# Andy Florance

> Andy Florance is the founder and chief executive officer of CoStar Group. A Princeton economics graduate, he began the business in 1986 and led its 1998 public offering and expansion into commercial property information, residential marketplaces and 3D digital twins. He is also a Princeton trustee and a supporter of education and research.

- **Role:** Founder and Chief Executive Officer at CoStar Group
- **Organizations:** CoStar Group, Princeton University, Management Leadership for Tomorrow
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** A.B. in Economics, Princeton University, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Virginia Commonwealth University
- **Known for:** Founded CoStar Group and led its 1998 IPO., Elected a Princeton University term trustee in 2025., Received VCU’s honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2019.

## Career timeline

- **1986** — Begins the business while a senior at Princeton and earns his economics degree.
- **1998** — Leads CoStar Group through its initial public offering.
- **2019** — Delivers VCU’s spring commencement address and receives an honorary doctorate.
- **2021** — CoStar acquires Homes.com; Florance joins VCU’s Board of Visitors.
- **2025** — CoStar completes Matterport and Domain acquisitions; Florance becomes a Princeton trustee effective July 1.
- **2026** — Homes AI launches in February; Princeton announces the Florances’ quantum research gift in April; CoStar completes its Zonda acquisition in August.

## Achievements

- Founded CoStar Group and led its 1998 IPO.
- Elected a Princeton University term trustee in 2025.
- Received VCU’s honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2019.
- Ranked sixth in the 2026 Swanepoel Power 200.
- Co-authored award-winning commercial real estate economics research.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — CoStar completed its $800 million cash acquisition of Zonda on August 21.
- **2026-04** — Princeton announced a major gift from Andy and Heather Florance to its Quantum Initiative on April 14.
- **2026-02** — CoStar launched Homes AI, a conversational home-search experience.
- **2026-01** — Florance was named among the top ten executives on the 2026 Swanepoel Power 200 list.

## Links

- Website: https://www.costargroup.com/leadership/andy-florance
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-florance-ceo-costar-group

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/andy-florance
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22