DiversyFund Review [2024]: Just $500 to Invest in Real Estate

Real estate can be a great addition to your portfolio if you're looking for diversification. It could prove to be a valuable alternative investment alongside stocks and bonds. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to invest in real estate projects as access to large amounts of capital is often required to purchase properties. With DiversyFund, however, that's no longer the case.

This real estate crowdfunding platform's goal is to enable the everyday investor to take advantage of the same investment opportunities available to the wealthy — namely, the chance to invest in private market real estate and achieve your personal finance goals.

Here’s how the platform works, who it’s right for, and how prospective investors can get started.

What is DiversyFund?

	Diversyfund
Minimum investment	$500
Management fees	2% annual asset management fee
Asset classes	Real estate in the form of REITs (real estate investment trust)
Account types available	Individual Joint Trust Entity
Features	Open to non-accredited investors
Distributions	No early withdrawals allowed
Best for...	Beginning or intermediate real estate investors who prefer a low minimum starting balance
	Visit Diversyfund

In 2016, Craig Cecilio and Alan Lewis formally started DiversyFund. Their goal was to make it easy for everyday investors to get started with real estate investing without buying property.

DiversyFund does this by offering real estate crowdfunding. Investors can buy into real estate investment trusts, which pool capital and use the money to purchase or finance the purchase of commercial real estate. Specifically, the DiversyFund Growth REITs invest in apartment buildings that generate cash flow and have a high potential to appreciate in value.

After its founding, DiversyFund became SEC qualified. The fund undergoes annual audits to ensure it is compliant with regulations set by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To maintain its SEC qualifications, DiversyFund must also regularly file financial documents. These documents help investors better understand what DiversyFund does with investor money.

DiversyFund, which is headquartered in San Diego, California, has more than 30,000 investors. The initial DiversyFund Growth REIT I is now closed to investors and has progressed through the acquisition and renovation stages to the positive cash flow stage. The Growth REIT II is currently raising capital, opening the door to more investors interested in how to invest in real estate with limited cash.

How does DiversyFund work?

DiversyFund is one of the best investment apps for individuals looking to invest in commercial real estate because it doesn't require a large minimum investment. In fact, with just $500, you can buy into its crowdfunded REITs and invest in multifamily commercial property.

When you invest with DiversyFund:

• The money you contribute is pooled with contributions from other investors so DiversyFund can raise capital to buy commercial properties.
• DiversyFund uses pooled money to buy properties that meet strict criteria and have the potential to gain value before they are resold. They only buy apartment buildings that are 100 units or larger, and it aims to buy properties that can be resold for a profit in about five years. The goal is to generate between a 10% and 20% return for each property.
• After purchasing properties, they are renovated in order to increase both the amount of rent that can be collected and to help ensure the property value rises quickly. After properties are renovated, time is allotted for them to increase in value.
• Properties are then sold, and any profits made from their sale are distributed to investors. This is when you get back your money, and ideally, a generous return on your investment.

DiversyFund provides investors with a 7% preferred return. That means that when investments make a profit, 100% of the gains go to investors up to the first 7% before DiversyFund receives a share of the profit.

Who can use DiversyFund?

To be eligible to invest in real estate with DiversyFund:

• You must be a U.S. resident
• You must be over the age of 18
• You must be willing to make an investment of at least $500

Because Diversyfund is not a private REIT, it is available to more people than just institutional investors. You don't need a high net worth to invest with DiversyFund. However, real estate is not a liquid asset that can be quickly and easily bought and sold. In fact, these investments are considered to be illiquid and you must be willing to leave your money invested for around five years. 

DiversyFund does collect rent on the investment properties and will make distributions to investors — however, your dividends are automatically reinvested to finance renovations and purchase new assets. In other words, you won’t get your money back (or your share of any profits) until the end of the fund's term when the assets in the REITs are sold.

How much can you earn with DiversyFund?

With DiversyFund, you earn money only if the investment properties within the fund appreciate in value and can be sold at a profit.

DiversyFund indicates the goal is to generate between a 10% and 20% return for any of the properties it buys — which can be a fairly generous return on your investment considering the S&P 500 (an index of the 500 largest financial companies that's widely considered to be a barometer of the U.S. stock market) earns around a 9% to 10% average annual return.

Remember, though, you will not get your return on investment until the end of the fund’s term. You're essentially locking up your cash for around five years and can't get out of your investment as you could if you invested in the stock market.

Maximizing your earnings with DiversyFund

The best way to potentially maximize your earnings with DiversyFund is to make a larger investment. Although you can get started with as little as $500, the average investment is $2,500.

You can set up automatic recurring investments and regularly transfer money to DiversyFund and allow your money to grow on autopilot. You also have the option to roll over old employer-sponsored 401(k) accounts or traditional IRAs into a self-directed IRA that you can invest with DiversyFund. It will connect you with a custodian to manage your account, and a member of the investment team can walk you through the process.

Is DiversyFund legit?

Investments carry risk, including the DiversyFund REITs. The best way to minimize your risk of losing money is to ensure you're as educated as possible about what you're investing in.

DiversyFund offers a learning center that helps you learn the basics of real estate investing and provides insight into what role it should play in your overall investment strategy.

Take the time to consider the risks and rewards of buying into a REIT that invests in multifamily commercial real estate before you fund your account. And make sure your investment with DiversyFund is part of a well-balanced portfolio that gives you exposure to other asset classes, such as stocks and bonds.

Common questions about DiversyFund

How to sign up for DiversyFund

If you're interested in using DiversyFund to help you build wealth, you'll begin the sign-up process by visiting DiversyFund.com and clicking "Get Started."

You'll be able to create an account for free, either by completing the form on the website or by using your LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google profile. If you're not linking an existing account, you'll need to provide information including:

• Your full name
• Your phone number
• Your zip code
• Your email address
• A referral code (if someone referred you)

You’ll receive a verification email that you need to click on in order to complete the signup process. After you've received it and confirmed, click "Invest Now."

You'll then need to provide your full address, your date of birth, your Social Security number, and funding information for your bank account. You'll also need to sign the site's disclosures and agreements.

Once you do that and specify the amount you want to invest, you gain access to fully-vetted investment opportunities in DiversyFund's growth REITs.

If you need help, you'll also have access to a team of investment professionals.

Other real estate investment platforms to consider

Learning how to invest money can be the ideal side hustle if you're considering how to make extra cash. But there are risks to investing, including losses. You can minimize these risks by diversifying, or purchasing a wide range of different assets. For this reason, some people choose to invest in real estate development.

DiversyFund is a great option for those that want to learn how to invest in real estate without much cash, but it's not the only option. In fact, there are other online real estate investing apps worth considering, including:

• Fundrise: Fundrise is a good option for beginners that provides some additional liquidity compared to DiversyFund. It offers a lower minimum investment at just $10 and includes a wider range of property and asset types, including residential real estate. 
• Crowdstreet: You need to be an accredited investor to use Crowdstreet. This option is better for more experienced real estate investors who have more money to invest and who want to add multiple property types to their portfolio.