Investing in real estate in the traditional sense — by purchasing income-generating properties or flipping a home — can come with hefty upfront costs. But real estate crowdfunding platforms allow you to add property investment to your portfolio with as little as $10.
Here’s how it works: You pool your investment with others by purchasing a share of a fund. The crowdfunding company uses this capital to purchase homes. As the properties start generating profits, you and your fellow investors receive a portion of the income. Plus, after a certain amount of time, you can sell your investment share to cash in on the property’s increased value.
CNBC Select spotlights our favorite companies based on customer service, investment minimum, asset type and return. To learn more about how we made our selections, check out our methodology.
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Best real estate crowdfunding platforms
Best for low minimum investment: Fundrise
Who’s this for? If you want to start investing but don’t have much cash to contribute, consider Fundrise, which lets you start investing with as little as $10.
Standout benefits: Fundrise has an easy-to-use app and website. Between the user experience and the low barrier to entry, Fundrise is the most accessible crowdfunding platform Select could find.
Fundrise
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Open Funds
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Asset types
Build-for-rent residential, multifamily apartments, industrial
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Net Asset Value
$1.1 billion for Flagship Fund; $644 million for Income Real Estate Fund; $11.90 for Flagship Fund; $10.12 for Income Real Estate Fund per share, as of Sept. 17, 2026
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Fees
0.85% management fee for both funds; 0.25% advisory fee
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Annualized return since inception
3.7% for Flagship Fund; 8.10% for Income Real Estate Fund
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Account minimum
Pros
- Very low minimum, meaning even people with limited funds can start investing
- Accredited and non-accredited investors can invest in funds
- Easy to use mobile app
- Asset diversity
Cons
- No monthly distribution options
- Users report that returns can vary significantly
- Limited phone line support
Best for asset diversity: RealtyMogul
Who’s this for? If you’re looking for a true breadth of commercial real estate investment options, look into RealtyMogul. It offers funds invested in office, industrial, retail and multifamily properties.
Standout benefits: RealtyMogul offers broad customer service options, including phone and email, so you can reach out however you prefer.
RealtyMogul
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Funds
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Asset types
Industrial, multi-family, office, retail
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Net Asset Value
$441 million for Income REIT; $247 million for Apartment Growth REIT and $6.85 per share for both funds
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Fees
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Account minimum
Pros
- Variety of commercial properties included in funds
- Robust customer support
- Established and long-standing in the real estate crowdfunding space
Cons
- Must hold for three years to redeem without penalty
- Harder for non-accredited investors to use
Best for investing in rentals: Arrived Homes
Who’s this for? Looking to invest specifically in the residential rental sector? Think about Arrived Homes. It offers several funds geared toward several areas of the residential real estate sector, including single-family units, short-term financing and city-specific funds.
Standout benefits: Arrived has detailed descriptions of its properties, yields and costs on its website, making it easier to know what you’re getting into.
Arrived
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Funds
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Asset types
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Net Asset Value
$92 million total net assets for the Income Fund; $21.7 million in total net assets for the SFR Fund; $4.1 million total net assets for the Seattle City Fund
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Historical Yield*
4.4% historical yield for SFR Fund; 8.4% historical annualized dividend yield for Income Fund and 4.9% for Seattle City Fund
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Fees
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Account minimum
Pros
- Excellent diversity of residential investment
- Specific city funds for areas with potential for high-growth
Cons
- No commercial properties included
What is real estate crowdfunding?
Real estate crowdfunding is when a group of people pool their funds to buy property and share the profits.
The structure has been around for a long time: publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), for example, were created in 1960 to make real estate investment accessible to the masses.
Today, anyone can invest in a public REIT by buying shares on the stock market. But many private REITs are limited to accredited investors (more on what that is below).
Over the past 15 years, amid the rise in fintech, new companies aimed at everyday, non-accredited investors have sprung up. These companies typically have a tech-forward interface and let you invest with a tap. They offer a quick, simple way for customers to diversify their investment portfolios without buying a property outright.
Accredited versus non-accredited investor
An accredited investor is an individual or entity allowed by financial regulators, like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to trade securities. To be deemed an accredited investor, individuals must meet these standards, per the SEC:
- You and/or your spouse must have an individual or joint net worth of $1 million or more, excluding the value of your primary home.
- You had an income exceeding $200,000 in the previous two calendar years or you had a joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 in that time frame.
- You hold a trust valued at more than $5 million, which meets other requirements set by the SEC.
- You hold a general securities representative license, an investment adviser representative license, or a private securities offerings license.
- You are a qualifying employee of a qualifying issuer of securities
- You qualify based on other criteria set by the SEC.
Real estate crowdfunding fund objectives
Each real estate crowdfunding company invests money from each fund based on a core objective. Here are the common types.
Growth
Also known as an account with a “capital growth” objective, the goal is to invest in properties that are likely to grow in value over time rather than start generating money right away.
- Timeframe to return: Usually longer-term
- Typical investments: Distressed assets, value-add assets, new construction, assets in high-growth areas
- Who’s this for: Someone not looking for an instant return, who is willing and able to tie their money up for years in the investment while it accrues value
Pros
- Greatest potential return
- Less susceptible to losses from inflation than an income-objective account
Cons
- There is a greater risk of losing your initial investment
- Return can be more volatile than an income account
Income
Also known as an account with a “cash-flow” objective, the goal of this type of fund is to start earning investors steady, passive income almost immediately upon making the investment.
- Timeframe to return: Can be shorter-term
- Typical investments: Existing and stable multifamily rental properties, commercial properties with existing long-term leases
- Who’s this for: Someone looking for a steady income of cash, and whose main priority is not long-term growth
Pros
- There is less return volatility than with a growth account
- You can start reaping returns almost immediately
Cons
- You’ll probably get a lesser total return than you would with a growth account
- More susceptible to losses from inflation than a growth-objective account
Balanced
A fund with this objective invests in a mix of properties that generate steady cash flow and are set to grow in value.
- Timeframe to return: Both longer and shorter-term
- Typical investments: A blend of income-producing properties and capital growth investments
- Who’s this for: Someone who is looking to minimize risks associated with both growth and income accounts and is OK not getting the maximum benefit that a solely growth or solely income account provides.
Pros
- You can get regular returns and build equity
- You can hedge against inflation and return volatility
Cons
- You won’t be as protected from losses from inflation as you would be with a pure growth account
- You won’t be as protected from return volatility as you would with a pure income account
How to choose a real estate crowdfunding fund
Here’s what to consider when choosing a real estate crowdfunding platform to start investing with:
- Minimum investment amount: Some crowdfunding platforms require you to start your account with a significant amount of cash. Check the company’s minimum to make sure it fits what you can afford. If you don’t have much to contribute, consider Fundrise, a great option that allows you to start with $10.
- Asset mix: In real estate, different types of properties — like industrial, office, retail, multifamily residential and single-family residential — are referred to as “asset classes.” Some funds limit their investments to one asset class, while others purchase properties across asset classes. You want to decide what kind of assets you want to invest in before you choose a company.
- Fees: Some companies charge more than others. Ask about and consider fees and how that will cut into your profits.
- Objective: Decide whether you want to prioritize long-term value growth, steady income or a more moderate mix.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to deliver high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make informed financial decisions. Every mortgage review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of mortgage products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content independently of our commercial team and any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on maintaining high journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
CNBC Select analyzed many real estate crowdfunding companies to determine the best. We focused on the following features:
Customer service: We gave more weight to companies that were given higher scores by the Better Business Bureau. We also noted if they had robust customer service phone hours and a website with an online chat feature and educational resources.
User experience: We considered each crowdfunding platform’s website and app, plus how easy it was to find out information about funds and investments.
Investment options: We gave preference to those that had multiple investment options available to everyday, non-accredited investors and those that had a limited threshold to entry. We also gave preference to those who had both income and growth funds.
Fees: Each company charges some type of fee. We clearly noted what these fees are.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
