Deborah Kearns

Deborah Kearns is a freelance editor and writer with more than 15 years of experience covering real estate, mortgages and personal finance topics. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Forbes Advisor, The Associated Press, MarketWatch, USA Today, MSN and HuffPost, among others. Deborah previously held editorial leadership and writing roles at NerdWallet, Bankrate, LendingTree and RE/MAX World Headquarters.

Posts by Deborah Kearns

Zillow

Zillow Claims No Impact From Lawsuits, Google Initiative as Portal Posts 18% Revenue Growth

Zillow Group reported an 18% increase in second-quarter revenue Wednesday, topping its high-end forecast even as the online real estate giant posted a narrow net loss over the quarter, just one day after announcing 500 layoffs companywide. The results outpaced the overall 6% growth in the U.S. real estate industry over the same period a…

eXp

eXp-Parent AGNT Posts Record Revenue, Touts Rising Agent Productivity in Q2 Earnings Call

AGNT, Inc., the parent company of eXp Realty and NextHome, reported record second quarter 2026 revenue of $1.4 billion, up 11% from a year ago, as leaders credited agent productivity and AI investments for the gains. The Bellingham, Washington-based company, which rebranded from eXp World Holdings earlier this year, posted adjusted EBITDA of $25.7 million…

Homeowners

Homeowners in Black, Hispanic Neighborhoods Pay Significantly More for Home Insurance: Consumer Report

Homeowners living in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods are paying hundreds—even thousands—more per year for the same homeowners insurance coverage as homeowners in white neighborhoods, according to a new research report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). The nonprofit research and advocacy group found that the average cost of homeowners insurance rose by 24%…

CFPB

Fair Housing Groups Sue CFPB to Block New Anti-Discrimination Lending Rule

A coalition of fair housing and lending advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), challenging a new rule they say will lead to rampant discrimination in lending and roll back decades of fair housing protections. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Rise Economy, BLDS LLC and SolasAI filed the…

RESPA

How High-Profile RESPA Litigation Could Reshape Mortgage, Real Estate Referrals

When Rocket Companies and Zillow find themselves in the crosshairs of federal litigation over alleged referral kickbacks, the industry takes notice. As the headlines fixate on the big players, a quieter anxiety is building among independent mortgage bankers (IMBs) and smaller lenders who lack the firepower to go toe-to-toe in a prolonged legal battle. The…