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pfront, a real estate finance platform, has secured $1.5 million in equity and $1 million in debt funding to revolutionize broker-agent financing. Led by Diagram Ventures with participation from ROC Venture Group, this investment enables Upfront to launch its services and provide exclusive financial solutions to help brokerages attract, retain, and empower top-performing agents.

    Agents often struggle with costly commission payouts that can take up to three months, forcing them to rely on expensive credit products. Upfront aims to alleviate this burden by providing early access to earned commissions, reducing wait times and costs by up to 66%. The company's model partners with brokerages to lower fees for agents while maintaining transparency and avoiding negative impacts on credit scores.

    Co-founders Mukund Venkatakrishnan and Pierre Calzadilla bring extensive experience in the real estate industry. Venkatakrishnan, a two-time entrepreneur, launched Harvard's first cryptocurrency conference and a real estate brokerage during his studies. Calzadilla, a four-time revenue builder, is a former broker with 16 years of proptech experience.

    "We saw an opportunity to create real estate-native financial products that truly serve their users," said Upfront co-founder and CEO Mukund Venkatakrishnan. "Payday loans and credit cards exploit financial needs by trapping agents in a debt cycle with high interest rates."

    "It's expensive to be a real estate agent, and it's time to bet on the critical role agents play in the home transaction process," added Upfront COO Pierre Calzadilla. "We will empower them to reinvest in their business and financial well-being."

    Diagram Ventures' François Lafortune expressed excitement about supporting Upfront's mission: "We think there is a huge opportunity to better serve this massive market with new and innovative technology." ROC Venture Group Partner Dave Comiskey noted, "Upfront's value proposition aligns with our belief that innovative platforms create win-win situations for all stakeholders."