What It's Like To Be a User Researcher at Compass
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Compass's research team grew from 3 to 15+ members in two years, enabling more foundational and cross-functional work.
-
•
Agents use multiple disjointed tools for buying/selling homes; Compass aims to consolidate these workflows.
-
•
Agents are entrepreneurs running their own businesses, often spread thin and scrappy in managing deals and relationships.
-
•
Remote onboarding during the pandemic posed challenges, particularly with technical support and childcare, but was eased by a supportive culture.
-
•
Transitioning from IC to management requires a different skill set and mindset; it often happens organically rather than by career desire alone.
-
•
Real estate data and terminology vary regionally, complicating standardization efforts within Compass's systems.
-
•
Cross-team collaboration among researchers sparks new perspectives, camaraderie, and improved approaches to shared problems.
-
•
Research at Compass supports agent financial and business management, a previously underexplored but impactful area.
-
•
The entrepreneurial spirit of agents opens opportunities to build tools that help them grow their brands and businesses.
-
•
Future plans include building research tools for workflows, better organizational support, and archiving mechanisms for shared knowledge.
Notable Quotes
"When I started, there were just three of us, now we’re up to over 15 people and growing."
"I started spending more time understanding agent processes at a deeper level beyond just answering tactical questions."
"Working for large companies became frustrating because politics and procedures pulled me away from the research I love."
"I want to grow as a researcher by trying different environments and building new research muscles."
"Remote onboarding isn’t radically different but sometimes you wish you could just call someone over to your desk."
"Agents are business owners who are incredibly spread thin and scrappy in how they manage everything."
"Being a manager is really hard, and just because you’re a great individual contributor doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy it."
"Real estate data such as price per square foot varies widely by region, making system mapping challenging."
"Agents often have fascinating second or third career backgrounds that unlock deeper research insights."
"I’m excited about scaling our research work with better ops support and building tools to share knowledge more efficiently."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If you use these chat interfaces, your data might be used for training, but API access can preserve privacy."
Jorge ArangoAI as Thought Partner: How to Use LLMs to Transform Your Notes (3rd of 3 seminars)
May 3, 2024
"Data is supposed to be neutral. It’s the way one uses it that can bring good or bad outcomes."
John Paul de Guzman10k Screens Later: How We Became a Data-Driven Design Organization
September 24, 2024
"Is there good kung fu in everything? Every perspective has something to teach us."
Sean McKayWhole Product Thinking: Expanding beyond problem and solution space thinking
March 14, 2024
"Accessibility education embedded in onboarding and ongoing training builds organizational muscle."
Megan Clegg Michael Haggerty-Villa Alexis MorinSpace for Everyone: Reframing Accessibility Through a Wider Lens
June 10, 2021
"Working on a different word than empower: People already have power, we have to respect it."
Bria Alexander Ariel Kennan Charlotte Lee Sarah Brooks Emily Lessard Gordon Ross Joanne DongReflect and Chart Forward
December 10, 2021
"You don’t feel like it’s a huge corporate burden company, nor a crazy fast startup. It feels authentic and committed."
Kurdin Bazaz Liz Rytting Alex KarrCulture, DIBS & Recruiting
June 10, 2021
"Agents often have fascinating second or third career backgrounds that unlock deeper research insights."
Kayla Farrell Chelsey Glasson Sean Fitzell Jared LeClercWhat It's Like To Be a User Researcher at Compass
March 12, 2021
"Our partnership is like cat and dog—sharing a body but having distinct identities and personalities."
Gina Mendolia Jasmine ToyCoordinated collaboration: a Service Design & DesignOps love story
November 19, 2025
"Google is the digital equivalent of the local shopping mall or the local main street."
Erin WeigelReal-world lessons to improve your conversion rates
June 26, 2024
