Unison offers home co-investments that give homeowners a cash payment of up to 17.5% of a home's market value (up to $500,000) in exchange for a share of future home appreciation or depreciation. The product is not debt: there are no monthly payments or interest, and repayment occurs when the home is sold or after 30 years. The company positions this as an alternative to cash-out refinances and home equity loans, enabling liquidity for retirement, debt payoff, home improvements, and other uses. Unison says institutional investors are backing the product to gain exposure to owner-occupied residential real estate as an asset class. The firm reports Unison Investment Management has invested in almost 8,000 homes across 30 states and the District of Columbia and manages over $1 billion in assets. To scale origination and capital-raising, Unison recently added senior hires to its investment management team. Unison provides equity-based co-investment partnerships to homebuyers and homeowners through its HomeBuyer and HomeOwner products, offering cash without monthly payments or interest. In 2018 the company reported 370% year-over-year revenue growth, 308% year-over-year growth in customer transactions, and $2.42 billion in total value of co-invested U.S. residential real estate as of Q4 2018. Its model is positioned to unlock access to institutional investment in U.S. residential equity and cites a $15 trillion addressable equity market. During 2018 Unison expanded into nine additional states to reach operations in 22 states plus Washington, D.C., and launched a “5% Down Program” in partnership with Valley Bank and Goldwater Bank. The company doubled headcount to over 100 full-time employees and made several senior hires and a board addition, signaling scale-up of operations. Unison emphasizes its equity partnership approach as an alternative to debt-based home financing. Unison Home Ownership Investors, based in San Francisco, offers long-term shared‑equity home financing that lets homeowners trade a portion of future home-value appreciation (or depreciation) for upfront capital. Its investments carry no interest charges and require no monthly payments, and the shared‑value arrangement can last up to 30 years. The company is led by Jim Riccitelli and Thomas Sponholtz. As of the article, Unison is offering its home ownership investments in 13 states and planned further geographic expansion in 2017. The company received an investment from Ron Suber, president of Prosper Marketplace, who also joined the company in a significant advisory role. Suber intends to use his relationships with marketplace lenders, mortgage companies, realtor groups and banks to grow the home ownership investment category.

Total raised

$250M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jun 2021