Is Unison Legit?
The Bottom Line
- It's a legit product. Unison is the oldest provider we track, a real, recorded contract from a company that's invested with more than 17,000 homeowners across $8.8 billion in total home value since 2006.
- The cost is uncertain, but you can estimate it. Running a few realistic scenarios narrows what you'd owe down to a workable range.
- There are real risks, but they're manageable. The main ones: unpredictable total cost, a possible forced sale at year 30, and friction refinancing your mortgage later.
- The industry is facing real regulatory and legal scrutiny in 2026. Check primary sources like the CFPB and court records to learn more.
Is Unison a Legit Product?
Yes. A home equity investment (HEI) is a real, established product category. See What Is an HEA? if you're unfamiliar with how they work. Home equity sharing agreements date back to 2006, when Unison pioneered the model as the self-described "first home equity sharing company." The category picked up momentum in the mid-to-late 2010s as multiple competitors launched: Point in 2014, Hometap in 2017, Unlock in 2020 and Splitero in 2021.
Company Overview
Unison specifically is the oldest of the five providers we track, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It has invested with more than 17,000 homeowners across more than $8.8 billion in total home value, operating in 24 states and Washington, D.C.
What If Unison Goes Out of Business?
Your agreement is a recorded lien against your property, not an obligation tied to Unison's survival. If Unison were ever acquired or went out of business, your contract would simply transfer to someone else, the same as a sold mortgage, rather than get voided or renegotiated against you.
Company Reputation
How outside sources rate Unison.
Ratings and complaint data as of September 2026.
Could Unison's Cost Blindside You?
It's uncertain, but you can estimate it. The formula behind what you'd owe Unison is fixed and disclosed before you accept an offer. What's not fixed is your home's future value, which nobody knows in advance.
Since the amount you receive and your Investor Percentage are both set at the offer stage, before you accept, you can already estimate a realistic range of repayment outcomes using the table below.
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 10% LTV
Unison's Estimated Share Owed ($)
| Exit Year | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 30 | ||
| Annual Home Growth | -1.5% | $60,000 | $60,000 | $45,443 | $39,922 | $31,946 | $7,827 | $0 |
| 0% (flat) | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | |
| 1.5% (low) | $60,000 | $69,136 | $75,457 | $81,969 | $92,108 | $129,371 | $172,616 | |
| 3.5% (avg) | $60,000 | $81,744 | $97,537 | $114,456 | $142,120 | $257,958 | $421,359 | |
| 5.5% (high) | $60,000 | $86,400 | $121,392 | $150,936 | $201,629 | $443,551 | $856,790 | |
The two extremes from the table above, side by side:
Cheapest case: Year 1, −1.5% growth
- Home Value$492,500
- Amount Owed$60,000
- You Keep87.8% of value
Priciest case: Year 30, 5.5% growth
- Home Value$2,491,976
- Amount Owed$856,790
- You Keep65.6% of value
For someone considering repaying an HEI in 5 years, a reasonable approach may be to start with the 3.5% historical average, then widen to the 1.5%–5.5% range if you're unsure how your market compares to the national trend. That would put your 5-year estimated payoff somewhere between $75,457 and $121,392, with $97,537 as the average-case outcome.
Unison's Estimated Effective APR
| Exit Year | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 30 | ||
| Annual Home Growth | -1.5% | 30.3% | 9.2% | −0.3% | −2.0% | −3.6% | −8.5% | −100.0% |
| 0% (flat) | 30.3% | 9.2% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.3% | 0.9% | |
| 1.5% (low) | 30.3% | 14.5% | 10.4% | 8.6% | 7.2% | 5.3% | 4.5% | |
| 3.5% (avg) | 30.3% | 21.1% | 16.2% | 13.9% | 11.9% | 9.0% | 7.7% | |
| 5.5% (high) | 30.3% | 23.3% | 21.4% | 18.5% | 15.9% | 12.0% | 10.2% | |
The rates shown above are worth comparing to other home equity products you're considering. When you do, look at both the effective APR and the total dollar amount owed, since a lower rate doesn't always mean a lower total cost. Run your own numbers for a personalized range based on your actual home value, credit profile, and requested amount.
Before You Commit
If you plan to sell, you'll always have enough to cover the cost, since the amount you owe is set to a fraction of your home's value. If you plan to settle in cash instead, stress-test the worst case above and make sure you're genuinely comfortable with it, since the alternative is being forced into a sale before you're ready.
What Are the Risks With Unison?
- Total cost is unknown in advance. What you owe depends on your home's future value, so you can't know your exact payoff until you actually settle. See the cost calculator for how much that can vary by scenario.
- You could be forced to sell your home to settle up. Unison's 30-year term is the longest we track, tied with Point and Splitero, but it isn't open-ended. If you haven't settled by the end of the term, you may need to sell your home to pay off the balance.
- Repayment is due quickly if you pass away. If you die before the agreement ends, your heirs have only 180 days to repay Unison, unlike Point, Splitero, and Hometap, which let heirs wait until the home is eventually sold, refinanced, or the term ends.
- It can complicate refinancing your primary mortgage later. Having Unison's stake recorded against your home means a future lender refinancing your first mortgage has to account for it, which can add friction versus not having that second lien at all.
A Note on Legal & Regulatory Scrutiny
Home equity investment and home equity agreement products, as a category, face active regulatory and legal scrutiny as of 2026. The CFPB has published consumer advisories and taken formal positions in specific court cases, and several states have passed or proposed laws to regulate them more like mortgages. This is a fast-moving, unsettled area of law industry-wide, so it's worth checking primary sources directly rather than relying on our summary alone.
Who Unison Is For
Good Fit If
- You want a 30-year agreement (maximum flexibility on when you repay)
- You want to avoid any credit-score impact from applying — Unison only ever runs a soft credit check, the same as Unlock
- You're planning home improvements that will add real value — Unison can exclude eligible renovation value from its share
- You own the property individually, not through an LLC or trust
- You have strong credit (620+)
Not a Good Fit If
- You haven't decided between a 10-year, 30-year, or mortgage-linked term — that choice matters more than which specific provider you pick. Decide on term length first, then check the cost calculator for the cheapest option within it
- Your property isn't a single family home, condo, townhome, or 2-4 unit
- You need more than 15% of your home's value, or more than $500,000 (below the higher caps at Point and Hometap)
- You want to use it on an investment property or second home — Unison's stated eligibility is primary residences only, with some exceptions in practice
- You live outside Unison's current 24-state (plus D.C.) footprint
See also: What Is an HEA? · Choosing a Term Length · Renovation Adjustments
See What Unison Would Actually Cost You
Enter your home details to see Unison's eligibility and an estimated cost, plus how it stacks up against Point, Hometap, Unlock, and Splitero.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Unison a legitimate company?
Yes. Unison is the oldest of the five providers we track, founded in 2006 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It has invested with more than 17,000 homeowners across more than $8.8 billion in total home value, operating in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Its agreements are real, recorded legal contracts, not informal arrangements.
Could Unison's cost blindside me?
It's uncertain, but you can estimate it. Unison's formula, and the percentage of your home's value it's entitled to, are fixed at signing. What you'll actually owe depends on your home's future value, which nobody knows in advance, and Unison's cost cap only lasts the first 3 years, so the range widens the longer you hold. See Could Unison's Cost Blindside You? above for a full cost breakdown, including estimated ranges and effective APR.
What happens if my home loses value with Unison?
Unison does share in declines, but not immediately — loss sharing is locked out for the first 36 months of the agreement, and never applies if you settle through a buyout rather than a sale. That's a real restriction worth understanding, and it's more limited than every other provider we track.
What happens if I fall behind on my property taxes or insurance?
You could be in default, the same as with any mortgage or home equity loan. Unison's contract requires you to keep your senior mortgage, property taxes, and insurance current and to maintain the property — those are baseline obligations, not something unique or hidden to Unison.
What happens if I don't settle by the end of Unison's 30-year term?
You may need to sell your home to pay off the balance. Unison's term isn't open-ended, so if you haven't sold, refinanced, or bought out the agreement by year 30, a sale becomes the fallback. In practice, the 30-year runway gives most homeowners plenty of time to settle sooner on their own terms.
Does Unison face any lawsuits or regulatory action?
Home equity investment products broadly are facing active regulatory and legal scrutiny industry-wide as of 2026, a fast-moving, unsettled area of law. It's worth checking primary sources directly, like the CFPB's consumer advisories and public court records for Unison, rather than relying on our summary alone.
What happens if I die before my Unison agreement ends?
Your heirs have 180 days to repay Unison — a shorter window than Point, Hometap, and Splitero, which let heirs wait until the home is eventually sold, refinanced, or the term ends.
Get a Real Offer From Unison
Your actual numbers depend on your home's appraised value and your own details. The surest way to know what Unison would cost you is a real offer.
Or compare all 5 in the cost calculator →