Real estate crowdfunding has become an increasingly popular way for investors to get involved in real estate deals that were previously only accessible to wealthy individuals or institutional investors. Through real estate crowdfunding platforms, investors can pool their money with others to invest in commercial or residential properties for a share of the rental income, profits from a sale, etc. While real estate crowdfunding offers exciting opportunities, it’s understandable that investors have questions about whether it’s really worth it. There are pros and cons to evaluate when deciding if real estate crowdfunding aligns with your investment goals and risk tolerance.

Lower Investment Minimums Open Access

One of the biggest benefits of real estate crowdfunding is that the investment minimums are much lower than what you would need to invest on your own. Whereas investing in physical real estate properties often requires tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, real estate crowdfunding deals can have minimums from $500 to $10,000. This allows investors who don’t have tons of capital to diversify into real estate. Rather than saving up for years to buy one rental property, you could invest small amounts into multiple properties now. Real estate crowdfunding democratizes access to deals that were previously only available to the wealthy.

Portfolio Diversification

In addition to lower minimum investments, real estate crowdfunding makes it simpler to build a diversified real estate portfolio. Choosing which properties to purchase on your own requires extensive research to select assets in different markets, with different strategies (residential vs. commercial), and in different parts of the real estate cycle. With crowdfunding, you can browse pre-vetted deals online and invest in a range of real estate projects to mitigate risk. Geographic diversification is easier through national and global crowdfunding platforms. Balancing residential, commercial, retail, and other types of real estate projects lets you diversify across sectors.

Passive Income Potential

Many investors are attracted to real estate crowdfunding for passive income opportunities. Rather than taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord, you can earn income from properties you invest in through a crowdfunding platform without having to do the hands-on work. Top real estate crowdfunding platforms handle property management, leasing, maintenance, legal compliance, rent collection, and more. You get the benefits of income generation without the day-to-day management burden. Real estate investments can produce steady cash flow month-over-month or via annual dividend payments.

Professional Vetting

Leading real estate crowdfunding platforms have teams of experienced professionals who vet each deal before listing it for everyday investors. They conduct due diligence to assess risks, validate business plans, evaluate sponsors/developers, audit financials, look at comparable deals, etc. This expert pre-screening gives investors more confidence. You can lean on the knowledge of these teams who assess potential investments full-time rather than figuring it all out solo as an individual investor. Their strict listing standards also weed out less attractive opportunities. In addition, you also get to enjoy real estate crowdfunding tax benefits.

Drawbacks To Consider

While real estate crowdfunding offers some excellent benefits, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider as well:

• Illiquidity: Most real estate crowdfunding investments are illiquid, meaning there isn’t an easy way to cash out your investment right away. You may have to hold it to maturity.
• Lower returns than direct ownership: The tradeoff for passive real estate investing is that returns are typically a bit lower than owning and managing properties yourself.
• Risks still exist: Vetting and diversification reduce risks, but real estate losses are still possible if deals don’t pan out as expected.
• Fees: Platform fees, fund management fees, carry charges, etc. can erode returns to some degree.
• Tax headaches: You’ll likely receive multiple K-1s to report profits/losses, which can complicate taxes.

Is Real Estate Crowdfunding Right For You?

If you don’t have hundreds of thousands to invest, real estate crowdfunding allows you to gain exposure to assets that would be otherwise out of reach. It’s an easy way to build a balanced portfolio across different markets and sectors. Though returns may be a bit lower than direct ownership, passive income can be attractive for hands-off investors. Weigh the benefits and drawbacks relative to your specific investment objectives. For many, real estate crowdfunding does provide strong risk-adjusted returns and portfolio diversification without requiring huge upfront capital. If you take the time to evaluate offerings and diversify prudently, it can absolutely be worth considering.