Knock Bridge Loan Review: Is It a Good Deal?

If you need funds to buy a new house before selling your current one, Knock real estate brokerage offers an option that may be helpful. Through a Knock Bridge Loan™, you can access a portion of your home equity to put toward a down payment, renovations, or other expenses related to buying and selling your property.

Homeowners and realtors report a positive experience with Knock, citing the company’s convenient process and excellent customer service. They also said that Knock’s guaranteed backup offer gives them peace of mind in case their home doesn’t sell.

But not all properties will qualify, and the backup offer tends to be well below the full market value. You’ll also have to pay program fees and extra closing costs, which could make this a more expensive option than a traditional transaction.

However, unlike some of the alternatives, Knock lets you choose your own agent — which can give you both savings (if you shop around for competitive commission rates) and peace of mind while navigating a complicated trade-in process.

Knock summary

What is Knock?

The Knock Bridge Loan — formerly called Knock Home Swap — lets you access up to $500,000 of your home’s equity to buy a new home. The service is ideal if you need to move before you can sell your current house. It’s also good if you:

• Need to move quickly
• Can’t make repairs on your current home
• Don’t want to live in your house while it’s on the market
• Don’t want to miss out on your dream home

Knock’s services offer flexibility in how you use the loaned money and who you use to sell your home. But these conveniences come with tradeoffs.

Knock pros and cons

A Knock Bridge Loan may streamline the buy-before-you-sell process, but is it worth it? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros

✅ You can make a more competitive offer

You can use some or all of the Knock Bridge Loan to make a cash offer on a new house. This can make your offer more competitive — and more likely to be accepted — in a hot market.

✅ Use the loan to cover multiple expenses

In addition to a cash offer, the Knock Bridge Loan can be used for multiple expenses, such as:

• A down payment on a new home
• Closing costs
• Covering Knock’s fees
• Up to six months of mortgage payments on your current home
• Moving expenses
• Repairs as you get your house ready to sell (up to $35,000 of the loan)
• Paying off debts that improve your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio

✅ You get to choose your own realtor

While some buy-before-you-sell programs make you use their agents, Knock lets you work with the realtor of your choice. This enables you to save money by working with a low-commission realtor or negotiating a reduced fee if they help you with both transactions.

✅ Knock has a guaranteed backup offer

If your home doesn’t sell within six months, Knock will buy it from you. You’ll agree upon the Purchase Offer upfront, giving you peace of mind that your house will sell one way or another.

Cons

❌ There’s a limit to how much you can borrow

The loan amount is based on the value of your home, your current mortgage balance, and how much you need to buy your new house. The loan can’t exceed $500,000.

❌ Homes in poor condition won’t qualify

Not every home will qualify for Knock’s program. Ineligible properties include:

• Mobile homes
• Manufactured homes
• Multi-family properties
• Deed-restricted properties
• Homes with substantial foundation or water damage
• Homes in poor condition overall
• Condos considered non-warrantable or located in an unserviceable area

The maximum listing price[1] is $1.5 million for homes in most markets and $2.5 million for high-cost areas in California and Washington.

❌ The backup offer is typically less than market value

While Knock’s backup Purchase Offer gives you a sense of security, it’s typically only about 80% of your home’s fair market value. So, if your house is worth $500,000, Knock will offer you around $400,000 at most.

❌ The loan must be repaid as a single payment

You’ll pay no interest on the Knock Bridge Loan for six months, but then it will start to accrue. When your loan is due, you’ll have to repay it in a single payment. That means that if your loan is for $200,000, you’ll need to pay back $200,000 plus any interest or fees all at once.

Knock reviews

Source	Average Rating	Review Count
BBB	5.0/5	51
Trustpilot	4.8/5	142
Zillow	4.8/5	761
Weighted Average:	4.8/5	954

Knock has overwhelmingly positive reviews with clients, earning an average of 4.81 out of 5 across the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Zillow.

Knock reviews suggest that the bridge loan service makes buying before selling an easy and convenient process. Customers praise the company’s knowledgeable agents and excellent customer service.

It’s important to note that Knock responds to every review, good and bad. In several cases, the company has contacted the customer directly to resolve the issue.

✅ ‘The Knock process was easy, quick’

Numerous reviewers said Knock provided a quick process that made it easy to buy a new home before selling their old one.

“A Knock loan allowed our busy family to make an offer on the house we wanted before selling our then-current home, move on our own timeline, and wait for the best offer on our former home. The Knock process was easy, quick, and the communication and service (were) great! The process was seamless beginning to end.” — Angela M., 7/25/2025, Trustpilot

✅ ‘Greatly alleviated financial pressure’

Another common theme among Knock reviews was that the bridge loan’s flexibility took the stress away from having to cover the many expenses that come with buying and selling a house.

“I want everyone who reads this to understand how their efficiency can make a significant difference during what can be an unnerving and stressful time. I was particularly impressed with the included features, especially the ability to have my mortgage payments covered while I await the sale of my previous home. This feature provided immense peace of mind and greatly alleviated financial pressure.” — Merle W., 5/29/2025, Trustpilot

✅ ‘They were responsive, friendly, helpful’

Many previous Knock customers also said the company’s staff provides excellent and timely customer service.

“The Knock team went above and beyond to help secure financing for a new home, when the old home hadn’t sold yet. C******** and her team were amazing every step of the way. I cannot say enough great things about Knock. They were responsive, friendly, helpful, and just generally did everything possible to help a stressful situation. Way to go, Knock. I’ll recommend you to everyone!” — athena marie 303, 5/3/2024, Zillow

❌ ‘Do not trust this company’

A few unhappy customers said Knock’s valuation of their homes was inaccurate, leading to a loss of time and money.

“Do not trust this company. Before we signed a contract, they told me that the value of my house was $370,000, that they have a proprietary algorithm that they use to determine an adequate price of the property. We listed the house for $377,000. Our realtor agent did an independent appraisal that came to $340,000. And when we had our first offer for $377,000, the FHA bank sent an appraiser (who) came back (with) a low $325,000. It took us six months to sell the house (for) a final price of $345,000 with a loss of $25,000.” — Radeberger U., 3/10/2024, Trustpilot

❌ ‘Missed one closing date and looks like they’re about to miss another one’

Most negative Knock Bridge Loan reviews were posted in 2024 or earlier, and the vast majority said the company’s processes led them to miss their closing date.“Currently going through what all the bad reviews have stated. I even questioned Knock on the ‘missing of the closing date’ issue and was assured that processes have improved. Well, Knock missed one closing date and looks like they’re about to miss another one!! Needless to say, while wanting to charge me a fee for their slow process and providing inaccurate closing times. All the while during this entire process, I’ve provided all of the required documents within less than an hour of the request.” — Raquel H., 12/21/2021, Trustpilot

Knock vs. other buy-before-you-sell options

More Knock alternatives to consider

A buy-before-you-sell company isn’t the only way to lessen the stress of buying and selling at the same time. Depending on your situation, working with a real estate agent or choosing an iBuyer could be a good — or better — option.

Sell with an experienced listing agent

You’re more likely to get the market value or more when working with a traditional realtor. An experienced agent can negotiate a faster closing date if you need to move soon or a lease-back agreement if you need more time to close on your new home.

The downside of a traditional sale is that you won’t have the benefit of a cash-backed offer. Selling can take time, too — as of July 2025, homes spent nearly two months on the market.[2]

However, your costs will be lower, as you’ll only have to pay the realtor’s commission fee (2.5–3% for your agent) and closing costs (1–3% of the sale price).

An agent-matching platform like Clever Real Estate can help you lower those costs further by connecting you with a top-notch realtor who will charge a commission fee of just 1.5%. This can help offset some of the other expenses that come with buying and selling a home.

Sell to an iBuyer

With its upfront cash offer, selling to an iBuyer shortens the selling process and delivers the cash you need to buy a new home. But there are some downsides.

For instance, iBuyers tend to pay closer to the full market value for your home than other cash buyers, but they may charge hefty service fees. You also won’t have the opportunity to try selling your home on the open market first, which could result in a higher sale price.

Want a simpler way to compare your options? Clever Offers makes it easy to find the best route for your home sale — including options that let you get most of your home value upfront and then sell for additional upside once you've moved. Get started with a few quick details about your home — no added fees or obligation to move forward.

How Knock works

Knock Bridge Loan

The Knock Bridge Loan lets you tap into your home’s equity and get a cash loan to buy a new house before selling your old one. You can use the loan to cover your down payment, closing costs, moving expenses, Knock’s fees, and other expenses. Up to $35,000 of the loan can go toward renovations that prepare your home for sale.

When you apply for the loan, Knock will also give you a Guaranteed Purchase Offer. The company will buy your home for about 80% of its value if it doesn’t sell within six months.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Find a local real estate agent to help you look for a new home and sell your current one.

Step 2: Apply to Knock for preapproval. There’s no cost to apply, and you should receive your estimated loan amount within 48 hours.

Step 3: Knock calculates your loan amount. It considers your home’s value, your current mortgage balance, and the amount you need to buy your new home.

Step 4: Start shopping for your new home and put in an offer on the one you love. You have six months to sell your old house.

Step 5: Move into your new home on your timeline. If your old property doesn’t sell within six months, you can accept Knock’s Guaranteed Purchase Offer.

Step 6: You must list your home at least 45 days after you’ve received the loan. Sell your old home and repay your loan, plus the program fee and closing costs.

You’ll pay no interest on your loan for six months. Once your home sells, you’ll pay 2.25% of the estimated list price[1] (not the final sale price), plus about $1,850 in loan closing costs to Knock. Both can be paid out of the bridge loan amount.

While these fees can be less than some competitors, remember that you’ll need to pay your realtor’s commission, too, as well as closing costs on the purchase and sale of your properties. Sellers typically pay for the buyer’s agent fee as a concession, unless you’ve negotiated otherwise.

Knock bridge loan fees on a $600,000 house

What to watch out for with Knock

A Knock Bridge Loan isn’t for everybody. There are some things you’ll want to be aware of.

You can’t do an FSBO listing

One good thing about Knock is that you can choose your own listing agent to help you sell your home. However, you must use a realtor — you cannot list the house as a “for sale by owner” (FSBO). 

Not all homes are eligible

Knock primarily works with single-family homes in good condition. Generally, manufactured homes, mobile homes, or homes with severe water or foundation damage don’t qualify.

You can use the loan to buy a new construction home if the builder funds the construction costs before the final closing. You can also use it to purchase a condo or townhome[1] as long as it will be your primary residence.

The backup offer should be a last resort

Knock’s Guaranteed Purchase Offer is a nice perk, but don’t rely on it — it will typically be just about 80% of the home’s market value. Accepting this offer outright would be a big loss compared to selling on the open market.

This is where an experienced agent is helpful. According to Knock,[1] 92% of its customers sell their homes on the market within 90 days.

You can buy a home in any state, but sellers are limited

Homebuyers can purchase a property in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. However, sellers can only list their current homes in 25 states plus D.C.

How does Knock make money?

Knock makes money through its program fee, which is 2.25% of your current home’s estimated list price. This is agreed upon in advance[1] to make your final costs more predictable.

That means that if your estimated list price is $600,000, you’ll pay Knock $13,500 for its program fee — even if your home ended up selling for less.

Knock also charges closing costs on the loan. The company estimates this at $1,850, although the final cost will depend on state-specific requirements and the loan amount.

Where is Knock available?

Knock's Bridge Loan is currently available in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin. However, home sellers can purchase a new home in any state.

Bottom line: Is Knock worth it?

A Knock Bridge Loan can help you avoid moving twice or living in a house you’re trying to sell. You can use the equity in your current home to purchase a new one, make repairs, pay closing costs, and cover other expenses associated with buying and selling.

You’ll also pay no interest on the loan for six months. And if your house doesn’t sell in that timeframe, Knock will buy it from you. But its offer will be below the fair market value. Plus, the fees can add up, and not all properties will qualify.

Before you commit to a Knock Bridge Loan, it’s essential to explore other options. Requesting quotes is free, and you’re under no obligation to move forward. By comparing other buy-before-you-sell programs, iBuyers, cash investors, and traditional real estate transactions, you can secure the best deal.

FAQs about Knock