Keyes partners with EasyKnock to offer sale-leaseback program

The Keyes Company is partnering with EasyKnock, a sale-leaseback startup, to give its agents another tool to offer sellers.

“We have a low inventory and there is some hesitation for people to sell their home because they’re not sure they can buy another home,” said Mike Pappas, president and CEO of Keyes.

In June, EasyKnock announced it closed a $20 million Series B round to expand its product offerings and add staff. The capital raise was co-led by Blumberg Capital and QED Investors. More than 3,000 Keyes agents in Florida will have access to EasyKnock’s platform, which includes its Sell and Stay sale-leaseback program and MoveAbility, a non-lending bridge product.

Keyes is looking to offer clients the option to free up cash for their next purchase while staying in their homes during the pandemic, Pappas said. Fewer homes have hit the market in recent months throughout South Florida.

“Consumers are facing a lot of inertia due to uncertainty, and agents are looking for more ways to be diverse,” said EasyKnock CEO Jarred Kessler. “Extra tools have never been more important.”

The programs are available for single-family houses, townhouses and condos. With MoveAbility, an agent would sell the house within a year.

Kessler said it marks the first major partnership for the company in South Florida.

EasyKnock is one of a number of companies aimed at making home-buying more accessible. Others include Noah, a San Francisco-startup that issues cash loans in exchange for an ownership stake.