Recreating your world
through your property.

We help property owners who can’t solve their situation through a bank or another traditional lender. Instead of lending you money, we use the equity in your property in a structured property sale, usually with an investor partner. To keep your home, you sell it, rent it back and keep a protected right to buy it back. Or you can sell it with our support. If you don’t own a home yet, Assist to Own lets you rent a home with an agreed option to buy it.

With a loan, you borrow money, your home stays in your name and you repay the loan with interest. With us, your property is sold: if you keep it, you pay a monthly rental to stay on and can buy it back at the price agreed upfront. All the terms are agreed upfront and in writing. We are not a bank, a lender or a debt-review company.

1. Free assessment (Exposure Calculator). A short online pre-qualification form that takes a few minutes.
2. Full application. If there may be a fit, you receive a link to the full application, where you add your documents.
3. Free proposal. Our specialists review everything and prepare a proposal for your situation.
4. Your decision. A Real Estate Solution Specialist explains the structure, the costs, the timeline and what’s expected of you. Then you decide whether to go ahead.
5. We manage it. If you go ahead, we coordinate the investor, the bank, the attorneys and the transfer.

The solutions fall into three groups: keep your property, sell your property and Assist to Own (rent to own).

Equity is what your property is worth, minus everything you still owe on it, such as your bond and any arrears. For example, a home worth R1 000 000 with R600 000 owing has about R400 000 in equity.

The more equity you have, the more options you usually have — for example, unlocking cash while you keep living in your home. If you owe close to, or more than, what the property is worth, the options narrow, and a negotiated settlement with the bank may be the most realistic route.

To keep or sell, yes — you need to own residential property in South Africa. Assist to Own is for people who don’t own a home yet and want to work towards buying one. The free assessment on this page is for homeowners, so apply for Assist to Own instead.

You can still apply. This isn’t a bank-approval check: we look at your property, what you owe, your income and your goals. Some solutions are designed to give you time to rebuild your credit profile.

No — no outcome can be guaranteed. The legal stage, the time available, the property’s value, the debt and your equity all determine what is possible. That’s why it helps to reach out as early as you can.

Yes. Whether you keep or sell, your property is sold in a structured transaction:

• Keep your property: it is usually sold to an investor partner, who becomes the registered owner. You rent it and keep living in it, and legal protections registered against the title deed safeguard your right to buy it back. It is fully yours again only once you buy it back.
• Sell your property: it is sold on the market for the best possible price, or as a quick sale at an agreed discounted price. If cash is unlocked before the sale, an investor partner may buy the property first or partner with you in the sale. Either way, you can stay until it has been sold and transferred.

Nothing is sold until you have accepted a proposal and signed the agreements.

Yes. If you keep your property, you stay on under a lease agreement for the contract term and pay a monthly rental. If you sell, you can keep living there until the property is sold and transferred.

The rental, the term and your responsibilities as the occupant are set out in your proposal and agreement before you sign.

If the purchase price covers what you owe, your existing home loan — including any arrears — is paid off from it when the property transfers, and the bond is cancelled. Cash unlocked from your equity can then be used to settle other debt and, where creditors agree, short-term debts may be settled at a discount.

If you owe close to, or more than, what the property is worth, the price may not cover your bond. We then aim to negotiate a discounted settlement with the bank, but any shortfall the bank does not write off in writing remains your debt. Your proposal shows exactly how each debt will be dealt with.

It depends on your solution, the bank and the Deeds Office. As a guide, a property transfer in South Africa usually takes about two to three months once the agreements are signed. Your proposal gives you an expected timeline.

Money due to you is paid as set out in your agreement — in a sale, usually by the conveyancing attorney once transfer is registered. Where cash is needed sooner, for example to settle urgent arrears, your proposal says when it will be available.

If you keep your property, your right to buy it back is agreed upfront in writing, and legal protections registered against the title deed safeguard it. Your agreement sets out:

• The price: agreed upfront and written into your agreement.
• The period: immediately, or later within the contract term, on the agreed terms.
• The requirements: keeping to the terms of your agreement, such as paying your rental on time, and paying the buy-back price.

Usually the buy-back is paid for with a new home loan once your credit profile has recovered; our bond originator partners can help with that.

Speak to us as early as possible — the sooner we know, the more can be done. If you can’t buy back by the end of the term, the investor stays the owner. Depending on what was agreed, you may be able to co-own the property, or stay on under a longer-term lease with a final window to buy back. If neither is agreed, your lease ends with the contract term and you would need to move out.

Keeping up your rental is usually one of the conditions for buying your home back, so falling behind can put your right to buy it back at risk. Your agreement sets out exactly what happens if you fall behind, and your specialist explains it before you sign.

Because the right solution depends on your full picture: your bond balance and arrears, the property’s value and condition, your other debts, your income and any legal action. Without it, any answer would be a guess.

The documents are needed for the transaction too. Property transactions require identity verification under FICA (for example, your ID and proof of address), and your consent lets us obtain information such as your bond statement and share it with the partners who help assess your case, in line with POPIA.

It’s free, and you only decide once you’ve seen your proposal.

No. Applying and giving consent only allow us to assess your situation and prepare a proposal. You’re not committed to anything until you accept a proposal and sign the agreements, and you can stop at any point before then, at no cost.

Confidentially, and in line with our privacy policy. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

You move into a home and rent it with an agreed option to buy it. During the agreed period you settle debts, improve your credit record and work towards qualifying for a home loan, so that you can buy the home while your option is still in force. Apply for Assist to Own.