SyntheticFi Powers Home Purchases for Oui Financial Clients

Traditional lenders are rigid, slow, and costly

Oui Financial is a cross-border financial planning and investment advisory firm in San Francisco. They primarily serve French-Americans, dual nationals, and American professionals with international financial lives. Their clients include tech professionals, business owners, and executives with complex needs. For many of them, access to real estate financing that doesn’t jeopardize their long-term investment strategy is a key objective. However, traditional mortgage providers and private banks often fall short. 

Traditional lenders have rigid underwriting requirements, slow timelines, and relatively high costs that make it difficult for cross-border clients or those with concentrated stock positions to unlock liquidity for real estate. Some are recently IPO’d tech employees sitting on significant equity. Others are mid-career professionals or business owners who want to preserve their long-term investment strategy without triggering a taxable event by selling appreciated securities. One client said that she feels trapped by her portfolio when faced with major expenses, like real estate.

Real estate buying that’s simple and wealth accretive

SyntheticFi’s lending platform has been a “game-changer” for these scenarios. It has allowed Oui Financial’s clients to maintain their investment exposure while gaining liquidity for a specific, strategic use: buying a home or diversifying into real estate.

Its structure as a securities-backed loan through a box spread removes many of the friction points that clients usually encounter. Borrowing with SyntheticFi involves fast underwriting, no hard credit pull, and clear terms.

The cost of borrowing is also very appealing.

"Clients are often surprised to learn that they can borrow at a rate that’s typically below 5% without selling their investments—and without tripping a large capital gains tax."

Compared to traditional margin loans or bank lines of credit, the predictability and low cost of the SyntheticFi structure stand out. One client, a startup founder named Julie, felt “rich on paper but poor in reality” when trying to buy a home without selling her appreciated stock and incurring a large tax hit. When her advisor at Oui Financial introduced her to SyntheticFi, said it was the first time she felt like she was using her portfolio as a tool rather than being handcuffed by it. The securities-backed loan structure gave Julie the opportunity to borrow at low interest rates without selling assets, or suffering through a mountain of paperwork. She now recommends SyntheticFi to other founders as a smart, tax-efficient liquidity strategy.

Oui Financial also appreciates how well this solution integrates into their broader planning approach. It complements tax strategies like Roth conversions or harvesting losses, and fits within the overall asset allocation because the loan is not forcing a portfolio rebalance.

This has increased trust with clients and, in some cases, helped Oui Financial win accounts from competitors who only offered more traditional or cumbersome solutions.

Differentiated solution for real estate financing for international clients

Offering SyntheticFi has helped Oui Financial deepen relationships with their clients, increase wallet share, and bring more assets under management.

"In one case, the client moved an additional $2M to our custodian because they wanted to access SyntheticFi’s solution, and we required custody to facilitate it. That’s significant growth just from one opportunity."

It’s become a differentiator in client conversations. When prospects hear that Oui Financial offers this type of lending solution, it sets them apart from both wirehouse advisors and smaller RIAs that don’t have access to this structure or the knowledge to deploy it correctly.

Looking ahead, Oui Financial sees SyntheticFi as a key tool for liquidity planning—not just for real estate, but also for clients funding startup investments, education, or business expansion without disrupting long-term investment plans.

"We position it as a “smart leverage strategy for long-term investors who want to stay invested.” It’s an elegant solution—and one that aligns perfectly with the kind of advanced, tax-smart planning our clients expect from Oui Financial."