Freelance Data Reporter / Researcher

Position Overview

• Location Type: Not Specified
• Job Type: Freelance
• Salary: $40 - $70 an hour

This is a freelance position. We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Freelance Data Reporter / Researcher to support our data-driven journalism efforts. This role focuses on extracting, cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing real estate data to uncover trends, support reporting, and contribute to impactful editorial content.

Responsibilities

• Extract structured data from PDFs (e.g., property records, filings)
• Develop and maintain scrapers for public websites and databases
• Standardize and clean large datasets from multiple sources
• Build visual data tools (charts, dashboards, maps) for editorial teams
• Research and resolve entities across datasets (LLCs, developers, brokers, etc.)
• Support editorial staff by translating raw data into usable insights
• Automate repetitive data tasks with scripts and scheduled workflows
• Manually reconcile records as needed with precision and care

Requirements

• Proficient in Python, especially Pandas, NumPy, and Requests
• Experienced in web scraping, PDF parsing, and API integration
• Comfortable with Google Sheets and workflow tools
• Strong research and data verification skills
• Familiar with geospatial data (shapefiles, GeoJSON, Mapbox, etc.)
• Knowledge of Git/GitHub for version control

Bonus Qualifications

• Front-end familiarity (HTML/CSS/JS) for interactive data visualizations
• Background in real estate or investigative journalism is a plus

Compensation & Benefits

The offer will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Company Information

The Real Deal is the largest real-estate news outlet in the US, reaching millions of professionals daily through our media channels. We have received 60+ awards for editorial excellence over the past six years, including the General Excellence award from the Society of Business Writers and Editors. Quantcast rates us among the 300-most visited sites in the US and the website with the wealthiest audience and one of the most educated. As a publication, The Real Deal is to real estate what Variety is to entertainment or what Politico is to Beltway politics – a plugged-in news outlet that is read by the entire industry.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We partner with our employees to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace and through higher education programs supporting rising journalists.