ZeroDown

ZeroDown was a San Francisco-based real estate technology platform that enabled buyers to move into their desired homes without a down payment, using an equity-sharing rent-to-own model. The platform allowed ZeroDown to purchase homes on behalf of buyers with all-cash offers, with the buyer then paying monthly — a portion of which built ownership equity — until they were ready to exercise a purchase option and buy the home outright. The company was a Y Combinator W19 graduate and targeted working professionals with steady incomes who could not afford the large down payments required in expensive markets like San Francisco. ZeroDown raised venture funding before being acquired by Flyhomes, a Seattle-based real estate company offering buy-before-you-sell services. After the acquisition, Flyhomes subsequently sold its consumer home search technology to The Real Brokerage in 2025.