# Data Equity Cohort member success story - Cassandra Sneed - Success story written by [Anjulie Rao](https://www.anjulierao.info) - Photos taken by [Stephanie Jensen](https://sjphotos.net) By the time real estate agent Cassandra Sneed—who is best known to her clients and peers as Ms. Cass—arrives into the office every morning, she is already knee-deep in research. "I'm on the phone talking to people, I'm checking emails, the first couple of hours of my day are really my heaviest. And that's really the time that I utilize to do my additional research," said Ms. Cass. As a broker for EXIT Strategy Realty, Ms. Cass needs to know about new developments that are coming to communities across Chicago; this information, she said, is vital to her clients’ potential investments in commercial or residential properties. Before joining the Data Equity Cohort (DEC), however, the research process was labor intensive, requiring myriad resources or publications to understand and communicate to her clients how a neighborhood might be growing or changing. As an Ambassador for the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce, she heard about the opportunity to be a part of Chicago Cityscape's Data Equity Cohort. With training on the tools provided by Cityscape and sponsored access to its services, her research process has now been streamlined.  "I was driving around South Shore. When I looked into the database, I was able to check what major developments are coming to the South Shore area and I found two major developments that are coming to the area. Normally, I would have had to sift through newspapers, through online magazines; I would have had to get 50 City of Chicago's permits, just to try to figure that out. But I clicked on the platform, looked at a map, and put a radius around the South Shore community—that information popped up with Cityscape data, access to the city of Chicago information, as well as any news articles," said Ms. Cass.  This type of rapid access to information not only saves her time, but also saves her clients money, she said, as new developments can often tip the scales when it comes to deciding whether or not to buy a home or a commercial property. Ms. Cass also uses Cityscape's [[Incentives Checker]], a tool that shows the grants, tax credits, and special loans available at every address in Chicago. This is particularly helpful when working with commercial clients to view Opportunity Zones and grant programs that can support small business owners in renovating or updating properties to suit their needs. Her clients could not only receive support to build their businesses, but in the future they could also take advantage of TIF programs or other types of funding. "I have access to certain data that allows me to help investors and buyers make a more conscious decision. It really helps me to be able to provide an entire portfolio of benefits which I would essentially have to go to maybe six or seven different websites or different platforms to get the information that I can get here on one platform," she said. The Incentives Checker can also assist her in supporting residential clients, she said, because Cityscape also includes down payment assistance information like the Micro Market Recovery Program.  Chicago Cityscape has allowed Ms. Cass to save time and energy on research, support her clients’ needs and decision-making; but what makes the platform so special, she said, was its ability to help her and other realtors shape the narrative of a neighborhood. Since joining DEC, Ms. Cass has started sending community updates to her clients that include upcoming developments and changes or additions to incentive programs, which facilitates an ongoing evolution in how residents and businesses owners approach opportunity and equity in their area. "It helps you understand that maybe I can be doing more in my community," said Ms Cass. "Even if I share some of this information, it might not result in me getting paid monetarily. But at least maybe I can start seeing some seeds being planted in certain areas where maybe they're anxious or not so excited to invest in these particular communities."