborate with the Chief Economist to develop story angles and frame data findings as editorial content.
• Fact-check data claims and ensure accuracy and consistency across all published content.

Data Visualization

• Produce charts, graphics, and interactive visualizations that communicate data findings effectively.
• Develop a consistent visual style for Compass research output across reports, presentations, and social media.
• Work with tools such as Flourish, Datawrapper, or similar platforms.

Content Distribution

• Adapt research content for different formats and channels, including social media, email, press releases, and agent-facing materials.
• Support media and PR efforts by preparing data summaries and backgrounders for journalists.

Requirements:

• Career experience: 5+ years of experience as a data journalist, business reporter, analyst, writer, or editor in online media or print journalism
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Journalism, Communications, Economics, or a related field.
• Proven track record of published work translating data or economic topics for general audiences.
• Experience working directly with data — pulling, cleaning, and analyzing datasets to find the story.
• Experience with tools such as Excel, Python, or R.
• Experience producing graphics for publication using tools such as Flourish, Datawrapper, or similar.
• Strong understanding of economics, financial markets, and real estate.

Other Skills:

• Background in business, financial, or economic journalism.
• Experience at a media outlet, research firm, or within a chief economist's team.
• Familiarity with real estate data sources such as MLS, Census, or BLS.
• Experience producing content for both editorial and brand publishing contexts.
• You should know and exemplify the Compass Entrepreneurship Principles

Research & Analysis

• Monitor and synthesize macroeconomic trends, including Fed policy, labor markets, consumer sentiment, inflation, and interest rates, and translate their implications for residential real estate markets.
• Produce regional and local market analyses that bring national macro insights down to the metro, neighborhood, and price-tier level.
• Contribute research on topics such as luxury market dynamics, the impact of AI on labor markets and housing demand, and geographic market segmentation.

Content & Communication

• Write research reports, market commentaries, and data-driven narratives for agents, consumers, journalists, and institutional partners.
• Contribute analysis and writing to Compass market intelligence publications, including luxury and high-end market reporting.
• Prepare data summaries, charts, and talking points for media and PR efforts.

Data Visualization & Presentation

• Produce data visualizations that make economic and housing data accessible and engaging.
• Build presentation materials for agents, sales meetings, and leadership briefings.

Modeling & Forecasting

• Build and maintain housing market forecasting models incorporating macroeconomic inputs such as mortgage rates, employment, and GDP.
• Apply econometric techniques including regression analysis and time series modeling to support market outlooks.

Requirements:

• Graduate degree in Economics, Applied Economics, Real Estate, Statistics, or a related quantitative field preferred.
• Strong understanding of macroeconomics with knowledge of housing markets, mortgage finance, Fed policy, labor markets, and consumer economics.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain economic concepts to non-expert audiences.
• Experience producing charts and graphics for research or media; familiarity with tools such as Flourish or Datawrapper.
• Experience producing published research, market reports, or economic commentary.

Other Skills:

• Experience in real estate economics, housing finance, or urban economics.
• Background at a research institution, think tank, bank, or government agency.
• Experience collaborating with editorial or communications teams on consumer-facing content.
• You should know and exemplify the Compass Entrepreneurship Principles

Compensation:

The base pay range for this position is $125,500-$139,400 annually; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Bonuses and restricted stock units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of benefits. Base pay is based on market location.

Perks That You Need To Know About:

• Participation in our incentive programs (which may include eligible cash, equity, or commissions).
• Paid vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, and recharge leave.
• Medical, tele-health, dental and vision benefits.
• 401(k) plan.
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
• Commuter program.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Maven (a support system for new parents).
• Carrot (fertility benefits).
• UrbanSitter (caregiver referral network).
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Pet insurance.

Do your best work, be your authentic self. At Compass, we believe that everyone deserves to find their place in the world — a place where they feel like they belong, where they can be their authentic selves, where they can thrive. Our collaborative, energetic culture is grounded in our Compass Entrepreneurship Principles and our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, growth and mobility. As an equal opportunity employer, we offer competitive compensation packages, robust benefits and professional growth opportunities aimed at helping to improve our employees' lives and careers.

Notice for California Applicants

Los Angeles County Fair Chance Notice

Key skills/competency

• Data Journalism
• Economics
• Real Estate Markets
• Data Analysis
• Data Visualization
• Writing and Editing
• Content Creation
• Research
• Python
• R