The power of Cotality data in academic research

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Data analytics is the lifeblood of discovery, turning raw information into actionable insights. In academic research, the integration of robust datasets streamlines the research process and enhances the credibility of academic findings.

Data is a key component in academic research, serving as empirical evidence.
Research-based knowledge fuels innovation across a wide range of industries.
With Cotality, colleges and universities can achieve unmatched depth and accuracy in academic studies.

Academic research may begin as a conceptual exploration, but with the right analysis, it can mature into strategic intelligence that drives real-world progress.

With more than 1 billion points of property intelligence, Cotality has one of the largest datasets in the country, providing multi-dimensional property data for many of the nation’s most respected and prestigious universities.

As a trusted leader in the property data space, our products and services are designed to empower the academic community with insight into 99.9% of U.S. properties. As of April 2026, more than 900 peer-reviewed papers have been published using Cotality data.

Challenges in academic research

Academic research can be extremely competitive. In this space, having access to the right data – and understanding how to contextualize it – is crucial to uncover new insights and stay on the cutting edge of the field.

This may be why industry experts have cited a rise in the use of proprietary data for academic research purposes, with the percentage of papers using private company data doubling from 1980 to 2023.¹

The use of private data in fields like finance and economics is growing even more rapidly. This is because proprietary data is exclusive and highly specialized, allowing researchers to test theories that cannot be analyzed using public data alone.

Breakthroughs built on great data

Colleges and universities rely on data to develop studies and reports. With accurate, comprehensive property data, Cotality makes it easy to go beyond what’s available in open-source and general-purpose databases.

More than 2,200 scholars have published with Cotality data so far, with yearly publication counts doubling in the last decade. Recent academic studies have leveraged our multi-dimensional property data to understand the effects of residential zonings, analyze the impact of natural disasters on marketplace lending, and determine how credit conditions move house prices.

Yearly publication count, 2010-2026

Data source: Cotality, 2026

Cotality authors are affiliated with nearly 2,000 distinguished institutions, including several prestigious colleges and universities. Many papers from the Federal Reserve System also use our data.

Institutions associated with Cotality authors

Data source: Cotality, 2026

Here are a few of the academic studies that have recently been published using Cotality data:

How Cotality helps universities

Cotality data has helped researchers gain insight into urban economics, real estate finance, and more. We give colleges and universities access to:

Hundreds of millions of mortgage records and MLS listings
The universe of U.S. deeds, building permits, and property tax records
Decades of expertise + AI enhancements to enrich and integrate across sources

Get your hands on over 50 years of curated, nationwide insights – all validated and structured to meet the demands of modern research. Contact us to see how your university can raise the bar with Cotality data.