About Us
We want you to know who we are, and what qualifies us to guide you.
ℹ️ Overview
CoBuy, Inc. is a WealthTech company created by veteran real estate and finance professionals to simplify shared homeownership.
We started CoBuy to unlock homeownership and wealth creation for folks who want to buy and own a home with friends, relatives, or loved ones.
⚡️ A few quick facts:
- Based just outside Seattle, WA
- Mother-and-son founders, co-owners, live in a multigenerational household
- Developed 1st online platform for co-buying homes
- Developed 1st online platform for managing co-ownership of primary residences, powered by blockchain
- Founders have 60+ years of experience across real estate, finance, credit, insurance, and construction
- 41,500 hours of hands-on experience assisting co-buyers & co-owners
📖 Our Story
In 2015, we decided to co-buy as relatives and partners. We wanted to continue living together, but we also wanted to co-own a home. Pooling our resources seemed like a great way to increase our purchasing power and share expenses. We thought co-buying would be easy, given our real estate, finance, and development backgrounds. We were wrong. Our experience inspired us to start CoBuy to simplify buying and owning a home together.
🗓️ Timeline
2015
We begin our co-buying journey, struggle, and start full-time work to solve co-buying. R&D lasts nearly 12 months.
2016
- CoBuy is born.
- Research and development continues. We interview hundreds of Real Estate Agents, Loan Officers, Title & Escrow professionals, and Attorneys.
- We develop the CoBuy-certified™ Pro designation, professional course, and certification process for RE agents, mortgage lending professionals, attorneys, Title & Escrow professionals, insurance professionals, and CPAs.
- We begin to build the CoBuy-certified™ ecosystem of vetted professionals to support CoBuyers.
- In Q4, we launched the first home co-buying platform for friends, relatives, and loved ones.
2017 - 2023
- CoBuy works with co-buyers from across the US to help them navigate buying a home together.
- The CoBuy-certified™ ecosystem grows to nearly 100 vetted professionals.
- In 2018, Freddie Mac and UC Berkeley invite CoBuy to Innovate Housing 2018 as one of 10 housing innovators in the US.
- CoBuy releases the first report on co-buying a home in the US in 2021.
- CoBuy secures a grant from Algorand Foundation to build a new web app for co-owners to simplify the management of shared homeownership (multi-party asset management) in 2022.
- CoBuy is invited to speak at the global Algorand blockchain conference in Dubai about using blockchain technology to transform real world-assets in 2022.
2023
- We sunset our co-buying platform (www.gocobuy.com) to focus on our new platform for co-owners.
- Popular demand from prospective co-buyers leads us to create this course.
2024
- Released the Co-buying & Co-owning a Home 2024 Report, which got picked up by major national news outlets like Time Magazine.
- Shared Homeowner OS™ launched in Private Beta. The new platform helps co-owners plan, structure, and manage their most important asset together.
- Wrapped up the private beta and re-branded Shared Homeowner OS™ to Co-ownerOS™.
- Re-launched Co-ownerOS™ in Beta.
- Re-launched this course in open format for everyone to view.
👨🏻👩🏻💼Founders
📰 Press
Can't catch 'em all, but here's a selection of a few outlets who've covered us over the years.
Geekwire • Buy a home with a buddy? This startup aims to simplify non-traditional homebuying • November 25, 2016
Puget Sounds Business Journal • Startup CoBuy aims to make home co-buying easier • January 18, 2017
ATTOM Data • Shared Equity: Starter Homes for the Next Generation • September 27, 2017
ATTOM Data • Housing News Report • December 2017
Redfin • 2018 Market Predictions
Washington Post • Experts weigh in on what the 2018 housing market will bring • January 8, 2018
Kiro News Radio • Seattleites are now teaming up to buy their first homes • April 3, 2018
Fannie Mae & The Atlantic • Affordable Housing's New Abnormal • 2019
Realtor.com • Co-Buying: How Cash-Strapped Millennials Are Becoming Homeowners Without Family Help • February 20, 2020
US News & World Report • What You Should Know About Co-Owning a House • December 10, 2021
Freethink • Frozen out of homeownership, millennials explore co-buying • January 1, 2022
Fidelity • The future of housing • May 3, 2022
Bank of America • 5 steps to buying a home with friends• December 2022
MarketWatch • Can you co-buy a house with friends? Yes, and it can pay off • December 20, 2022
Rocket Homes • Buying A House With A Friend: A Guide To Legal And Practical Considerations • March 10, 2023
CNET • Can't Afford a Home? Buy One With Friends, Siblings or Partners Instead • May 15, 2024
TIME Magazine • Meet the Friends Buying Houses Together • June 10, 2024
Bustle • What If Your Ideal Roommate Is... Your Sibling? • June 12, 2024
Forbes • How Blockchain Is Redefining Asset Ownership In The Web3 Era • July 14, 2024
The Wall Street Journal • They Bought Homes With Their Friends—and Now They Want Out • September 23, 2024
The Independent • Is it ever a good idea to buy a house with friends? • September 30, 2024
🔗 Links
Check us out, we're real.
Matt Holmes (LinkedIn) is co-founder and CEO of CoBuy, formed in 2016 to unlock homeownership for everyone. Before hopping a flight to Seattle to start CoBuy with his mother, Matt worked in investment banking and financial markets in London for a decade. He holds degrees from University College London (BSc Economics) and ESCP Business School (Masters, London & Turin).
Pam Hughes (LinkedIn) is Co-founder and COO at CoBuy. She has over 40 years of experience across finance, real estate, insurance, and construction. Pam has committed to personal empowerment through financial education for decades, which inspired her to start CoBuy with her son in 2016. She's best friends with a small dog known as Francis.
Check out our new app for home co-owners.
Co-ownerOS™ helps you plan and manage co-ownership with friends, family, or your partner.
📝 Create & manage agreements—fast
💸 Streamline finances, expenses, payments
🗂️ Nail documentation
📈 Track key stats
🚪 Plan an exit strategy
Manage your most important asset, together.
✅ Save $1,000s on legal fees
✅ Save 120 hours of annual admin
✅ Avoid guesswork and conflict
✅ Protect your home, investment, relationships
✅ Build wealth
Co-ownerOS™ Beta is live. Join the waitlist now.