Trade-up · Wound down 2023 · Historical review · Reviewed April 2026

Orchard Move First

Historical review. Orchard wound down Move First in 2023 and now operates Orchard Financing through lender/agent partners. The page below describes the former Move First product for reference.

5.9
Historical rating
Move First is no longer accepting direct-to-consumer customers. See Orchard Financing (lender/agent-partner product) for current offerings.
Wound down2023
8.75%Historical fee stack
Formerly 5States
FinancingCurrent product
Program status: Orchard wound down the Move First product in 2023 and currently operates Orchard Financing through lender/agent partners. Formerly TX, CO, GA, NC, FL; currently not accepting direct-to-consumer customers. This page is retained as a historical reference.

Company at a glance

Orchard was founded in 2017 as Perch by Court Cunningham, rebranded as Orchard in 2020, and is headquartered in New York. The consumer Move First product wound down in 2023; current activity centers on Orchard Financing, accessed through partner lenders and real-estate agents.

Summary (historical)

Orchard's Move First turned the trade-up product into a managed service: Orchard extended a line of credit against your departing-home equity, funded the new purchase, and — uniquely at the time — took over home prep, professional staging, and photography for the departing-home listing. If the departing home didn't sell within 90 days, Orchard made a backup offer at a stated floor price.

Fee framing: Orchard acted as listing broker and collected a standard 3% listing commission; the commonly cited 6% figure includes the buyer-agent side of the transaction. On top of that was a 2.75% trade-up fee. The 8.75% all-in figure reflects both sides of the commission plus the program fee — a hefty premium to Knock's historical 1.25% + bridge interest. The concierge experience justified the premium for sellers who valued not managing the sale themselves.

How it worked

Qualify, get a line commitment, make the cash offer on the new home, Orchard funded the purchase, you moved in. Orchard's team handled staging and photography on the departing home at no additional cost; the listing went live with your Orchard-affiliated agent. At second close, the line was repaid plus fees.

Pros (historical)

  • Concierge service including staging and photography
  • Backup-offer floor if the departing home didn't sell
  • Line of credit sized to full down payment
  • Best-in-class mobile app and seller dashboard at the time

Cons (historical)

  • 8.75% all-in (incl. both commission sides + program fee) — steepest in trade-up category
  • Formerly TX, CO, GA, NC, FL; currently not accepting direct-to-consumer customers
  • Required Orchard-affiliated listing agent
  • Backup floor was typically 5–8% below appraised value

Verdict

Historical: 5.9 / 10. Move First is no longer available directly to consumers. Current Orchard customers access Orchard Financing through partner lenders and agents.

Alternatives (current)

Concierge vs. price: which wins for you?

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