EasyKnock: Customer Reviews and How It Works

EasyKnock reviews | EasyKnock vs. competition | EasyKnock costs | Who should use EasyKnock? | Is EasyKnock legit? | How does EasyKnock work? | FAQs

EasyKnock uses the value of your home to give you cash. You can use the cash to buy a new home or to pay for other expenses. The company is often confused with another real estate service called Knock, but they're two separate services.

EasyKnock buys your home from you and pays you cash first, instead of using the home's value to give you a loan, like other buy before you sell services do.

EasyKnock offers three ways to buy your home. These services, known as sale-leaseback, cost 3.49–3.99% of the purchase price, or a minimum of $5,000.

With MoveAbility, it'll pay you up to 85% of your equity upfront, and then you can rent your home for 12 months until EasyKnock sells it — and you'll get the difference in price if the home has gone up in value.

If you choose the Sell & Stay program, you'll also get up to 85% of your home's value along with a 12-month rental period, but you have the option of buying your home back from EasyKnock.

Finally, the ReLease program gives you 90% of your home's value along with a 24-month lease. You won't get any extra value when EasyKnock sells your home.

But the real cost of using EasyKnock is the huge bite it takes out of your home's equity (the amount of the home you've actually paid off) in the initial payment. EasyKnock only gives you 75–90% of your home's equity up front, compared to a traditional sale or other services that give you access to 100% of the equity when you sell. Plus, you'll have to start making rent payments immediately, which could actually be more expensive than the original mortgage payment. If you fall behind on rent, you could be evicted.

EasyKnock is sold as an option for people who have less than perfect credit who aren't able to get a loan for a new home. But the reduced initial cash payment and threat of losing your home could make a bad financial situation worse. If you have a healthy credit score, we think services like Orchard and Knock are a better way to buy before you sell.

Many customer reviews had positive things to say about EasyKnock's services, but a handful of customers felt cheated, suggesting that EasyKnock is not always clear about how the service works or the fact that you're agreeing to sell your home for a steep discount at first, with the potential to recover the rest of the equity after selling.

EasyKnock vs. the competition

EasyKnock doesn't work the same way as other buy before you sell companies.

Most buy before you sell services like Knock, Orchard, and Homeward help you move from one home to another with speed in mind. With these companies, it's possible to make an offer on a new home in a few weeks, then sell your old home within another few weeks, and be done with both transactions.

EasyKnock is more appropriate if you want to remain in your current home as long as possible, with cash in hand to make an offer whenever you're ready.

The company doesn't provide any support to help you find a new home, either. Other buy before you sell services want to get you in your new home first and then focus on selling the current home. This incentivizes those companies to try to sell your old home quickly, because that's how they get the loan paid back.

EasyKnock, on the other hand, only focuses on one transaction — purchasing your home. With its MoveAbility program, you have the option to direct EasyKnock to sell your home anytime in the 12 months after it buys the home. But EasyKnock doesn't really have any incentive to sell the home quickly on the open market, because it already owns it.

Benefits of EasyKnock

EasyKnock's MoveAbility program gives you up to 12 months to find a new home. You have plenty of time to close on the new home and move out. There's no need to rent storage or find somewhere to live in between houses.

The company works with people who have less than perfect credit, which might prevent some from getting a good deal on a home loan to buy another house. However, it's important to note you don't need to have good credit to sell your home on the open market.

With the Sell & Stay program, you have the ability to buy the home back from EasyKnock. As long as you're up to date on rent payments, you can potentially sell the home later for more than EasyKnock paid for it and get the extra money, if the home goes up in value.

Drawbacks of EasyKnock

Selling to EasyKnock might seem fast, but the company says it still takes 2–4 weeks to close, which isn't much quicker than a traditional sale once you find a buyer. And you only get 75–90% of your equity in the home, compared to 100% from a traditional sale.

EasyKnock's fees of 3.49–3.99% are less than the 5–6% you'd pay in agent commission, but it won't make up for the big cut to the initial payout from the sale.

You also risk being evicted if you fall behind on your rent payments. Once you sell to EasyKnock, you go from homeowner to tenant. Even though you get a large lump sum of cash at first, you'll still need to make monthly rent payments equal to about 0.75% of the home's market value. These payments could end up being more than the mortgage payments.

If you can't make the rent payments, EasyKnock will initiate eviction proceedings. Depending on local and state laws, it may be easier for EasyKnock to evict you as a tenant than it would've been for a bank to foreclose on the home for missing mortgage payments.

EasyKnock doesn't help you find a new home. Other buy before you sell companies have a support network to help you find homes and make cash offers. EasyKnock's business model focuses only on buying your home from you — you're on your own after that.

Another perk of most buy before you sell services is that you can be all moved out of the home before it's time to list and show it to potential buyers. But with EasyKnock, you'll have to remain in the home while it's on the market, always keeping it ready for a tour.

Who should use EasyKnock?

EasyKnock is a good solution for people who really want to stay in their home for a long period of time while they shop for a new home, but the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

The company presents the service as perfect for people who need money quickly but don't have good enough credit to get a loan.

If you're in financial trouble but have a lot of equity in your home, EasyKnock could allow you to access a large amount of cash without worrying about being denied a loan.

But if you have enough equity built up in your home to make EasyKnock worth it, there are other ways to use that value to find a new home.

Alternatives to EasyKnock

There are better ways to use the equity in your home than selling to EasyKnock. Here are a few ideas:

• Sell the home on the open market with an agent. You'll pay a little more in commission for the listing agent and the buyer's agent — about 5–6% total — but you'll get 100% of your home's equity after closing, not 75–90% with an option to get the rest later.
• Use a buy before you sell service, like Knock, Orchard, or Homeward. These companies have fees that might end up being a little more expensive than typical closing costs, but you'll be able to find your new home before you sell your current one, and then maximize how much you get for the old home on the open market.
• Sell to an iBuyer. If you don't want your home to sit on the market forever, companies like Offerpad and Opendoor will buy the home from you, paying close to market value.
• Use a discount agent. Our partners at Clever Real Estate can help you find an agent who can sell your home for just 1.5% in commission, leading to thousands of dollars in savings.

Is EasyKnock legit?

EasyKnock is a legitimate company offering residential sale-leaseback services to homeowners.

The company saw its customer base grow 200% from 2020 to 2021. It secured $57 million in funding in February 2022. ^[1]

EasyKnock lawsuit

In November 2021, EasyKnock sued a Texas law firm that had leveled complaints about EasyKnock on the firm's website, including allegations of "predatory lending tactics," "false and misleading practices," and "widespread violations of the Truth in Lending act."^[2] In February 2021, a judge dismissed EasyKnock's suit, saying the law firm's statements were protected speech.^[3]

Where does EasyKnock operate?

EasyKnock says it "operate[s] in most states but cannot service every market." The company says the best way to find out if it can serve you is to fill out a qualification form.

EasyKnock reviews from customers

EasyKnock has an average rating of 4.4 across 146 reviews on the Better Business Bureau website and Trustpilot.

The reviews for EasyKnock are very positive. On Trustpilot, 86% are 5-star reviews, and only 5% of customers gave 1 star. There are a few more negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, but it still averages above four stars overall.

People generally seem pleased with the service they get from EasyKnock, and they specifically mention how attentive the customer service team is.

Customer pleased with smooth transactions and no surprises

This customer says that everything with EasyKnock went exactly as planned and the customer service team was on top of everything. They even got additional money due to the value of the home rising when they opted to sell on the open market.

Customer used EasyKnock to solve mortgage forbearance problems

The ideal EasyKnock customer is someone who's in a difficult financial situation and needs cash quickly.

This customer had a mortgage in forbearance, which means that the lender agreed to temporarily pause payments due so they can get their finances in order. But when the forbearance ended and the mortgage was due, they turned to EasyKnock to help them stay in their home.

Some customers feel cheated, unclear about how EasyKnock works

Of the one-star reviews on the BBB website, the negative experiences seem to stem from the fact that the customer didn't fully understand how the service worked.

While most other customers who gave positive feedback seemed to understand the transaction, more than a few were surprised to find out they weren't actually getting a home equity loan, but instead selling their house for a deep discount, at least initially. These complaints, along with other allegations of misleading practices, should concern you if you're considering EasyKnock.

How does EasyKnock work?

Get cash for a new home without moving with MoveAbility

EasyKnock's MoveAbility program gives you cash to use on a new home without moving out of your current home.

Here's how it works:

• EasyKnock buys your home from you, but will only pay you up to 85% of your equity in cash up front. You can use this cash to make a strong offer on a new home. EasyKnock says it will take about two to four weeks to close, after which your rent payments start.
• You can stay in your home, paying market-rate rent to EasyKnock, for up to 12 months while you shop for a new home, then coordinate closing on the new home and moving. If you fall behind on rent payments, EasyKnock will initiate eviction proceedings.
• With the MoveAbility program, you do not have the ability to repurchase the home from EasyKnock, so you need to find a new home and be all moved out by the end of the 12-month lease.
• You have the option to direct EasyKnock to sell your home at any time before the 12 months are up. If you are up to date on your rent payments, you'll be eligible to receive the difference in price if the home has gone up in value since you sold it to EasyKnock.

Get cash by selling to EasyKnock with its Sell & Stay program

EasyKnock's Sell & Stay program is a way for homeowners to access the equity in their home by selling it to EasyKnock. Unlike MoveAbility, the Sell & Stay gives you the option to purchase the home back from EasyKnock, although the buyback option is not available in all states.

Here's how it works:

• EasyKnock will buy your home and rent it back to you, initially for a 12-month period, but available to renew indefinitely with a renewal fee.
• You'll sell your home to EasyKnock. You'll get 75–85% of the home's value at closing, which takes about 2–4 weeks. The remainder of the home's value is set aside in case you want to repurchase the home or direct EasyKnock to sell on the open market.
• You'll have the ability to sell the home on the open market, potentially earning more on the sale if the home appreciates in value. You can control the timing on the sale of the home.
• If you buy back the home, you'll pay EasyKnock exactly what it paid you initially. If the home is sold on the open market for more than what EasyKnock paid, you get the difference. You must be current on your rent payments to be eligible for appreciation, and if you default on the lease, you can lose your right to sell the property.
  • However, you'll take the loss if the home goes down in value.
  • You'll also owe EasyKnock accrued expenses and fees, such as the cost of initial repairs, back taxes, HOA fees, and closing costs.

Get the maximum amount of cash with ReLease

EasyKnock's ReLease program is for homeowners who just want the maximum amount of money from their home and aren't concerned about moving anytime soon.

Here's how it works:

• After a 2–4-week closing process, you'll sell the home to EasyKnock and get up to 90% of the home's value.
• You'll initially have a 24-month lease. After that period is up, you can direct EasyKnock to sell the home on the open market and move or renew your lease.
• If you direct EasyKnock to sell the home, you won't get any of the extra value the home has gained over time — EasyKnock will take that value along with the remaining 10% from the initial transaction. You will have effectively paid 13.49–13.99% or more to lease your own home and given up any increase in value.

How much does EasyKnock cost?

The real cost of using EasyKnock is tying up the equity in your home in between selling it to EasyKnock and opting to sell it on the open market. When EasyKnock buys your home, you'll only get 75–90% of your equity up front. Even if you get the remainder of the equity later when EasyKnock sells, that's a huge premium to pay for cash up front.

Most other methods of selling your home give you 100% of that equity immediately after closing.

Plus, you'll be paying market-rate rent after you sell to EasyKnock, which could be higher than the mortgage payment you had when you owned the home.

EasyKnock fees

EasyKnock will also make you pay for repairs a home inspection deems necessary, taking the cost out of your proceeds.

Frequently asked questions about EasyKnock

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