Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. Investments in entities where the Company does not have a controlling interest are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. These investments were initially recorded at cost and were subsequently adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of the investment’s income (loss) and additional contributions or distributions. All inter-company accounts and transactions among the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation.

Codification and Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Effective July 1, 2009, the Company adopted the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance related to the Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). This guidance identifies the sources of accepted accounting principles and the framework for selecting the principles used in the preparation of financial statements of nongovernmental entities that are presented in conformity with GAAP in the United States (the GAAP hierarchy).

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued Operations

In April 2011, the Company determined that all operational and litigation related activities associated with the prior ownership and development of residential real estate, including certain general and administrative costs that supported the related operations, should be presented as a discontinued operation. As a result of this determination and the fact that these operations and cash flows were clearly distinguished, the operating results of the discontinued segment and related general and administrative costs were aggregated for separate presentation apart from continuing operating results of the Company in the consolidated financial statements for all periods presented. Discontinued operations were completed as of December 31, 2015, therefore there were no discontinued operations activities during the year ended December 31, 2016.

Variable Interests

Variable Interests

The Company evaluates its investments and subsidiaries to determine if an entity is a voting interest entity or a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company performs this analysis on an ongoing basis, or as circumstances change. The Company does not have any VIEs in the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all demand and money market accounts and short term investments in government funds with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash and cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivables are recorded at invoiced amounts and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects the Company’s assessment of collectability of outstanding receivables after consideration of the age of a receivable, customer payment history and other current events or economic factors that could affect a customer’s ability to make payments.

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment

The Company capitalizes costs for the purchase of furniture, fixtures and equipment that have an expected useful life beyond one year. Depreciation expense is calculated on a straight-line basis over the determined useful life of the asset, generally between three and ten years. Depreciation expense is charged to general and administrative expenses and aggregated approximately $707,000, $429,000 and $383,000 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Intangible Assets, Amortization and Impairment

Intangible Assets, Amortization and Impairment

Website Development Costs

The Company expenses all internet website costs incurred during the preliminary project stage. Thereafter, all direct external and internal development and implementation costs are capitalized and amortized using the straight-line method over their remaining estimated useful lives, not exceeding three years. Amortization expense for all capitalized website development costs is charged to product development expense.

Database Costs

The Company capitalizes costs for the development of its database in connection with the identification and addition of new real estate properties and sale transactions which provide a future economic benefit. Amortization is calculated on a straight-line basis over a three or five year period. Costs of updating and maintaining information on existing properties in the database are expensed as incurred. Amortization expense for all capitalized database costs is charged to cost of sales.

Customer Relationships

The value ascribed to customer relationships acquired at the time of the Merger is amortized over 15 years on an accelerated basis and is charged to sales and marketing expense.

Lease Value

The value ascribed to the below market terms of the office lease existing at the time of the Merger was amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the acquired office lease. During 2016 this ascribed value was fully amortized. Amortization expense was charged to general and administrative expenses.

Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment

Goodwill and a major portion of the other intangible assets were recorded at the time of the Merger. As a result of the tax treatment of the Merger, goodwill and the acquired intangible assets are not deductible for income tax purposes.

Goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment at least annually, or after a triggering event has occurred, requiring such a calculation. A qualitative assessment can be utilized to determine if a more detailed two step calculation is required. If the qualitative assessment results in a determination that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further evaluation would be necessary. If, after performing the qualitative assessment, the Company determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then the first step of the two step test would be necessary. The first step is a comparison of the estimated fair value of the reporting unit to which the goodwill has been assigned with the reporting unit’s carrying value. The fair values used in this evaluation would be estimates based upon market projections for the reporting unit. These market projections would utilize a number of estimates and assumptions, such as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples, market comparisons, and quoted market prices. If the fair value of the reporting unit were to exceed its carrying value, goodwill would not be deemed to be impaired. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, a second step would be required to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill by deducting the fair value of all tangible and intangible net assets of the reporting unit from the fair value of the reporting unit. The Company utilized the qualitative assessment for its 2016, 2015 and 2014 evaluations. There was no goodwill impairment identified in 2016, 2015 or 2014.

Intangible assets, with determinable useful lives, are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives using a method of amortization that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed or otherwise used. In addition, the carrying amount of amortizable intangible assets are reviewed when indicators of impairment are present. If estimated future undiscounted net cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset, the asset would be considered impaired. An impairment charge would be determined by comparing the estimated fair value of the intangible asset to its carrying value, with any shortfall from fair value recognized as an expense in the current period. There was no intangible asset impairment identified in 2016, 2015 or 2014.

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs consist of costs incurred to obtain financing or financing commitments and are included in prepaid and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Such costs are amortized by the Company over the expected term of the respective agreements.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

The current accounting literature provides for a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels are defined as follows:

• Level 1 - inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;

• Level 2 - inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument; and

• Level 3 - inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

During the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company had no assets or liabilities valued using the valuation hierarchy.

Revenue Recognition and Related Items

Revenue Recognition and Related Items

The Company’s subscription revenue is derived principally from subscriptions to its web-based services for its Reis SE product and is recognized as revenue ratably over the related contractual period, which is typically one year but can be as long as 48 months. Revenue from Reis Portfolio CRE for contracts entered into prior to September 16, 2015, and in 2014 represents the Company’s 50% share of the value of the subscription and is recognized as revenue ratably over the related contractual period consistent with the treatment for the Reis SE product. Revenue from Reis Portfolio CRE contracts entered into after September 16, 2015 represents the Company’s 100% share of the value of the subscription as a result of the purchase of the intellectual property of the Reis Portfolio CRE product and is recognized as revenue ratably over the related contractual period consistent with the treatment for the Reis SE product. Multiple contracts executed with one customer are accounted for as separate arrangements. Revenues from ReisReports are recognized monthly as billed for monthly subscribers, or recognized as revenue ratably over the related contractual period for subscriptions in excess of one month.

The Company’s other revenue includes non-subscription revenue such as (1) non-subscription custom data deliverables or (2) one-time settlements. Revenues from ad-hoc and non-subscription custom reports or projects are recognized upon completion and delivery to the customers, provided that no significant Company obligations remain. Revenues from settlements for prior unlicensed usage is recognized at the time of the settlement when collectability is reasonably assured.

Deferred revenue represents the portion of a subscription billed or collected in advance under the terms of the respective contract, which will be recognized in future periods. If a customer does not meet the payment obligations of a contract, any related accounts receivable and deferred revenue are written off at that time and the net amount, after considering any recovery of accounts receivable, is charged to cost of sales.

Cost of sales of subscription revenue principally consists of salaries and related expenses for the Company’s researchers who collect, analyze and maintain the commercial real estate data that is the basis for the Company’s information services. Additionally, cost of sales includes expenses from the amortization of the database intangible asset.

Interest revenue is recorded on an accrual basis.

Share Based Compensation

Share Based Compensation

The fair market value as of the grant date of awards of stock, restricted stock units or stock options is recognized as compensation expense by the Company over the respective vesting periods.

See Note 8 for activity with respect to stock options and restricted stock units.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based upon differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities, and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are estimated to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances with respect to deferred income tax assets are recorded when deemed appropriate and adjusted based upon periodic evaluations.

The Company evaluates its tax positions in accordance with applicable current accounting literature. Recognition of uncertain tax positions (step one) occurs when an enterprise concludes that a tax position, based solely on its technical merits, is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination. Measurement (step two) determines the amount of benefit that more likely than not will be realized upon settlement. Derecognition of a tax position that was previously recognized would occur when a company subsequently determines that a tax position no longer meets the more likely than not threshold of being sustained, statutes close or there is a satisfactory resolution of the tax position.

See Note 6 for more information regarding income taxes.

Per Share Data

Per Share Data

Basic earnings per common share is computed based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is based upon the increased number of common shares that would be outstanding assuming the exercise of dilutive common share options and the consideration of restricted stock awards. The following table details the computation of earnings per common share, basic and diluted:

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Numerator for basic per share calculation:
Income from continuing operations for basic calculation	$	2,780,642	$	8,070,983	$	4,616,385
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income tax (benefit)		—		2,234,000		(569,263	)
Net income for basic calculation	$	2,780,642	$	10,304,983	$	4,047,122
Numerator for diluted per share calculation:
Income from continuing operations	$	2,780,642	$	8,070,983	$	4,616,385
Adjustments to income from continuing operations for the statement of operations impact of dilutive securities		—		—		(136,563	)
Income from continuing operations for dilution calculation		2,780,642		8,070,983		4,479,822
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense (benefit)		—		2,234,000		(569,263	)
Net income for dilution calculation	$	2,780,642	$	10,304,983	$	3,910,559
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares – basic		11,305,110		11,226,932		11,086,690
Effect of dilutive securities:
RSUs		138,077		142,949		169,813
Stock options		302,329		336,614		336,576
Weighted average common shares – diluted		11,745,516		11,706,495		11,593,079
Per common share amounts – basic:
Income from continuing operations	$	0.25	$	0.72	$	0.42
Income (loss) from discontinued operations		—		0.20		(0.05	)
Net income	$	0.25	$	0.92	$	0.37
Per common share amounts – diluted:
Income from continuing operations	$	0.24	$	0.69	$	0.39
Income (loss) from discontinued operations		—		0.19		(0.05	)
Net income	$	0.24	$	0.88	$	0.34

Potentially dilutive securities include all stock based awards. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, certain equity awards were antidilutive.

Estimates

Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

From time to time, the Company has been, is or may in the future be a defendant in various legal actions arising in the normal course of business. The Company records a provision for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The outcome of any litigation is uncertain; it is possible that a judgment in any legal actions to which the Company is a party, or which are proposed or threatened, will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial statements. See Note 9.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. Under ASU 2014-09, an entity will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects what it expects in exchange for the goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures and as of the date of this report has not determined the method of adoption.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”). ASU 2014-15 defines management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an organization’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company adopted ASU 2014-15 in the three months ended December 31, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2014-15 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810), Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (“ASU 2015-02”). ASU 2015-02 makes changes to both the variable interest model and the voting model. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted ASU 2015-02 as of January 1, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-02 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the pending adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASU 2016-09”). Under ASU 2016-09, entities will be required to recognize the income tax effects of awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The guidance on employers’ accounting for (1) an employee’s use of shares to satisfy the employer’s statutory income tax withholding obligation and (2) forfeitures is also changing. For public business entities, ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those years. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 as of

January 1, 2017, which will include (1) recording an additional deferred tax asset on the balance sheet (as of December 31, 2016, the corresponding amount was approximately $657,000) and (2) the recording of a cumulative effect change to equity in 2017 related to the prior treatment of estimated forfeitures as the Company has elected to record forfeitures in the period in which they occur. Other than the items identified, the Company does not believe that adoption of ASU 2016-09 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows-Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 clarifies how cash receipts and cash payments in certain transactions are presented in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-15 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash, a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force (“ASU 2016-18”). ASU 2016-18 intends to address the diversity in practice that exists in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. The amendments require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-18 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations: Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017-01”). ASU 2017-01 provides a criteria to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities (a “set”) is not a business and narrows the definition of the term output so that it is consistent with the description of outputs in Topic 606. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is only permitted for transactions that have not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2017-01 will have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Reclassification

Reclassification

Amounts in certain accounts, as presented in the consolidated statements of operations, the condensed balance sheet data and condensed operating data in Note 3 have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. In particular, the Company has (1) changed its presentation of revenue to include two categories: subscription revenue and other revenue, and (2) changed its segment presentation to combine the previously separately disclosed discontinued operations segment with the Other segment.