Knock Bridge Loan Review: Is It Worth to Buy Before You Sell?

The Knock Bridge Loan™ (formerly called Knock Home Swap) is designed to make it easy to buy and sell a home at the same time. It works by advancing homeowners a portion of their home equity to purchase a new house before they sell.

The short-term loan is interest for six months, which gives you time to list and sell your current home. You pay back the loan amount from the proceeds of your home sale.

Knock's Bridge Loan costs 2.25% of the home's listing price[1], plus $1,850 in additional loan costs.

However, unlike some of its competitors, Knock lets you choose your own agent. Working with an agent from a low-commission brokerage can help offset the costs of a buy-before-you-sell program.

Is Knock right for you?

Knock’s service is designed for homeowners who:

• Need to buy a new home before selling their current one
• Need to move quickly
• Want to move out of the old house before showings start
• Don’t want to risk missing out on their dream home in a hot market
• Have significant equity in their home

A Knock Bridge Loan lets you avoid moving twice or having to line up your closing dates. And unlike an iBuyer or a company that buys houses for cash, you can list your home on the open market for the highest possible price.

Knock's Bridge Loan can be used for a variety of expenses, including a down payment, closing costs, moving expenses, and fix-up costs. You can also use it to pay off debt like credit cards, car loans, or home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) to improve your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and increase your buying power.  

The Bridge Loan comes with a guaranteed backup offer in case your house doesn't sell within the 6-month loan term — however, it will likely be well below market value.

Knock's fees will add a minimum of 2.25%, plus $1,850, to your closing expenses. You'll also need to pay back the expenses (ongoing mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, etc.) that accrue while your house is on the market. However, securing a competitive commission rate with your listing agent — and ensuring your home sells quickly — can help offset some of these costs.

⭐ Keep more money in your pocket with industry-leading rates. Clever Real Estate offers pre-negotiated commission savings with top-rated realtors across the country, helping you keep more of your equity while still getting top-notch service. Home sellers who find their agent through Clever get their first qualified offer in an average of just 24.1 days — 36 days faster than the national average — while saving an average of $6,800 in listing fees. Match with top-rated agents and list for just 1.5%.

Knock vs. alternatives

Knock’s bridge loan is a solid option if you need cash to buy a new home before selling your old one — or if you could use some extra money to prep your house for market. But the fees can add up, and unless you can sell your house fast, you’ll have to start paying interest on the loan.  

You might want to review some alternatives before you sign up with Knock to see if you can get a better deal.

Knock vs. Clever Offers 

Knock is best for those who need an equity advance to buy a house before selling. You can move on your timeline, and Knock will buy your home if it doesn’t sell within six months.

But you’ll pay a program fee of 2.25% (based on your listing price), plus $1,850 in closing costs for the loan. On top of that, you’ll also have to pay realtor fees and standard closing costs for the real estate transaction.

Clever Offers can also help you sell on your timeline by helping you explore cash offers and other sell-fast solutions providing cash upfront, plus the option to list for additional upside. Clever’s network includes iBuyers, buy-before-you-sell programs, and top-rated agents with experience helping sellers buy and sell. This means you get a range of options to choose from, so you can make an informed decision before.

The service is free for home sellers. And if you decide to go with Knock, you can take advantage of lower agent commissions (about 1.5%) offered through Clever's real estate network, saving you thousands on your home sale.  

Knock vs. Homeward

Homeward has a buy-before-you-sell option that’s practically the same as Knock’s bridge loan, but it’s more expensive. Homeward charges a 3.5% program fee, while Knock’s fee is 2.25%.  

Homeward does offer more services than Knock. You can sell directly to Homeward for up to 84% of your home’s market value. The company also has in-house mortgage and title services to streamline transactions and help you save money.

But Homeward only operates in 13 states, compared to Knock’s wider presence in 25 states plus Washington, D.C., so it may not be available in your area.

Knock vs. Opendoor

Opendoor is known for its fair offers and hassle-free home sales. As the nation’s largest iBuyer, it delivers a cash offer within 24–48 hours and pays closer to market value than other cash buyers.

You can close in as little as two weeks, which is great if you need to move quickly. But Opendoor charges a 5% service fee — more than twice what Knock charges. Knock also lets you list your home on the MLS, giving you the opportunity to sell for at or above market value.

Knock vs. Orchard

Orchard’s Move First program is a similar buy-now-pay-later option. However, you must use Orchard’s agents to sell your home, giving you less flexibility than with Knock. Orchard is also more expensive, with service fees totaling about 8.4% of the final sale price.

And while Knock gives you six months to sell, you only get four months with Orchard. Orchard does give you a backup offer, but it doesn’t specify the amount, and reviewers complain about the offer being low.

Orchard’s service locations are also limited. Sellers in major metro areas in seven states can use Orchard, and the company serves buyers in 21 states.

Knock reviews and complaints

Source	Average Rating	Review Count
BBB	5.0/5	10
Trustpilot	4.7/5	170
Zillow	4.8/5	761
Weighted Average:	4.8/5	941

Knock’s reviews are mostly positive. The company has an average customer rating of 4.78 across 941 online reviews.

Most of the positive Knock Bridge Loan reviews say the service is easy and convenient. They praise the company’s high-quality customer service and communication, calling agents professional and knowledgeable.

Negative reviews point to hiccups in the process that delayed closing and led to missed selling opportunities. The company is good about responding to both positive and negative reviews.

✅ Fast and easy process

Satisfied customers said Knock Bridge Loans made it easy and less stressful to buy a new home before selling their old one.

✅ High-quality customer service and communication

Many reviewers noted the excellent customer service that Knock agents and loan officers provided. They said everyone was professional, polite, helpful, and responsive, adding that they were often able to get their questions answered quickly.

❌ Closing delays

Some unhappy clients said some oversights led to cancelled contracts and closing delays.

❌ Inaccurate home valuations

Some Knock Bridge Loan reviews disagreed with the company’s home valuation.

How Knock works

Knock offers a bridge loan, which gives homeowners access to a portion of their home equity that they can use to buy a new house before selling their old one.

Knock Bridge Loan

The Knock Bridge Loan enables you to submit a competitive cash offer on a new home without having to sell your old one first. You can also use the loan for:

• A down payment on a new house
• Closing costs
• Paying up to six months of mortgage payments on the home you’re selling
• Moving expenses
• Renovations and maintenance to prepare your current home for listing
• Paying off other debts to improve your DTI, which helps you qualify for better mortgage loan terms

Covering Knock’s fees

Here’s how it works:

• Submit an application for preapproval. There’s no cost to apply, and you should receive an estimated loan amount within 48 hours.
• Knock calculates the bridge loan amount based on your home’s value, your current mortgage balance, and how much you need to buy your new home.
• The loan amount will vary but cannot exceed $1 million[2]
• You choose your own agent and list the property on the multiple listing service (MLS). Shop for and purchase your new home.
• If your old house doesn’t sell within six months, you can accept Knock’s backup offer, which they provide upfront (typically about 80% of the fair market value).

Up to $35,000 of the loan can be used on repairs to get your current home ready to sell. You can also use the loan to purchase a condo or townhome, as long as it will be your primary residence.

Also, you’ll pay no interest on the loan for six months. But you may have to pay additional fees and interest if your home doesn’t sell within that timeframe.

Knock fees and other costs

Knock charges a set program fee of 2.25% of the estimated list price plus about $1,850 in additional loan costs.

Knock's fees are lower than iBuying alternatives like Opendoor and Offerpad, which charge 5% and 8%, respectively. However, with Knock, you'll also pay real estate agent fees, which are typically 2.5–3% for the listing agent. If you’ve agreed to pay your buyer’s agent's fee as a contingency, you can add another 2.5–3% to your costs. That said, you won't be charges for repairs, and you will almost certainly get a higher price with an open market listing.

One of Knock's most direct competitors, Orchard, charges 2.4% of your home sale price for its equity advance, plus 6% in brokerage fees, since it requires you to use its agents to buy and sell.

One of the benefits of Knock is that you can choose your own agent. Working with a brokerage that offers competitive commission rates can save you significantly on fees. If you already have an agent in mind, you can always try to negotiate their realtor commission to lower your expenses.  

Knock is upfront about its fees, and you can use the bridge loan to cover some expenses like your closing costs. However, the company must approve what you can and can’t use the loan for.

What are the requirements for Knock's Bridge Loan?

According to Knock, most homes will qualify for the bridge loan, including townhomes and certain condos. But if there’s a lack of recent similar sales data nearby, your home may not qualify. Ineligible properties include:

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

In most markets, the maximum listing price is $1.5 million.[1] High-cost counties in California and Washington have a $2.5 million limit.

Is Knock legitimate? 

Yes, Knock is a legitimate company. It was founded in 2015 and has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. According to the company, it has relationships with more than 120,000 realtors in 75 markets[3] across the U.S. Its headquarters is in Atlanta.

Knock says that 92% of customers[1] sell their home on the market in less than 90 days for the full asking price or above. It has a 4.78/5 rating across 941 reviews on Trustpilot, BBB, and Zillow.

FAQs

Recommended Reading

Methodology 

We evaluate each buy-before-you-sell company based on five core criteria and create a weighted score:

• Customer reviews
• Service quality
• Fees and other costs
• Credibility

Customer reviews

Review analysis. We perform an in-depth analysis of all the available customer reviews to determine trends. We break down the reviews by theme and sentiment, and filter out spam reviews to determine our rating.

Company responsiveness. Negative reviews are part of doing business; however, we note whether a company is actively involved in resolving customer complaints.

Service quality

We rely on secret shopping and fact-checking interviews with company representatives to look for indicators that the company is professional, communicative, customer-focused, and ethical in its dealings with customers. We verify this information against customer reviews and interviews with past customers or professionals (realtors, former employees) who have had direct experience working with the brand. 

Fees and other costs

Competitiveness. We look at how the company's fees and other costs compare to competitors.

Value. We consider whether the fees are justified by the value offered.

Credibility

Trust signals. We look at how long the company has been in business, the number of verified customer reviews it has, how willing the company was to answer questions about their business model when we contacted them, and how easy it is to find detailed information on their website — including the names and contact details of specific team members. We also look at customer reviews indicating whether the company acts with honesty and integrity in their business dealings.