In Real Estate, Deaf Buyers and Sellers Still Face Major Communication Barriers

Written by:

Alejandra Rodriguez

Date:

01 Jun 2026

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Roughly half a million Americans use American Sign Language as their primary language. Yet when it comes to buying or selling a home, one of the most complex financial transactions most people will ever undertake, this community has largely been left without adequate support. Equal Access Real Estate Services, known as E.A.R.S., is working to close that gap.

Founded by Emily Flemer and Sarah Jo Pharo, both nationally certified ASL interpreters, E.A.R.S. sits at the intersection of two industries its founders know well. Flemer runs Flemer Linguistics, an interpreting agency she established after years of freelance and government interpreting work. Pharo brought two decades of interpreting experience alongside a newly obtained real estate license. Together, they identified a problem the broader industry had largely overlooked: deaf homebuyers and sellers routinely navigate transactions without meaningful access to communication.

“This is a consumer base that no one’s really focused on,” says Flemer. “The sheer number of people who use sign language as their primary form of communication is a very large group that may not have access to communication to purchase a house.”

How the Model Works

E.A.R.S. operates as a nationwide referral and coordination network, covering all 50 states and parts of Canada. When a deaf buyer or seller reaches out, the team works through a tiered matching system. The first preference is connecting clients with deaf real estate agents. When that is not possible – and Pharo notes there simply are not enough deaf agents to meet demand – clients are matched with hearing agents who are either fluent in sign language or have undergone cultural training to work effectively with deaf clients and qualified interpreters.

Lender connections are part of the service as well, with a database of sign language-fluent lending professionals available to ensure the financial side of a transaction is equally accessible. The goal is a process where clients are never left writing notes back and forth or relying on unqualified stand-ins.

A recent transaction in the Charlotte, North Carolina area illustrates what that looks like in practice. A deaf first-time buyer had the financial profile to qualify for a mortgage but had never attempted the process, assuming the barriers would be too great. After connecting with E.A.R.S., she was paired with a pre-approved, sign language-fluent lender and a local agent willing to work with an interpreter throughout. Interpreters were present at key moments – in person at the closing table and via video conference for inspections and document reviews.

The buyer is now paying less on a mortgage than she was paying in rent for the past eight years. “She said, ‘I wish I had done this sooner,'” Pharo recalls.

What Happens Without Access

The consequences of inadequate communication access become most visible at closing. Pharo’s interpreting career offered a direct view into what happens when accessibility is an afterthought. Before E.A.R.S. existed, closings she interpreted routinely stretched to three hours or more. Clients were arriving at the table without having had a chance to ask basic questions about monthly payments, HOA obligations, inspection findings, or how to pay a mortgage.

By that point, the leverage is gone. Clients risk losing due diligence money if they walk away. Had they had communication access from the beginning, they would have been able to advocate for themselves throughout the process. “By that point, it’s too late,” Pharo says.

At Deaf Expos held across the country, the E.A.R.S. team has collected accounts from community members who felt taken advantage of or neglected during transactions. Most did not take formal action. The reason is consistent: they did not want to risk losing the deal.

Research conducted in partnership with a law school in the Northeast found that, while some fair housing cases involving deaf clients exist, there has been no clear-cut case of a brokerage being sued specifically for failing to provide communication access. Flemer views this as a matter of time rather than an indication that the problem is rare.

Compliance, Cost, and Industry Resistance

When E.A.R.S. began approaching major brokerages, the reception was cooler than expected. The central dispute was financial responsibility. Many brokerages argued that because agents operate as independent contractors, the cost of interpreting services fell on the agent. Flemer and Pharo pushed back, working with the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of the Deaf to clarify the legal position.

They argue that brokerages bear responsibility for communication access as a business practice, just as they would back an agent in a lawsuit. The cost should not come out of an individual agent’s commission. “It’s really the same principle,” Flemer explains. “The brokerage is responsible for those financial burdens as a business practice.”

A published NAR article on the issue marked a turning point. It did not resolve everything, but it gave E.A.R.S. a clearer foundation for conversations with brokerages that had previously declined to engage. Some of those same companies are now reaching out.

Education remains the larger challenge beyond compliance guidance. Brokerages have been known to suggest that a high school student learning sign language could volunteer to interpret at a closing – a solution that is both ethically and legally inadequate. In some states, interpreting in a real estate context is classified as a legal transaction, requiring specific state licensure and additional certification. Sending an unqualified interpreter into that setting carries real legal risk for the brokerage, not just the client.

“It’s a legal transaction. There’s legal terminology, there’s a legal process,” Pharo says. “Somebody who is learning sign language and can do their ABCs is not capable of doing a legal transaction.”

Technology Has Limits

One assumption E.A.R.S. frequently encounters is that video relay interpreting services have already solved the accessibility problem. Flemer acknowledges the value of these tools while pushing back on the idea that they are universally sufficient.

Communication preferences vary significantly within the deaf community. What works well for one client may not work for another, and that conversation needs to happen early in the process rather than being assumed. “No two clients are alike in real estate, and that applies to communication,” Flemer notes.

Where Things Stand in Mid-2026

Individual agents have been more receptive than brokerages at the institutional level. Many have their own stories of struggling to serve a deaf client without guidance or support from their managing broker. The NAR article has served as a useful entry point for those conversations.

E.A.R.S. reports roughly 20 active client referrals in process since the NAR coverage ran – a meaningful jump in a short period. The team is also moving toward formal written commitments from brokerages, something Flemer describes as a significant step forward after years of informal conversations and resistance.

For the real estate industry, the implications extend beyond one company’s referral network. As fair housing enforcement evolves and awareness grows within the deaf community, brokerages that continue to treat communication access as optional face increasing legal and reputational exposure. The question is no longer whether the obligation exists, but how long firms can avoid acting on it before consequences arrive.

About the Experts: Emily Flemer and Sarah Jo Pharo are co-founders of Equal Access Real Estate Services (E.A.R.S.), a nationwide referral and coordination network serving deaf homebuyers and sellers across all 50 states and parts of Canada. Flemer is also the founder of Flemer Linguistics, an interpreting agency, and Pharo holds two decades of ASL interpreting experience and a real estate license; both are nationally certified ASL interpreters.

This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.