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Costar Group, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 24 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 7 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year revenue grew 19%: Full-year 2025 revenue was $3.2 billion, up 19% from $2.7 billion in 2024. Source
  • Net income $7 million after deal costs: Full-year net income was $7 million, affected by acquisition costs; diluted EPS was $0.02. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 83% for the year: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $442 million, up 83% from $241 million in 2024. Source
  • Commercial Adjusted EBITDA grew: Commercial Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA was $177 million in Q4, up from $162 million, and $672 million for the year, up from $602 million. Source
  • Homes.com network scale: Management describes the Homes.com Network as reaching 108 million average monthly unique visitors in 2025, with over 2.1 billion views. Source
  • Stock compensation and deal costs rose: Stock-based compensation was $194 million, up from $89 million; acquisition and integration costs in operations were $63 million, up from $29 million. Source
  • Acquisitions drove cash decline: Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, was $2,347 million in 2025 against $277 million in 2024; net cash used in investing activities was $2,816 million. Source
  • January guidance affirmed: Management affirmed the full-year 2026 guidance issued January 7, 2026 rather than revising it. Source

“With our 59th consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth and Adjusted EBITDA surging 83% year-over- year, CoStar Group is entering a period of significant earnings acceleration,”

Andy Florance, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CoStar Group

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$3.78 billion to $3.82 billionKept
Revenue SourceFirst quarter 2026$890 million to $900 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$740 million to $800 million; margin of about 20% at the midpointKept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFirst quarter 2026$95 million to $115 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA by segment SourceFull year 2026Commercial Real Estate $650 million to $680 million; Residential Real Estate $90 million to $120 millionNew
Adjusted EPS SourceFull year 2026$1.22 to $1.33 on 416 million diluted sharesKept
Adjusted EPS SourceFirst quarter 2026$0.16 to $0.19 on 419 million diluted sharesNew
Diluted EPS (GAAP) SourceFull year 2026$0.44 to $0.55New
Stock-based compensation and amortization SourceFull year 2026Stock-based compensation expense $170 million; amortization of acquired intangible assets $251 millionNew
Non-GAAP tax rate SourceFull year 2026 and first quarter 202626%Kept
Share repurchases Source2026$700 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Segments changed from geography-based to product portfolio-based, now Commercial and Residential, with prior periods recast. Source
  • New: Homes AI was launched; management called it the most sophisticated vertical AI application in real estate. Source
  • New: The measure previously called non-GAAP net income is now Adjusted Net Income, and non-GAAP EPS is now Adjusted EPS. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EPS guidance is unchanged from prior guidance. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Full-year revenue grew 19%: Full-year 2025 revenue was $3.2 billion, up 19% from $2.7 billion in 2024. Source
  • Net income $7 million after deal costs: Full-year net income was $7 million, affected by acquisition costs; diluted EPS was $0.02. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 83% for the year: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $442 million, up 83% from $241 million in 2024. Source
  • Fourth-quarter Adjusted EPS was $0.31: Fourth-quarter Adjusted EPS was $0.31, up 19%; Adjusted Net Income was $131 million, up 24%; Adjusted EBITDA was $177 million, up 58%. Source
  • Q4 figures against October range: The October range for fourth-quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $150 million to $160 million; the reported figure was $177 million.

Segment revenue and profit

  • Revenue split by product: Commercial Real Estate revenue was $471 million in Q4, up from $391 million; Residential Real Estate revenue was $429 million, up from $318 million. Source
  • Commercial Adjusted EBITDA grew: Commercial Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA was $177 million in Q4, up from $162 million, and $672 million for the year, up from $602 million. Source
  • Residential loss narrowed sharply: Residential Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA was nil in Q4 against a $50 million loss a year earlier, and a $230 million loss for 2025 against $361 million. Source
  • Other commercial revenue rose: Other Commercial Real Estate revenue was $62 million in Q4 against $22 million, and $216 million for 2025 against $77 million; the documents do not give the drivers. Source

“Our Adjusted EBITDA margins are expected to increase throughout the year based on the timing of our marketing spend and the seasonality of revenue for Domain”

Chris Lown, CFO of CoStar Group

Products, customers and bookings

  • Homes.com network scale: Management describes the Homes.com Network as reaching 108 million average monthly unique visitors in 2025, with over 2.1 billion views. Source
  • Run rate and annual contracts: Homes.com annual run rate revenue was nearly $100 million, with 76% of agent subscriptions on annual contracts. Source
  • Net new bookings reached $308 million: Net new bookings for the year were $308 million, which the release describes as a record. Source

Operating costs and amortization

  • Operating expenses rose: Selling and marketing expense was $1,560 million, up from $1,364 million; software development was $406 million and G&A $549 million, up from $439 million. Source
  • Stock compensation and deal costs rose: Stock-based compensation was $194 million, up from $89 million; acquisition and integration costs in operations were $63 million, up from $29 million. Source
  • Customer base amortization rose: Customer base amortization was $42 million in Q4 against $13 million, and $118 million for 2025 against $44 million. Source

Cash, balance sheet and share count

  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash from operating activities was $430 million for 2025, up from $393 million. Source
  • Acquisitions drove cash decline: Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, was $2,347 million in 2025 against $277 million in 2024; net cash used in investing activities was $2,816 million. Source
  • Campus spending lower: Purchases for new campuses were $307 million, down from $579 million; other property purchases were $82 million against $59 million. Source
  • Litigation accrual on balance sheet: A $99 million litigation accrual appears on the December 31, 2025 balance sheet, against none a year earlier. Source
  • Goodwill and intangibles increased: Goodwill rose to $4,944 million from $2,528 million, and intangible assets, net, to $1,771 million from $433 million. Source
  • Diluted share count increased: Weighted-average diluted shares were 420.7 million for 2025, up from 407.8 million; 419.6 million in Q4 against 408.4 million. Source

2026 guidance affirmed and framed

  • January guidance affirmed: Management affirmed the full-year 2026 guidance issued January 7, 2026 rather than revising it. Source
  • First-quarter ranges issued: First-quarter 2026 ranges were issued for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS, alongside the full-year ranges. Source
  • Non-GAAP tax rate held at 26%: Adjusted figures assume an estimated non-GAAP tax rate of 26% for full year 2026 and for the first quarter of 2026. Source

Coming up, as management said on 24 February 2026

  • Homes AI to deploy across platforms: Management intends to deploy the Homes AI capability across every platform in its portfolio. Source
  • Guidance update at next quarterly results: Management does not intend to update its forward-looking statements, other than in public statements, until the next quarterly results announcement. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Homes.com agent subscribers Sourceover 31,000
CoStar websites average monthly unique visitors, Q4 2025 Sourceover 139 million

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Adjusted EBITDA margin phasing depends on the timing of marketing spend and the seasonality of Domain revenue. Source
  • Financial: Acquisition costs from Matterport and Domain were cited as affecting 2025 net income. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The company completed the $500 million share repurchase program in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • Not stated: Management said the heavy work of the Homes.com national brand launch is finished. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.