Sohin Shah, Co-Founder of InstaLend
“You guys are making a real difference. I hope more businesses can learn about MainStreet and benefit.”
An innovative non-bank lender, InstaLend provides short-term loans for the acquisition and
rehabilitation of residential real estate properties, along with long-term loans for stabilized rental
properties. Differentiating itself from the competition, InstaLend leverages technology to
enhance efficiency and convenience for real-estate developers.
“We’re building technology to shorten the loan-closing process,” says Sohin Shah, Co-Founder of
InstaLend. “We’ve already been able to lessen the time it takes for construction draws to be
approved from four days to one. We’re also hard at work on building a portal to facilitate
resource and knowledge sharing amongst our community of real estate developers.”
Because research and development (R&D) is a crucial element for the company’s growth strategy, it was a no-brainer for InstaLend to join the MainStreet community.
InstaLend’s R&D Focus in 2023
In 2023, InstaLend is focusing on two key areas of R&D. First, they develop technology to streamline the loan closing process, aiming to reduce the time it takes to approve construction draws. Additionally, InstaLend is building a knowledge-sharing portal for their community of real-estate developers, facilitating resource exchange and collaborative learning.
Before partnering with MainStreet, InstaLend faced challenges in identifying and accessing available tax benefits, particularly regarding R&D tax credits. They sought a streamlined solution that could simplify the qualification process without adding complexity.
“We were lacking someone that understood how to help us qualify for the tax benefits without making it too complicated,” says Sohin.
InstaLend explored various options, yet found that many other platforms required excessive introductory calls with sales agents before initiating the analysis, which was time-consuming and less efficient. MainStreet stood out as a unique, tech-driven solution that provided quick results without excessive human interaction.
Sohin says, “I like that MainStreet can handle all the analysis without speaking to humans first. Also, you guys are pretty fast with paperwork!”
Significant tax savings
Through their collaboration with MainStreet, InstaLend was able to access significant tax savings. In 2021, they received $65,000 in R&D tax credits, with the amount increasing to $291,929 in 2022. These savings provided InstaLend with the financial resources to continue investing in R&D and fuel their pursuit of technological innovation.
“You guys are making a real difference,” says Sohin. “I hope more businesses can learn about MainStreet and benefit.”
The tax savings achieved with MainStreet’s assistance allowed InstaLend to allocate additional funds towards R&D initiatives, reducing loan processing time by 75%. This financial flexibility enabled them to explore new technologies, streamline operations, and develop innovative solutions that further differentiated them in the real estate lending market.
“If I had to describe MainStreet in one word, it’d be ‘irreplaceable,’” says Sohin.
We think you are too, Sohin.
