What Certain Lending does

Certain Lending is a Seattle-based, technology-enabled direct lender founded in 2017 that originates residential mortgages for real estate investors. The company serves SMB and individual investors through seven loan products — Fix and Flip, Construction, Bridge, Rental Properties, Short-Term Rental, Rental Portfolios, and Bank Statement — covering use cases from acquisition and renovation to long-term rental hold, with loan sizes ranging from $75,000 to $5 million and terms spanning 6 months to 30 years. Certain Lending is licensed to lend in 40+ U.S. states and is headquartered at 1000 2nd Ave, Suite 2500, Seattle, WA, operating as a subsidiary of Vontive, which provides the underlying AI-powered lending platform that enables instant document analysis, automated underwriting, and risk assessment.

The company's core technology stack includes a digital underwriting platform, virtual inspection capabilities, and digital draw management that compress closing times to as few as 5 days for fix-and-flip products (versus 45+ days at traditional banks). It employs 51-100 staff, including a sales force of eight loan officers, and operates a hybrid distribution model combining a self-serve investor portal (app.certainlending.com), a broker partner portal (certain-admin.certain.app), and direct field sales. Revenue is generated through origination points (1.25-2.5%), interest income on funded loans (rates ranging 7.375%-11.49%), and construction draw fees, with no publicly disclosed revenue figures.

Certain Lending's customer segments are horizontally segmented across fix-and-flip investors, rental property investors, construction borrowers, portfolio investors, self-employed borrowers, and bridge loan seekers, all sharing the common pain point of being underserved by traditional banks due to entity structures, LLC restrictions, income complexity, or speed requirements. The company's competitive advantage rests on proprietary technology (via Vontive), direct lending capital access enabling higher LTVs (up to 92.5% LTC), and a team that includes four Scotsman Guide 2026 Top Private Originators. Ownership is private with an early 2019 funding round from Village Global and LeFrak; the company has not raised institutional growth equity on disclosed terms.

Name

Certain Lending

Legal name

Certain Lending, Inc.

Website

https://certainlending.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Certain Lending is a Seattle-based, technology-enabled direct lender founded in 2017 that originates residential mortgages for SMB real estate investors across 40+ U.S. states, offering seven loan products powered by parent Vontive's AI underwriting platform that enables 5-day closings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest: Interest income earned on fix-and-flip, bridge, construction, and rental loans. Rates vary based on loan type, borrower experience, creditworthiness, and LTV ratios.
2. Origination Points and Fees: Upfront origination points charged at loan closing, typically ranging from 1-2.5 points depending on loan product and borrower profile. Additional closing costs apply.
3. Construction Draw Fees: Fees associated with draw inspections and funding for construction loans

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Certain Lending is a direct lender that provides seven mortgage products tailored to real estate investors: Fix and Flip, Construction, Bridge, Rental Properties, Short-Term Rental, Rental Portfolios, and Bank Statement loans. Loans range from $75,000 to $5 million with terms from 6 months to 30 years, are secured by investment properties, and are originated through an AI-powered platform with digital underwriting and virtual inspections. The company is licensed in 40+ U.S. states and supports entities, LLCs, trusts, foreign nationals, and self-employed borrowers.

Product overview

Certain Lending is a direct lender offering a portfolio of seven distinct mortgage products for real estate investors. The core offering includes Fix and Flip loans for property renovation, Construction loans for ground-up residential development, Bridge loans for interim financing, and Rental Properties for long-term hold strategy. Additional specialized products include Short-Term Rental financing (for Airbnb/VRBO properties), Rental Portfolios (for consolidating multiple properties under one loan), and Bank Statement loans for self-employed borrowers. All products are powered by the company's AI-powered lending platform, which handles underwriting and enables fast closing times.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fix and Flip Loan Short-term financing to buy and renovate residential investment properties with up to 10 units (single-family, townhomes, warrantable condos, 2-4 units, and 5-10 units). Loan amounts $100K-$1.5M, terms of 6, 12 or 18 months, up to 92.5% loan to cost, 100% financing of renovation, no interest on undrawn funds, close in as little as 5 days. For experienced and new real estate investors.
• Construction Loan Financing for ground-up construction of residential and small multifamily investment properties including single-family homes, townhomes, ADUs, and 2-4 unit projects. Loan amounts $200K-$1.5M, terms of 12, 18 or 24 months, up to 85% loan to cost and 65% loan to after-construction value, 100% financing of construction budget, virtual inspections, draw funding in 3-4 business days, close in 2-3 weeks. For real estate investors building new properties.
• Bridge Loan Short-term financing for newly constructed or renovated, currently vacant and stabilized residential investment properties that are ineligible for permanent financing. Loan amounts $150K-$1.5M, terms of 6, 12, 18 or 24 months, up to 75% LTV (65% cash-out), close in as little as 5 days. For investors needing interim capital or 1031 exchange bridge financing.
• Rental Properties Loan (DSCR) Permanent financing for rental properties with long-term tenants, using rental cash flow and stabilized property value (DSCR) to determine the loan amount. Loan amounts $75K-$1.5M, 30-year fully amortizing or ARM terms, up to 80% LTV (75% cash-out), close in 2-3 weeks. For long-term rental property investors.
• Short-Term Rental Loan (Airbnb / VRBO) Permanent financing solution for rental properties listed on Airbnb, VRBO, or similar short-term rental platforms, with DSCR calculated using 12 months of operating history or AirDNA market rents. Loan amounts $75K-$1.5M, 30-year fully amortizing or ARM terms, up to 75% LTV (70% cash-out), close in 2-3 weeks. For short-term rental investors.
• Rental Portfolios Loan Consolidated financing for experienced investors to finance up to 10 rental properties as a single loan, often more cost-effective than closing each loan individually. Loan amounts $150K-$5M (minimum 3 properties), 30-year fully amortizing or ARM terms, up to 75% LTV (70% cash-out), close in 4-8 weeks. For portfolio investors consolidating rental financing.
• Bank Statement Loan Permanent financing for self-employed individuals and small business owners on rental properties, qualifying income via 12 months of Personal or Business bank statements or 6 months of asset statements rather than rental cash flow. Loan amounts $75K-$1.5M, 30-year fully amortizing or ARM terms, up to 80% LTV (no cash-out), close in 2-3 weeks. For self-employed real estate investors who cannot qualify via tax returns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Loans can close in as few as 5 days
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Patch of Land: Tech-enabled private lender for real estate investors, offering fix-and-flip and bridge financing. Comparable niche focus and tech-driven underwriting approach.
• Kiavi: One of the largest private lenders to real estate investors, offering fix-and-flip, bridge, and rental loans with a tech-enabled platform. Closely comparable product set and target customer to Certain Lending.
• Lima One Capital: Direct lender specializing in fix-and-flip, new construction, rental, and multifamily loans for real estate investors. Operates a comparable balance-sheet model with similar product breadth and investor focus.
• CoreVest Finance: Acquired by Redwood Trust, CoreVest finances single-family rental investors and fix-and-flip borrowers via direct lending and securitization. Strong overlap with Certain's rental portfolio and DSCR products.
• Anchor Loans: Private California-based lender focused on fix-and-flip and new construction financing for residential investors. Directly comparable loan products and target borrower profile.
• Roc Capital: Direct private lender offering fix-and-flip, new construction, and rental loans to real estate investors. Overlapping product mix and customer base with Certain Lending.
• Visio Financial: Private lender focused on new construction and bridge financing for residential investors. Comparable construction loan product with similar draw management workflows.

Emerging players

• Groundfloor: Real estate crowdfunding platform funding fix-and-flip and rental loans. Comparable end customer (real estate investors) but uses a marketplace funding model rather than balance-sheet lending.
• HomeVestors: Largest single-family home buyer network in the U.S. While primarily a buyer/franchisor, it operates an internal lending arm serving its investor franchisees, with significant product overlap in fix-and-flip financing.
• SFR Capital: Specialized private lender for single-family rental portfolios and DSCR rental loans. Comparable DSCR and rental portfolio products targeting similar investors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/certainlending
• Xx.com/certainlending

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Certain Lending