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Overview
About Flock Homes
Compare & Contrast
Flock's Portfolio
Transaction Process
Client Experience
Overview
Founded in 2020, Flock Homes is a real estate company and fund operator empowering landlords to exit from their rental properties through the 721 exchange.Through Flock Homes, real estate investors can use the 721 exchange to exchange their single-family, duplex, triplex, or quadplex rental properties for ownership in Flock’s fund without triggering capital gains taxes. While in Flock’s fund, investors benefit from continued access to steady cash flow and residential real estate appreciation, without any responsibilities of managing rental properties.
721 exchange refers to Section 721 of the US Internal Revenue Code, the same tax code that stipulates the commonly utilized Section 1031 (also known as the 1031 exchange). Section 721 was established in 1954 and has been used for decades by institutional investors to minimize taxes on real estate. Flock Homes has pioneered a platform that empowers individual landlords to access the same benefits of the 721 exchange. See our How It Workspage for more details.
No. Once you join Flock, title of your homes is transferred over to the fund and you now own equity in Flock’s diversified fund. As a result, you retain all of the benefits of real estate ownership, including access to cash flow and appreciation potential. However, you do not hold liability for managing any singular home.
Flock’s fund accepts single-family, duplex, triplex, and fourplex rental homes. All rental homes that join Flock’s fund must meet our financial return requirements. Homes with lower mortgage balances (generally, less than 50% of the home’s value) are more likely to be accepted into the fund. To see if yours qualifies, click here to submit your rental homefor an evaluation and our team will connect with you to discuss your valuation.
With your ownership in Flock’s fund, you have the ability to access cash flow from the rental income collected from the fund's portfolio of homes, and you continue benefitting from potential real estate appreciation based on the price performance of the homes in Flock's fund. You also transition into a fully passive approach to real estate investing, which has given Flock clients back countless hours of time and invaluable peace of mind. All operations of the homes in Flock’s fund, including leasing, repairs, and even HOA payments are fully managed by our team of professionals.
The 721 exchange allows you to defer substantial capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes you might otherwise trigger in a traditional sale of property. Following the minimum hold period, you can also access greater cash flow quarterly and better control your tax liability by liquidating Flock equity over time. Finally, Flock equity also benefits from a step-up in tax basis upon inheritance (read this for a detailed explanation on the step-up in basis), which can provide your heirs significant tax savings when they choose to liquidate their equity. We recommend you consult with your tax advisor, attorney, and/or the IRS website to understand how Flock can complement your personalized tax planning.
About Flock Homes
Flock Homes is the General Partner of Flock’s fund (Flock Homes OP LP). In other words, Flock Homes acts as the manager of the fund, which is collectively owned by all of the investors who have contributed homes to the fund.
The Flock Homes team encompasses decades of investment and management experience from the largest real estate institutions in the world, including J.P. Morgan, State Street Global Advisors, and Progress Residential, and has used their expertise to help 100+ landlords retire from real estate through Flock Homes. Learn more about the team here.
Flock Homes, our company and General Partner of the Fund, is an independent entity separate from the Flock Fund, which holds the high-quality, income-generating assets collectively owned by clients (or, Limited Partners). This structure ensures that the Fund can continue operating as long as a fund administrator is in place.In the unlikely event that Flock Homes goes bankrupt, and to future-proof client wealth, Flock has entered into an agreement with Roofstock, a leading single-family rental (SFR) platform that manages 25,000+ homes across 35+ markets, to act as a standby servicer to the Fund.While Roofstock is not formally responsible for management today and does not have any management authority, Flock’s arrangement engages Roofstock to become versed in the Fund’s operations and assets, including the Fund’s tax-driven execution and administration of 721 Exchanges. In the event there is a need to transition management of the Fund from Flock, Roofstock will, subject to the requisite approvals, be in a position to seamlessly integrate into the role of Fund Manager.
Flock has met or exceeded its cash return target to investors every quarter since inception.
Yes. While Flock's Fund is not currently subject to full SEC registration requirements due to an applicable exemption, Flock is nevertheless regulated by the SEC and subject to the rules for private fund advisors. Flock also files a Form D annually. You can find our filings on the SEC’s website.
Compare & Contrast
Many real estate investors utilize the 1031 exchange to sell their home for proceeds, and use those proceeds, tax-deferred, to purchase other investment real estate. With Flock Homes, investors can use the 721 exchange to seamlessly exchange their homes, tax-deferred, for direct ownership in Flock’s managed real estate fund. With a 1031 exchange, investors commonly continue to be active investors and operators of real estate properties. With Flock, the 721 exchange enables investors to take a long-term, passive approach to real estate investing.
A good property manager can offer some relief from your rentals, but as long as you hold title, you are financially and legally liable. This includes small items like vacancies, repairs, and evictions, but also big items like large renovations and disasters. By having ownership in Flock’s fund, your risk is diversified across hundreds of institutionally managed homes - you’re not liable for any single property. Our team manages everything, including leasing, repairs, and HOA payments, for every home in the fund. Because we are accountable to the long-term performance of the fund’s homes, our incentives are also closely aligned with yours. 
Depending on your ownership history, you could trigger thousands in capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes when you sell your rental homes. Instead of buying shares of a REIT and investing with significantly reduced after-tax proceeds, Flock Homes allows you to earn from a fund with tax-advantaged proceeds. The difference in returns can be substantial. Furthermore, Flock’s fund is purpose-built for long-term-oriented, retiring investors. Our platform also provides unparalleled reporting transparency. If you’d like an assessment of your estimated Flock returns, click here to submit a rental address, and one of Flock’s Single Family Rental Directors can provide you with a complimentary evaluation and a demo.
Flock's Portfolio
Flock’s fund contains the same types of homes that Flock acquires: single-family rental homes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes that meet Flock’s financial return requirements. Visit our portfolio pageto view the homes that are in Flock’s fund.
Flock Homes operates all homes in the fund as long-term rentals. We have a local team in every market where we own homes, complemented by third-party property managers that we actively manage. We believe local, responsive, and knowledgeable property management delivers the best experience for residents, the community, and ultimately, the fund clients.
The fund’s value is refreshed every quarter using a combination of automated valuation models (AVMs) and third-party appraisers. Every home in the fund is required to be appraised by a third party appraiser once every 24 months.
Flock’s goal is to own and operate homes on a long-term basis as single-family rentals. That being said, our fiduciary duty is to generate the best returns for the fund and its investors, and from time to time, we will strategically reposition individual assets to optimize fund performance. In these situations, Flock Homes has historically utilized 1031 exchanges where possible to preserve tax efficiency for contributors.
Transaction Process
Flock’s goal is to provide fair-market valuations for all rental properties. We will only transact on homes that meet our return criteria and support the performance of the fund. Our valuations are determined through an industry-standard underwriting process, incorporating leading AVMs and market comparables, based on property characteristics such as configuration, location, and condition. We perform formal inspections on all prospective homes before finalizing our valuations.
Yes. Flock Homes can accept homes that are occupied or vacant. If the home is occupied, we will honor the existing lease and work with the resident to renew once the lease expires.
Yes. Flock Homes can acquire homes with outstanding mortgages, however, homes with lower mortgage balances (generally, less than 50% of the home’s value) are more likely to surpass Flock’s acquisition criteria for the fund. At close, Flock Homes pays off your existing mortgage with your lender, and the value of Flock equity you receive will be tied to the remaining value of your equity.
While we are not a cash buyer, we do offer limited cash at close on a case-by-case basis. Click here to submit a rental address for an evaluationand a Flock Homes Single Family Rental Director will connect with you to discuss available options.
Flock Homes charges investors two simple fees: a one-time onboarding fee of 6% and an ongoing annual management fee of 1%. The onboarding fee is deducted from the value of your received equity in Flock’s fund, and the ongoing management fee is collected from the net operating income of the fund. Investors typically do not need to separately provide cash to transact or own with Flock. Unlike many other funds, Flock does not charge a performance fee. Read our Fee Documentfor more information on our fees.
The title of each rental home is transferred to Flock’s fund, of which you are now an investor. After closing, we will perform necessary value-add renovations, repairs, or maintenance to maximize long-term earning potential. We continue to lease them out as long-term, single-family rental properties.
Client Experience
Flock’s fund targets an 8-12% internal rate of return to its investors based on the performance of the portfolio of homes in Flock’s fund. This return encompasses 1) income generated by the portfolio’s rental activity and 2) appreciation of your equity based on the price performance of the portfolio’s real estate. For many Flock clients, the peace of mind and countless hours they reclaim is an invaluable benefit.
Cash flow is paid quarterly. You can receive it as cash or equity in the fund. Historically, cash received by investors in Flock has also benefitted from favorable tax advantages.
Upon joining Flock’s fund, you will gain access to your personalized online Client Portal, where you will have full detailed reporting on your financial performance. You also gain full visibility into the fund’s financials and real-time asset-level activity, such as individual leasing, renovations, and more. To preview the portal, click here to submit your rental address for an evaluationand one of Flock's Single Family Rental Directors can provide you with a complimentary demo.
We strive to provide you with a white-glove and collaborative ownership experience. You’ll have a direct line to Flock’s Client Advisor. Additionally, we hold quarterly investor calls to report on portfolio performance and strategy and quarterly Clients’ Forum meetings discuss our performance with you live.
Yes. If your contributed property had an unclaimed depreciation balance, you will continue to receive depreciation.
After a minimum hold period, your equity can be redeemed for cash directly with Flock, subject to the terms and conditions of the fund documents. Your equity can be redeemed all at once or spread out over a number of years to reduce potential tax liability. Just like selling investment properties, redeeming your equity for cash can be a taxable event.
Yes, with significant tax advantages. Like a traditional rental property, Flock equity ownership benefits from a step-up in tax basis upon inheritance, which can grant your heirs substantial tax savings when they eventually liquidate. Additionally, the flexibility afforded by owning equity in Flock’s fund rather than one illiquid property makes Flock an attractive estate planning instrument. However, we recommend you consult with your tax advisor, attorney, and/or the IRS website for personalized advice on your situation.