Calque
Calque is a private Austin-based fintech that provides a Buy Before You Sell platform, offering Guaranteed Backup Agreements, Trade-In Mortgages, and Contingency Buster solutions through a nationwide network of 15+ lending partners serving homeowners, loan officers, agents, and builders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Calque does
Calque Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based private company (founded 2020, 1–10 employees) that operates a Buy Before You Sell platform for the U.S. residential real estate market. The platform is built around a Guaranteed Backup Agreement architecture that allows homeowners to purchase a new home before selling their current one — Calque steps in with a backup purchase offer if the existing home does not sell on the open market within up to 180 days. Supporting products include the Trade-In Mortgage (equity-access financing for a larger down payment on the next home), the Contingency Buster (DTI relief for borrowers who cannot carry two mortgages), the Build Ahead Program (new-construction variant), and Calque Academy (loan officer training) plus an Eligibility Calculator for consumer self-qualification.
Under the hood, Calque's technology coordinates eligibility assessments, backup-offer issuance, and program execution between homeowners, lending partners, and real estate agents. Critically, Calque does not originate mortgages; instead, mortgages are closed by a nationwide network of more than 15 trusted lending partners — including AlcoVa, FIMC, HMA Mortgage, Cornerstone First Mortgage, First Federal, ASLAN, Cross Country, NRL Mortgage, Mortgage Trust, SusserMortgage, Financial Dwellings, Scott Team, Matador, Waymaker, and Fairway — under their own brands using Calque's structural framework and guarantee.
Calque monetizes via transaction fees tied to these partner-originated mortgages (revenue model: transaction fee). Its go-to-market is channel-led: lenders adopt the program, loan officers are trained through Calque Academy, and real estate agents and home builders refer clients into partnered lenders. The company serves four primary customer segments — homeowners, lenders and loan officers, real estate agents, and home builders — all facing the same structural problem of timing the buy and sell of a primary residence. No public funding, M&A, or institutional investor activity is disclosed.
Calque firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Calque
- Legal name
- Calque Inc.
- Website
- https://calqueinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Calque is a private Austin-based fintech that provides a Buy Before You Sell platform, offering Guaranteed Backup Agreements, Trade-In Mortgages, and Contingency Buster solutions through a nationwide network of 15+ lending partners serving homeowners, loan officers, agents, and builders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Calque industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Technology / Mortgage Enablement
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)
- SIC
- Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Direct / Online Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cash-Out Refinance Origination (FSALAAAF)
Keywords
Where Calque is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Calque business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform/Services Revenue: Calque provides its Buy Before You Sell technology platform and programs to lending partners. The company earns revenue by enabling mortgage originations through its network of lending partners who use Calque's programs (Trade-In Mortgage, Contingency Buster, Guaranteed Backup Agreement). Mortgages are originated by Calque's lending partners under their own branding, while Calque provides the structural framework and guarantees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Calque product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Calque operates a Buy Before You Sell (BBYS) technology platform that enables qualified homeowners to purchase their next home before selling their current one. The company provides a Guaranteed Backup Agreement that steps in with a backup purchase offer if the home does not sell within up to 180 days, and complementary programs (Trade-In Mortgage, Contingency Buster, Build Ahead Program) that address equity access, DTI constraints, and new construction timing. Calque distributes these solutions through a network of partner mortgage lenders that originate loans under their own brands, supported by Calque Academy training and an Eligibility Calculator.
Product overview
Calque offers a unified Buy Before You Sell (BBYS) program with multiple integrated solutions designed to help homeowners purchase a new home before selling their current one. The core portfolio includes the Trade-In Mortgage (which provides equity access before sale), the Contingency Buster (for DTI-constrained borrowers), and the Guaranteed Backup Agreement (a safety net if the home doesn't sell within 180 days). For builders, the Build Ahead Program addresses new construction buyers. The ecosystem is supported by Calque Academy (training for loan officers) and an Eligibility Calculator (homeowner self-service tool). Lenders can offer these solutions under their own brand, creating a distribution network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Trade-In Mortgage: A product enabling homeowners to access equity in their existing home before selling to fund down payment on a new home, removing home-sale contingency from purchase offers.
- Contingency Buster
- Build Ahead Program
- Equity Unlock
- Calque Academy
Products and services
- Buy Before You Sell (BBYS) Program Flagship program enabling qualified homeowners to purchase their next home before selling their current one through Guaranteed Backup Agreements that remove home-sale contingencies; delivered via a network of partner lenders to U.S. homeowners nationwide (excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
- Trade-In Mortgage Equity-backed financing solution that allows homeowners to access the equity in their current home to fund a down payment on a new home before the existing property sells, enabling non-contingent purchase offers. Delivered through Calque's lending partner network.
- Contingency Buster Solution for homeowners with a down payment who cannot carry two mortgages in their debt-to-income ratio; provides a backup offer on qualifying homes that clears the remaining mortgage balance, enabling non-contingent purchase offers.
- Guaranteed Backup Agreement Contractual guarantee from Calque that steps in with a backup purchase offer if the homeowner's current residence does not sell on the open market within the specified timeframe (up to 180 days), removing the home-sale contingency.
- Build Ahead Program Buy Before You Sell solution specifically designed for homeowners building new construction, eliminating the requirement to have their current house under contract before purchasing a new home from a builder. Used by new-construction home builders to reduce contingent-contract risk.
- Buy Before You Sell for Lenders Lender-facing program that enables mortgage lenders to offer Trade-In Mortgage and other BBYS solutions to their move-up buyer clients under the lender's own brand, allowing them to retain client relationships while originating new mortgages.
Quantifiable outcome
- Homeowners have up to 180 days to sell their home on the open market
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Calque
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Calque technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Calque partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AlcoVacoreAlcoVa is one of Calque's trusted lending partner network members that offers Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions to borrowers across the nation.
- FIMCcoreFIMC is a trusted lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions to mortgage borrowers.
- HMA MortgagecoreHMA Mortgage is a lending partner that offers Calque's Buy Before You Sell programs to qualifying homeowners.
- Cornerstone First MortgagecoreCornerstone First Mortgage is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions.
- First FederalcoreFirst Federal is a lending partner in Calque's network offering Buy Before You Sell mortgage solutions.
- ASLANcoreASLAN is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions to borrowers.
- Cross CountrycoreCross Country is a lending partner in Calque's network offering Buy Before You Sell mortgage programs.
- NRL MortgagecoreNRL Mortgage is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions to homebuyers.
- Mortgage TrustcoreMortgage Trust is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell mortgage solutions.
- SusserMortgagecoreSusserMortgage is a lending partner in Calque's network offering Buy Before You Sell programs.
- Financial DwellingscoreFinancial Dwellings is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell solutions.
- Scott TeamcoreScott Team is a lending partner offering Calque's Buy Before You Sell mortgage solutions.
- MatadorcoreMatador is a lending partner in Calque's network offering Buy Before You Sell programs to borrowers.
- WaymakercoreWaymaker is a lending partner whose loan officers utilize Calque's Trade-In Mortgage program for homebuyers needing Buy Before You Sell solutions.
- FairwaycoreFairway is a lending partner where loan officers work with Calque representatives like Rebekah Lanning to offer Buy Before You Sell solutions to clients.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Calque competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Knock: Knock offers a directly comparable Buy Before You Sell program that lets homeowners move into their new home before listing the old one, with Knock guaranteeing the sale of the existing home. It is the closest one-to-one competitor to Calque's Trade-In Mortgage and Contingency Buster products.
- Homeward: Homeward provides Buy Before You Sell solutions including cash offers and mortgage financing to help move-up buyers purchase a new home before selling their current one. It targets a similar lender and agent ecosystem with a comparable value proposition.
- Bridge: Bridge is a fintech mortgage lender offering bridge loans and home trade-in products that let buyers purchase before selling. It overlaps with Calque's Trade-In Mortgage and Contingency Buster in addressing the DTI and timing problem for move-up buyers.
- Flyhomes: Flyhomes combines a brokerage with a cash-offer and bridge program called the Flyhomes Guarantee, which lets clients make non-contingent offers and buy before selling. It targets the same move-up buyer use case as Calque via a different fulfillment model.
- Offerpad: Offerpad is an iBuyer that also offers a Buy Before You Sell / Trade-in solution called Offerpad Home Pro, which lets sellers leverage Offerpad's cash offer to buy their next home first. It competes with Calque in the move-up buyer segment.
- Ribbon (now part of NextHome): Ribbon provides a cash advance and guaranteed close offering that allows buyers to make strong, non-contingent offers on a new home before selling their current one. It is a direct functional analog to Calque's Guaranteed Backup Agreement.
Broad incumbents
- Better.com: Better.com is a large digital mortgage lender that originates home loans directly to consumers online. It overlaps with Calque's consumer-direct mortgage focus but is a much broader incumbent without a balance-sheet BBYS guarantee product.
- Rocket Mortgage: Rocket Mortgage is the largest US retail mortgage originator and offers consumer-direct online origination, including cash-out refinance products that access home equity. It is comparable to Calque in the underlying origination channel rather than in the BBYS product itself.
- Opendoor: Opendoor is a leading iBuyer that allows customers to sell their home directly to Opendoor and use the proceeds to buy their next home. It serves a similar move-up buyer use case as Calque, but with a balance-sheet cash offer model rather than a lender-channel tech platform.
- Zillow Home Loans: Zillow Home Loans is a digital mortgage originator that arose after Zillow's exit from iBuying. It competes with Calque in online consumer-direct origination but does not currently offer a dedicated BBYS backup agreement product.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Calque financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calque leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Calque funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calque M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Calque
What does Calque do?
Calque operates a Buy Before You Sell (BBYS) technology platform that enables qualified homeowners to purchase their next home before selling their current one. The company provides a Guaranteed Backup Agreement that steps in with a backup purchase offer if the home does not sell within up to 180 days, and complementary programs (Trade-In Mortgage, Contingency Buster, Build Ahead Program) that address equity access, DTI constraints, and new construction timing. Calque distributes these solutions through a network of partner mortgage lenders that originate loans under their own brands, supported by Calque Academy training and an Eligibility Calculator.
Is Calque a public or private company?
Calque is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Calque founded?
Calque was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Calque based?
Calque is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Calque make money?
One revenue line is on record: platform/Services Revenue.
Who are Calque's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Knock, Homeward, Bridge, Flyhomes, Offerpad and Ribbon (now part of NextHome). Broad incumbents are Better.com, Rocket Mortgage, Opendoor and Zillow Home Loans.
Does Calque have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calque.
What industry is Calque in?
Calque's product category is Residential Real Estate Technology / Mortgage Enablement. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALAAAB, Consumer Direct / Online Mortgage Origination, with a secondary code of FSALAAAF, Cash-Out Refinance Origination. Its NAICS code is 52231 and its SIC code is 6162.