Real estate crowdfunding platforms are a popular option for investing in real estate without buying individual properties. But until recently, real estate crowdfunding wasn’t something you could easily do. Companies couldn’t publicly solicit investors to invest in private real estate projects. Instead, they had to rely on their personal connections to gather investors.
This changed when Congress passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) in 2012. After this law passed, companies could now advertise these investment opportunities publicly. Although the law didn’t likely intend to enable real estate crowdfunding sites to begin operating, the result allowed this to happen.
Several sites exist that provide different opportunities for potential investors. We’ve included platforms for accredited and non-accredited investors, each with different requirements, returns, and holding periods.
How we evaluate products
Choosing the right real estate crowdfunding platform is a big decision. To choose the platforms for our site, we considered the following:
- Whether you needed to be an accredited investor; we tried to include a good mix of both
- The minimum investment required
- The minimum required holding period and options for early redemption
- The overall fees
- The potential returns
We did not evaluate all products/services in the category.
The best real estate crowdfunding sites
Platform | Great for | Accredited Investor? |
Crowdstreet1 | Experienced investors | Required |
DiversyFund | Diversification | Not required |
Fundrise | Smaller investments | Not required |
EquityMultiple | Good investment selection | Required |
GROUNDFLOOR | Debt investments | Not required |
RealtyMogul2 | Private placement investments | May be required |
PeerStreet | In-depth analysis | Required |
7 real estate crowdfunding sites
Just as you can invest with one of several traditional brokerage firms, several real estate crowdfunding sites exist. Each offers its unique twist on real estate crowdfunding.
Some cater to accredited investors who meet certain net worth or income requirements, whereas others offer options for nonaccredited investors. Similarly, they may focus on different portions of the real estate market or different geographic areas.
1. Crowdstreet
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Required
- Minimum investment: $25,000 or more
Crowdstreet is a platform for experienced investors with a lot of capital and who reached accredited investor status.1 Investors have the option to choose individual commercial real estate deals or invest in real estate funds.
Crowdstreet covers the gamut of commercial real estate including retail, shopping centers, office and industrial complexes. Unlike other platforms, Crowdstreet is not a middleman; you deal directly with the sponsors, and the minimums can get as high as $100,000.
While there’s no guarantee on how much you may earn, Crowdstreet posts an investor internal rate of return that provides an estimate of how much you may earn on any given investment.
The downside is since you invest directly in commercial properties, your investment is highly illiquid, which means you should only invest what you can be without.
- All the vetting is done for you
- Doesn’t charge investor fees
- Offers options to invest directly in real estate or funds
- Only accredited investors can apply
- Most investments are illiquid
Visit Crowdstreet | Read our Crowdstreet review.
2. DiversyFund
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Not required
- Minimum investment: $500
Unlike Crowdstreet, you don’t need to be an accredited investor to invest on DiversyFund. You only need $500 to invest, but there is a 2% annual asset management fee to consider. Most of the properties on DiversyFund are apartment complexes with the potential for appreciation and cash flow.
DiversyFund’s mission is to purchase undervalued multifamily properties, professionally manage them, and use a value-add strategy to build long-term appreciation. The company structures its investment as a real estate investment trust (REIT) with a 4-6 year hold requirement, 12-15 and target investments.
The downside of DiversyFund is that it doesn’t pay out dividends, rental income, or other cash flow.
- Great for beginning investors
- Offers instant diversification with multiple properties in a fund
- Provides access to educational material
- Has limited funds/investment opportunities
- Long holding periods
Read our full DiversyFund review
3. Fundrise
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Not required
- Minimum investment: $10
Fundrise allows everyday investors to start investing in the real estate sector with as little as $10. The company focuses on providing investments that contain high-quality assets, including debt and equity investments in commercial, residential, and other types of real estate.
The types of investments you can make depend on how much money you have set aside. Simple investments in registered products, or products offered on markets, start at the $10 mark. If you want to access private funds, such as eREITs, you need at least $5,000 to get started. Fundrise does offer some accredited offerings, but you need an initial minimum investment of $100,000 to access these opportunities.
All investments are diversified across several funds, each of which are professionally managed, but like any of the crowdfunding sites on this list, your investment is illiquid.
- Very few barriers to entry to invest in real estate
- Can open retirement accounts
- Funds must be held for five years, or you pay a 1% penalty fee
- The site and fees can be confusing
Read our full Fundrise review
4. EquityMultiple
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Required
- Minimum investment: $5,000
EquityMultiple lets accredited investors invest in professionally managed commercial real estate. EquityMultiple evaluates potential investment opportunities, selecting only 5% of the opportunities they consider.
The platform offers various investment options:
- Short-term diversified notes
- Senior debt
- Preferred equity
- Value-added equity
Like most platforms on this list, the holding periods average three to five years, but they offer a few very short-term notes for more liquidity. Every investment has different fees, but on average, expect to pay around 1% annually.
- Minimal fees
- Options to invest in multiple types of real estate funds including debt and equity
- Allows retirement funds
- Must be an accredited investor
- Only offers commercial real estate options
Read our full EquityMultiple review
5. GROUNDFLOOR
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Not required
- Minimum investment: $10
GROUNDFLOOR has one of the lowest initial minimum investments of the real estate crowdfunding sites at just $10. This platform offers short-term, high-yield real estate debt investments originated by GROUNDFLOOR. As an investor, you get to choose which real estate projects you want to invest in, which allows you to diversify if you wish.
GROUNDFLOOR offers a few options for real estate investors, including:
- LROs: These are real estate debt investments for high-yield, short-term investments. They work best for short-term investors looking for opportunities with no fees.
- Notes: The notes have higher rates than T-Bills and give your portfolio some diversification along with short-term stability.
- IRA: These are real estate debt investments to help you save for retirement with minimal fees and opportunities for short-term gains.
- Low barriers to entry
- Automatic investing tools
- No option for early redemption
- Risk of borrower default can create losses
Read our full Groundfloor review
6. RealtyMogul
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Not required for REITs /required for private placement investments
- Minimum investment: $5,000
RealtyMogul offers two classes of investments for investors to consider.2 The company offers two REITs: Income REIT and Apartment Growth REIT. Each has a $5,000 minimum investment and different objectives to provide options to potential investors.
Private placement investments may include multifamily, office, industrial, self-storage, retail, and medical office buildings. These have higher minimums, such as $25,000 or more. Accredited investors can invest in both, whereas nonaccredited investors can invest only in RealtyMogul REITs.
- Offers a buyback program to offer liquidity
- Opportunities for non-accredited investors
- High minimum investment requirements
Read our full RealtyMogul review
7. PeerStreet
Platform details
- Accredited investor status: Required
- Minimum investment: $1,000
PeerStreet allows accredited investors to invest in real estate debt backing specific properties. You can invest in several types of loans with different terms, loan strategies, and other factors. In total, this investment platform provides hundreds of data points for you to analyze.
Investors can choose automated investing to ensure you have a guaranteed spot in new loans, or you can view opportunities yourself, managing your portfolio as you see fit.
- Offers in-depth analysis and insights
- New opportunities are posted daily
- Receive monthly interest payments
- Only open to accredited investors
- Most opportunities are short-term
Pros and cons of real estate crowdfunding
Pros
- Lower investment than purchasing a property: Traditional real estate investing requires you to pay cash or take out a mortgage on a property, which is typically a costly endeavor. Real estate crowdfunding could allow you to begin investing with as little as $10.
- Avoid managing properties: Crowdfunding takes property management out of your hands. Although you may be able to select which properties you invest in, you don’t have to pick tenants or deal with late-night phone calls if the air conditioner stops working.
- Diversify your investment portfolio: Crowdfunding could let you invest in several properties with lower minimums to diversify your portfolio, rather than investing all of your money in a single rental property. REITs and managed portfolios are also options to diversify across real estate asset classes or multiple properties.
- Earn dividends: REITs are structured in a way that requires them to pay out a large portion of their net income in dividends, which could provide income to investors.
Cons
- Can be an illiquid investment: Many real estate crowdfunding sites offer investments that are not publicly traded. If you need to liquidate your portfolio, these investments may not be able to be sold quickly. Even if you can sell them, you might have to pay fees to cash out early.
- May have to be an accredited investor: Several real estate crowdfunding sites require you to be an accredited investor to invest in specific opportunities. If you do not meet the income or net worth requirements, you cannot invest with these platforms.
- Risks related to the real estate market: Real estate has risks just as with any other asset class. The real estate market crash of the early 2000s showed real estate prices could drop significantly in a short period.
- Potentially high minimum investment: Some crowdfunding websites have investment minimums as low as $10. However, other investment options require $100,000 or more to start.
FAQ
Can you make money with real estate crowdfunding?
It is possible to make money by investing money in real estate crowdfunding investments. Your investments might pay dividends or increase in value in the future. As an investment, real estate crowdfunding also comes with a risk of loss. It’s impossible to perfectly predict returns, as with any other investment.
What is the best real estate crowdfunding site?
The best real estate crowdfunding site for you will depend on your particular situation. For instance, accredited investors might prefer sites that present investment options for their accredited investor status, whereas nonaccredited investors will likely gravitate toward other sites offering options for them. To find the best site for you, evaluate the type of investment, expenses, and risks each opportunity offers. Then, pick the site that fits your needs best.
Is real estate crowdfunding worth it?
Crowdfunded real estate might be an option for you if it helps you meet your investment goals. These sites could help you diversify your portfolio and potentially earn passive income and future returns. That said, they might come with risks beyond what your investment plan calls for. If that’s the case, real estate crowdfunding might not be the best option for you.
Who didn't make our list
There are many more real estate crowdfunding sites to consider, some that didn’t make our list, including:
- CollabHome: CollabHome is a crowdfunded student housing real estate platform. Through CollabHome, you can co-own an income-generating student housing property for as little as $500. This platform has fewer investment properties and they typically take a long time to fund since they aren’t as well known.
- Arrived: This platform for accredited and non-accredited investors allows fractional share investment of residential and vacation properties. The platform requires a minimum investment of $100, but has limited rental properties available and the fees are often high. Read our review to learn more.
Bottom line
Becoming a real estate investor doesn’t have to involve purchasing a property on your own. Instead, you can take part in crowdfunded real estate investments. Investing in this way is often less expensive than buying individual properties, and it could be an excellent way to build a diversified portfolio.
However, crowdfunded real estate may not be the best investment option for everyone. If you’re interested in exploring alternatives, check out our guide on how to invest in real estate.