What Deferred does

Deferred Inc. is a U.S.-based financial technology company operating as a Qualified Intermediary for 1031 like-kind exchanges, founded in 2024 and headquartered in Delaware with operational offices in Pasadena, Carlsbad, and Culver City, California. The company serves individual and commercial real estate investors seeking to defer capital gains taxes on investment property sales, combining a self-serve digital portal (app.deferred.com) with scheduled intro calls and extended availability (8am–Midnight ET, seven days a week). Its core offering is a "No Fee" exchange model: rather than charging the $999–$1,500+ in traditional exchange fees plus ancillary junk fees (wire, rush, multi-property), Deferred generates revenue by sharing interest earned on client exchange funds held in segregated, FDIC-insured accounts at depository partners including JPMorgan and Raymond James, with up to $175M in FDIC coverage, a $10M fidelity bond, and $5M in E&O insurance (described as 10x the industry standard).

The product surface includes the Exchange Portal, a 1031 Deferred Gains Calculator, and ARTE (Advanced Real Estate Tax Expert), a proprietary AI chatbot trained on hundreds of tax documents and case law whose v2.0 is reported to have passed the CPA exam and outperformed human CPAs by 22%+ in benchmark tests. Supporting assets include an educational content library (articles, rules checklist, accounting glossary) and a referral program used as mid-funnel conversion mechanisms.

Go-to-market combines product-led growth (free calculator, free AI chatbot, self-serve exchange flow) with sales-assisted conversion and earned media presence in HousingWire, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Yahoo Finance. Deferred is venture-backed, having raised a $3.6M seed round in April 2025 co-led by B Capital and Fika Ventures, and acquired Plenti Financial in October 2024 to absorb an established 1031 customer base. The team is described as 11–50 employees including attorneys and CPAs with over 100 years of collective 1031 experience, with Daniel Osman heading Investor and Partner Experience and Judd Schoenholtz as co-founder and CEO.

Name

Deferred

Legal name

Deferred Inc.

Website

https://deferred.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deferred Inc. is a U.S.-based Qualified Intermediary that serves real estate investors with a "No Fee" 1031 like-kind exchange platform, generating revenue by sharing interest earned on client funds held in FDIC-insured accounts. Its stack combines a self-serve digital portal with ARTE, a proprietary AI tax chatbot, and was backed by a $3.6M seed round in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest on Exchange Funds: Deferred places exchange funds in secure, interest-bearing accounts. Unlike competitors who keep the interest earned, Deferred shares the interest with clients. This interest income covers the company's operational costs, enabling a no-fee exchange model. In a $5 million exchange, interest can exceed $100,000.
2. No Fee Exchange Model: The company offers a no-fee exchange model where traditional exchange fees ($999-$1500+) are eliminated. Revenue is generated entirely from interest earned on held funds, not from transaction fees or junk fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Deferred is a Qualified Intermediary that facilitates 1031 like-kind real estate exchanges for individual and commercial investors. It charges zero exchange fees and instead earns revenue by sharing interest earned on client exchange funds held in FDIC-insured segregated accounts. Customers access services via an online portal (app.deferred.com) supplemented by an AI tax chatbot (ARTE), a deferred gains calculator, and dedicated exchange officers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARTE: An advanced AI chatbot trained on hundreds of tax documents and case law to help investors get instant answers about 1031 exchanges and real estate tax questions.

Products and services

• No Fee 1031 Exchange (Qualified Intermediary Service) Qualified Intermediary service for 1031 like-kind exchanges that charges zero fees; the company shares interest earned on client exchange funds held in FDIC-insured accounts. Includes secure transaction handling, online platform access, and dedicated exchange officers; targeted at real estate investors seeking to defer capital gains tax.
• ARTE (Advanced Real Estate Tax Expert) AI Chatbot AI-powered tax chatbot trained on hundreds of tax documents and case law that provides free, instant, personalized answers to 1031 exchange and real estate tax questions; v2.0 passed the CPA exam and outperforms human CPAs by 22%+ in benchmarks.
• 1031 Exchange Deferred Gains Calculator

Quantifiable outcome

• $17,200 in interest paid to a client on a single exchange
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Plenti FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024Acquired Plenti Financial, a provider of 1031 exchange/Qualified Intermediary services for over 20 years. The acquisition expands Deferred's customer network, technological assets, and operational capabilities in the financial services sector.
• J.P. MorgancoreTechnology or IntegrationTrusted depository bank partner working with Deferred to safeguard client exchange funds. Known for financial resilience and robust security protocols.
• Raymond JamescoreTechnology or IntegrationTrusted depository bank partner working with Deferred to safeguard client exchange funds. Known for financial resilience and robust security protocols.
• Atlantic Specialty RisksupportingOthersProvides $10M fidelity bond and $5M E&O (errors & omissions) insurance coverage for Deferred - 10x the industry standard protection.
• SNCsupportingOthersInsurance partner providing $10M fidelity bond and $5M E&O coverage for Deferred - 10x the industry standard protection.
• FDICcoreOthersFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation providing up to $175M FDIC insurance protection for client exchange funds held in segregated deposit accounts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First American Exchange Company: One of the largest traditional Qualified Intermediaries in the U.S., offering 1031 exchange services with a fee-based model. Directly comparable to Deferred as a competing QI serving the same real estate investor base, but with a legacy analog operating model.
• IPX1031: A major national Qualified Intermediary providing 1031 exchange services. Directly competes with Deferred in the same exchange-facilitation category but retains the traditional fee-based pricing structure.
• Asset Preservation, Inc. Specialized 1031 exchange Qualified Intermediary serving real estate investors nationwide. A direct competitor to Deferred with comparable service scope and customer profile, though without Deferred's no-fee or AI-driven positioning.
• Accruit: 1031 exchange Qualified Intermediary and tax-deferred exchange services provider for real estate investors. Direct competitor operating in the same niche, with comparable customer segment but a traditional fee structure.
• Exchange Strategies Corporation: National 1031 exchange Qualified Intermediary with a fee-based model. Directly comparable service offering to Deferred for real estate investors, but with traditional pricing and analog operations.

Broad incumbents

• Old Republic Exchange Company: A division of Old Republic National Title, providing 1031 exchange services as part of a much larger title insurance and real estate services platform. A broad incumbent with overlapping QI capability, but not specialized in Deferred's digital-first model.

Emerging players

• Realized: Digital platform offering 1031 exchange investment products (DSTs and Delaware Statutory Trusts). Comparable to Deferred in being a tech-forward 1031 platform, but focused on investment vehicle intermediation rather than direct exchange facilitation.
• Stessa: Real estate investor software platform for portfolio management, accounting, and tax tracking. Comparable to Deferred as a fintech serving real estate investors, though focused on portfolio software rather than exchange facilitation.
• Roofstock: Online marketplace and technology platform for single-family rental investment. Comparable to Deferred as a fintech modernizing real estate investing workflows, though operating in property acquisition rather than 1031 exchange facilitation.

Regional players

• Equity Advantage: Pacific Northwest-based 1031 exchange Qualified Intermediary. Operates in the same QI space with comparable services but a smaller regional footprint relative to Deferred's national digital model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deferred