XML 21 R9.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.1
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Accounting policies are consistent for each operating segment.

Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the results of its operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, its comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, its changes in stockholders' equity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

Certain notes and other information have been condensed or omitted from the interim financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions, including those related to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, recoverability of long-lived assets and intangible assets with definite lives, goodwill, income taxes, fair value of equity instruments, fair value of auction rate securities, accounting for business combinations, stock-based compensation, estimating the Company's incremental borrowing rate for its leases, and contingencies, among others. The Company bases these estimates on historical and anticipated results, trends, and various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable, including assumptions as to future events. These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and recorded revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives revenues primarily by (i) providing access to its proprietary database of commercial real estate information and (ii) providing online marketplaces for professional property management companies, property owners, brokers, and landlords, in each case typically through a fixed monthly fee for its subscription-based services. The Company's subscription-based services consist primarily of information, analytics and online marketplace services offered over the Internet to commercial real estate industry and related professionals. Subscription contract rates are based on the number of sites, number of users, organization size, the client’s business focus, geography, the number and types of services to which a client subscribes, the number of properties a client advertises and the prominence and placement of a client's advertised properties in the search results. The Company’s subscription-based license agreements renew automatically, and a majority have a term of one year.
  

The Company analyzes contracts to determine the appropriate revenue recognition using the following steps: (i) identification of contracts with customers, (ii) identification of distinct performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determination of contract transaction price, (iv) allocation of contract transaction price to the performance obligations and (v) determination of revenue recognition based on timing of satisfaction of the performance obligation(s).

The Company recognizes revenues upon the satisfaction of its performance obligation(s) (upon transfer of control of promised services to its customers) in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled to in exchange for those services. Revenues from subscription-based services are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement.

The Company's contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple services. For these contracts, the Company accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are distinct. Determining whether services are considered distinct performance obligations may require significant judgment. Judgment is required to determine the standalone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct performance obligation. In instances where SSP is not directly observable, such as when the Company does not sell the services separately, the Company determines the SSP using available information, including market conditions and other observable inputs.

Deferred revenue results from amounts billed in advance to customers or cash received from customers in advance of the sale of subscription licenses and is recognized over the term of the license agreement.

Contract assets represent a conditional right to consideration for satisfied performance obligations that become a receivable when the conditions are satisfied. Contract assets are generated when contractual billing schedules differ from revenue recognition timing.

Certain sales commissions are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. Sales commissions incurred for obtaining new contracts are deferred and then amortized as selling and marketing expenses on a straight-line basis over a period of benefit that the Company has determined to be three years. The three-year amortization period was determined based on several factors, including the nature of the technology and proprietary data underlying the services being purchased, customer contract renewal rates, and industry competition. Certain commission costs are not capitalized as they do not represent incremental costs of obtaining a contract.

See Note 3 for further discussion of the Company's revenue recognition.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues principally consists of salaries, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation expenses for the Company's researchers who collect and analyze the commercial real estate data that is the basis for the Company's information, analytics and online marketplaces. Additionally, cost of revenues includes the cost of data from third-party data sources, credit card and other transaction fees relating to processing customer transactions, which are expensed as incurred, and the amortization of acquired trade names, technology and other intangible assets.

Advertising Costs

The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred. Advertising costs include e-commerce, television, radio, print and other media advertising. Advertising costs were approximately $33 million and $23 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company’s functional currency in its foreign locations is the local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the balance sheet dates. Revenues, expenses, gains and losses are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during each period. Gains and losses resulting from translation are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Currency gains and losses on the translation of intercompany loans made to foreign subsidiaries that are of a long-term investment nature are also included in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Net gains or losses resulting from foreign currency exchange transactions are included in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. There were no material gains or losses from foreign currency exchange transactions for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss were as follows (in thousands):
 
March 31,
2019
 
December 31,
2018
Foreign currency translation adjustment
$
(10,578
)
 
$
(10,958
)
Net unrealized loss on investments, net of tax
(730
)
 
(730
)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss
$
(11,308
)
 
$
(11,688
)


There were no amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss to the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018. The foreign currency translation adjustment includes intra-entity foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term investment nature.

See Note 5 for additional information regarding unrealized gains and losses recognized on investments.

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and the basis reported in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. Deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and the tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted rates in effect during the year in which the Company expects differences to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided against assets, including net operating losses, if the Company determines it is more likely than not that some portion or all of an asset may not be realized. Interest and penalties related to income tax matters are recognized in income tax expense.

See Note 11 for additional information regarding income taxes.

Net Income Per Share

Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period on a basic and diluted basis.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted net income per share (in thousands, except per share data):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
Numerator:
2019
 
2018
 
 
 
Net income
$
85,169

 
$
52,231

Denominator:
 

 
 

Denominator for basic net income per share — weighted-average outstanding shares
36,237

 
35,893

Effect of dilutive securities:
 

 
 

Stock options and restricted stock awards
330

 
457

Denominator for diluted net income per share — weighted-average outstanding shares
36,567

 
36,350

 
 

 
 

Net income per share — basic 
$
2.35

 
$
1.46

Net income per share — diluted 
$
2.33

 
$
1.44


 
The Company’s potentially dilutive securities include outstanding stock options, unvested performance-based restricted stock awards and restricted stock units and awards. Shares underlying restricted common stock awards that vest based on Company performance and service conditions that have not been achieved as of the end of the period are not included in the computation of basic or diluted earnings per share.

The following table summarizes the shares underlying the performance-based restricted stock awards excluded from the basic and diluted earnings per share calculations (in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2019
 
2018
Performance-based restricted stock awards
89

 
84


Diluted net income per share considers the impact of potentially dilutive securities except when the inclusion of the potentially dilutive securities would have an anti-dilutive effect. Stock options to purchase approximately 52,000 and 83,000 shares that were outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted net income per share because the inclusion of the potentially dilutive securities would have an anti-dilutive effect.

Stock-Based Compensation

Equity instruments issued in exchange for services performed by officers, employees, and directors of the Company are accounted for using a fair value based method where the fair value of such equity instruments is recognized as expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations as they are earned.

For stock-based awards that vest over set time periods, compensation expense is measured based on the fair value of the awards at the grant date, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods of the awards, net of an estimated forfeiture rate. For equity instruments that vest based on a performance condition and a market condition, the Company estimates the fair value of each equity instrument granted on the date of grant using a Monte-Carlo simulation model. This pricing model uses multiple simulations to evaluate the probability of achieving the market condition to calculate the fair value of the awards. Stock-based compensation expense is updated based on the expected achievement of the related performance conditions at the end of each reporting period. If the Company's initial estimates of the achievement of the performance conditions change, the related stock-based compensation expense and timing may fluctuate from period to period based on those estimates. If the performance conditions are not met, no stock-based compensation expense will be recognized, and any previously recognized stock-based compensation expense will be reversed.
Stock-based compensation expense for stock options and restricted stock awards issued under equity incentive plans and stock purchases under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan included in the Company’s results of operations were as follows (in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
2019
 
2018
Cost of revenues
$
2,058

 
$
1,431

Selling and marketing (excluding customer base amortization)
1,638

 
1,835

Software development
2,056

 
1,729

General and administrative
6,277

 
5,417

Total stock-based compensation expense
$
12,029

 
$
10,412



Leases

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases, later codified as Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 842 ("ASC 842"), using the modified retrospective method. For periods presented prior to the adoption date, the Company continues to follow its previous policy under ASC 840, Leases. Refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2019, for further details of the Company’s policy prior to adoption of ASC 842.

The determination of whether an arrangement contains a lease and the classification of a lease, if applicable, is made at lease commencement, at which time the Company also measures and recognizes a right-of-use ("ROU") asset, representing the Company’s right to use the underlying asset, and a lease liability, representing the Company’s obligation to make lease payments under the terms of the arrangement. For the purposes of recognizing ROU assets and lease liabilities associated with the Company’s leases, the Company has elected the practical expedient to not recognize a ROU asset or lease liability for short-term leases, which are leases with a term of twelve months or less. The lease term is defined as the noncancelable portion of the lease term plus any periods covered by an option to extend the lease if it is reasonably certain that that the option will be exercised.

In determining the amount of lease payments used in measuring ROU assets and lease liabilities, the Company has elected the practical expedient not to separate non-lease components from lease components for all classes of underlying assets. Consideration considered part of the lease payments used to measure ROU assets and lease liabilities generally includes fixed payments and variable payments based on either an index or a rate. The ROU asset also includes any lease prepayments, offset by lease incentives. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The rates implicit within the Company's leases are generally not determinable, therefore, the Company's incremental borrowing rate is used to determine the present value of lease payments. The determination of the Company’s incremental borrowing rate requires judgment. Because the Company currently has no outstanding debt, the incremental borrowing rate for each lease is primarily based on publicly-available information for companies within the same industry and with similar credit profiles. The rate is then adjusted for the impact of collateralization, the lease term and other specific terms included in the Company’s lease arrangements. The incremental borrowing rate is determined at lease commencement, or as of January 1, 2019 for operating leases in existence upon adoption of ASC 842. The incremental borrowing rate is subsequently reassessed upon a modification to the lease arrangement. ROU assets are subsequently assessed for impairment in accordance with the Company’s accounting policy for long-lived assets.

Lease costs related to the Company's operating leases are generally recognized as a single ratable lease cost over the lease term.

See Note 7 for further discussion of the Company’s accounting for leases.

Long-Lived Assets, Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or asset group. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.

Goodwill is tested annually for impairment by each reporting unit on October 1 of each year or more frequently if an event or other circumstance indicates that we may not recover the carrying value of the asset. The Company may first assess qualitative factors to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount or elect to bypass such assessment. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, or the Company elects to bypass such assessment, the Company then determines the fair value of each reporting unit. The fair value of each reporting unit is compared to the carrying amount of the reporting unit. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value, then an impairment loss is recognized for the difference. 

Debt Issuance Costs

Costs incurred in connection with the issuance of long term debt are deferred and amortized as interest expense over the term of the related debt using the effective interest method for term debt and on a straight-line basis for revolving debt. To the extent that debt is outstanding, these amounts are reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as direct deductions from a combination of the current and long-term portions of debt, otherwise, they are reflected as current and long-term assets. Upon a refinancing or amendment, previously capitalized debt issuance costs are expensed and included in loss on extinguishment of debt if the Company determines that there has been a substantial modification of the related debt. If the Company determines that there has not been a substantial modification of the related debt, any previously capitalized debt issuance costs are amortized as interest expense over the term of the new debt instrument.

See Note 10 for additional information regarding the Company's revolving credit facility.

Business Combinations

The Company allocates the purchase consideration related to business combinations to the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired, and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The purchase consideration is determined based on the fair value of the assets transferred, liabilities incurred and equity interests issued, after considering any transactions that are separate from the business combination. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Such valuations require management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets and contingent liabilities. Significant estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows from acquired customer bases, acquired technology and acquired trade names, useful lives, royalty rates and discount rates. Any adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period are recorded in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.

For a given acquisition, the Company may identify certain pre-acquisition contingencies as of the acquisition date and may extend its review and evaluation of these pre-acquisition contingencies throughout the measurement period in order to obtain sufficient information to assess whether the Company includes these contingencies as a part of the fair value estimates of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and, if so, to determine their estimated amounts.

If the Company cannot reasonably determine the fair value of a pre-acquisition contingency (non-income tax related) by the end of the measurement period, which is generally the case given the nature of such matters, the Company will recognize an asset or a liability for such pre-acquisition contingency if: (i) it is probable that an asset existed or a liability had been assumed at the acquisition date and (ii) the amount of the asset or liability can be reasonably estimated. Subsequent to the measurement period, changes in the Company's estimates of such contingencies will affect earnings and could have a material effect on its results of operations and financial position.

In addition, uncertain tax positions and tax related valuation allowances assumed in connection with a business combination are initially estimated as of the acquisition date. The Company reevaluates these items based upon facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date with any adjustments to its preliminary estimates being recorded to goodwill provided that the Company is within the measurement period. Subsequent to the measurement period, changes to these uncertain tax positions and tax related valuation allowances will affect the Company's provision for income taxes in its condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and could have a material impact on its results of operations and financial position.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases, using the modified retrospective method which allows for the application of the transition provisions at the beginning of the period of adoption, rather than at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in these condensed consolidated financial statements. As permitted by the guidance, the Company elected to retain the original lease classification and historical accounting for initial direct costs for leases existing prior to the adoption date and did not reassess contracts entered into prior to the adoption date for the existence of a lease. The Company also did not recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases, which are leases in existence as of the adoption date with an original term of twelve months or less.

As a result of the adoption of the standard, the Company recognized ROU assets of $116 million, including prepaid rent and deferred rent that was reclassified and recognized as of the adoption date as a component of the ROU asset, as well as lease liabilities of $150 million, on its condensed consolidated balance sheet. The assets and liabilities recognized upon application of the transition provisions were primarily associated with existing office leases. The Company also recognized a cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings of $12 million, net of tax, as of January 1, 2019 to recognize the remaining deferred gain on the sale-leaseback of the Company's corporate headquarters building, pursuant to the guidance in ASC 842.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurements (subsequent to adoption of ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement). The ASU was issued to eliminate certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements, and add and modify other disclosure requirements, as part of its disclosure framework project, including additional requirements for public companies to disclose certain information about the significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. ASU 2018-15 requires a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to follow the internal-use software guidance in Accounting Standards Codification 350-40 to determine which implementation costs to defer and recognize as an asset. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which is designed to provide financial statement users with more information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. When determining such expected credit losses, the guidance requires companies to apply a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. This guidance is effective on a modified retrospective basis for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period. Companies may adopt the standard as early as annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.