At a glance
| What they call it | Equity Sharing Agreement |
|---|---|
| How you repay | Share of your home's change in value, up or down |
| Cash available | Up to $500K |
| Max share of home value | 15% |
| Equity you must keep | Not published |
| Fee | Up to 3.9% |
| Cost cap | None published |
| Term | Up to 30 years |
| Minimum credit score | Not published |
| Shares losses if value falls | Yes |
How Unison's agreement works
Unison invests up to 15% of your home's value, up to $500,000.
In return it shares in the change in your home's value, typically four times the percentage it invested: invest 10% and Unison shares 40% of the change.
The change is measured from your appraisal reduced by 5%, a smaller discount than Point's.
Unison shares losses as well as gains, and publishes no cap. Agreements run up to 30 years, with a 3.9% transaction fee.
What Unison costs
Effective annual cost for $100,000 against a $750,000 home with a $300,000 mortgage. Rows are yearly home appreciation; columns are when you settle.
| Growth | 3 years | 5 years | 7 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% a year | 8.3% | 4.9% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| 2% a year | 15.2% | 11.3% | 9.6% | 8.2% |
| 4% a year | 21.6% | 16.9% | 14.7% | 12.7% |
| 6% a year | 27.6% | 22.0% | 19.1% | 16.5% |
| 8% a year | 33.3% | 26.6% | 23.1% | 20.0% |
Example: at 4% growth over 7 years you would net $94,600 after fees and settle for $246,373, an effective cost of 14.7% a year. Open this example in the calculator.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The cheapest of the four in our model if your home doesn't appreciate
- Shares losses as well as gains
- Up to 30 years to settle
- Starting value only 5% below appraisal
Cons
- No published cap, so cost climbs fastest in a hot market
- Maximum of 15% of your home's value
- Minimum credit score isn't published
Who Unison fits
Worth a look if: You expect flat or modest appreciation and value downside sharing.
Look elsewhere if: You live in a fast-appreciating market, where a 4x share with no cap gets expensive.
Compare Unison
Unison vs Point
Unison is cheaper below about 3.6% annual growth; Point is cheaper above it (settling after 7 years).
Compare →Unison vs Hometap
Unison is cheaper below about 3.6% annual growth; Hometap is cheaper above it (settling after 7 years).
Compare →Unison vs Unlock
Unison is cheaper below about 5.1% annual growth; Unlock is cheaper above it (settling after 7 years).
Compare →Sources
Unison: how it works · Finder: Unison review
Terms verified September 23, 2026. Full terms and sources for every provider: HEI Calculator provider terms.
Considering Unison?
Run your own home and assumptions through Unison and every other provider, or send us your offer for a free second opinion.
Open the HEI CalculatorGet a free offer reviewHEI Compare and HEI Calculator are sister sites run by the same independent team. Both use the same provider terms and the same cost model. About us.