Have you recently heard that anyone can invest in real estate without buying a property? Maybe you’ve seen ads for Fundrise or Groundfloor and wondered if they are legit. It’s no wonder these platforms are gaining traction; the real estate crowdfunding market is exploding, valued at $22.1 billion in 2025 and only projected to grow further.[1]
However, while these apps look similar on the surface, they serve very different investors. Some are strictly for accredited investors, while others are open to anyone. Some lock up your money for years, while others offer more flexibility.
To help you choose the best fit, we’ve ranked the top real estate investment platforms available on the market. Before you scroll down to the list, we’ve also included a short decision-making framework to help you focus on those that actually suit your goals.
Before you pick an app, figure out which type of investor you are
Before we start with our list, there are a few questions you need to answer. While every platform here is a solid choice for the right person, there’s no one-size-fits-all option.
- Are you an accredited investor?
Some platforms are open to anyone, while others are strictly for accredited investors. This rule helps to ensure certain high-risk investments are only marketed to those with the experience and financial cushion to handle potential losses.
To qualify as an accredited investor, you generally need to meet one of these two criteria: have a net worth over $1 million, excluding your primary residence OR individual income over $200,000 (or $300,000 with a spouse or partner) in each of the prior two years.[2] - How long can you lock up your money?
Many of these platforms are illiquid and expect a five-year turnaround, on average. While some allow you to exit early, it often comes with a fee and other rules and restrictions.
We’ve also included options for those who prefer more liquid opportunities, where you can withdraw your cash more easily. - What's your minimum investment?
These days, almost anyone can invest in real estate. Some platforms have a $10 or $50 minimum, while others require $10,000 or more to get started.
| Investor profile | Recommended platforms | Minimum investment | Key advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-accredited & under $1K to start | Fundrise, Arrived, Groundfloor | $10-$100 | Low barrier to entry, diverse investment vehicles for beginners and everyday investors |
| Accredited & $10K+ | CrowdStreet, EquityMultiple, RealtyMogul | $5,000 and up | Access to institutional-grade placements and higher-yield potential |
| Anyone | Public REITs via brokerage | ~$80 (price of one share) | Highest liquidity and accessibility |
Our picks for the best real estate investing apps
Fundrise
🚀 Best for: Set-it-and-forget-it passive income
💲 Minimum investment: $10; Fees: 1% annual
Fundrise is a good starter platform for retail investors. With a minimum investment as low as $10 and the ability to tailor your portfolio strategy to your goals, it’s a low-stakes way to dip your toes into private real estate.
While the platform started with a sole focus on real estate, it now also includes venture capital and private credit. Because these strategies are built for long-term growth, they are best suited for a five-year horizon. According to historical data, the average returns for investors who joined between 2015 and 2026 reached 33.4% after the five-year mark.[3]
Keep in mind: This is not a liquid investment. Fundrise redemptions are quarterly and can be subject to delays or caps during market volatility.
Arrived
🚀 Best for: Non-accredited investors who want fractional rental ownership
💲 Minimum investment: $100; Fees: Sourcing fee (included in the share price) + 0.1%-0.30% asset under management (AUM) per quarter[4]
With Arrived, you can buy shares in specific rental properties, either traditional single-family homes or vacation rentals. You have the flexibility to pick specific properties you like or allocate your money into a managed fund for instant diversification.
The company offers two ways to earn: monthly dividends from rental income on each property and long-term appreciation when the property is sold. Similar to Fundrise, it’s a long-term play, as most properties are held for over five years to maximize returns.
Keep in mind: Arrived now features a secondary market for early exits. However, trading happens once a quarter, and you need to hold shares for at least six months before listing.
RealtyMogul
🚀 Best for: Investors who want REIT or individual deal options
💲 Minimum investment: $5,000 (MogulREIT); Fees: Vary by investment
RealtyMogul gives you two main ways to invest: You can either buy into specific commercial properties or choose one of their two managed REITs. Some offerings are compatible with self-directed IRA accounts.
For individual properties, you’ll see the estimated hold period (usually around five years), the target strategy, and the minimum investment (which typically starts at $35,000). These are private deals, so take into account that they are highly illiquid and can be very difficult to trade once you’re in.
If you prefer a broader, hands-off approach, RealtyMogul’s REITs (real estate investment trust) are a solid alternative. The Apartment Growth REIT focuses on long-term appreciation, while the Income REIT is geared toward steady cash flow. These are also illiquid; however, the platform offers a repurchase program after you have held shares for at least 12 months.
Keep in mind: Fee structures are complex and vary by specific property. Most of the individual property deals are strictly reserved for accredited investors.
CrowdStreet
🚀 Best for: Accredited investors with $50K+ to deploy
💲 Minimum investment: $25,000; Fees: Vary by investment
CrowdStreet is one of the largest marketplaces for accredited investors seeking institutional-quality commercial real estate (CRE) and diversified funds. You can find a deal for almost any goal: steady cash-flow, long-term appreciation, or a value-add project.
The platform gives you the choice between individual projects or curated portfolios, each coming with deep dives into the financials and expected return structures. Due to the nature of these deals, your money is illiquid and usually locked up for 3-5 years.
Keep in mind: CrowdStreet faced a high-profile rough patch with the 2023 Nightingale properties scandal, which serves as a colossal reminder of the risks involved. Because you are often investing with a third-party sponsor rather than the platform itself, doing your own due diligence on every single sponsor is essential.
EquityMultiple
🚀 Best for: Accredited investors who want deal variety
💲 Minimum investment: $5,000–$10,000; Fees: 0.5–1.5% annually
Unlike CrowdStreet, which acts as a broad investment marketplace, EquityMultiple focuses exclusively on mid-market commercial real estate.
One of the standout features is the Alpine Note, a short-term cash management tool with 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month terms.[5] It’s one of a few ways to get real estate exposure without locking your money up for years. For long-term holds, you can choose between senior debt, preferred equity, or value-add equity.
Keep in mind: This platform is strictly for accredited investors; while the entry point starts at $5,000, most deals require a $10,000 to $20,000 minimum.
Groundfloor
🚀 Best for: Non-accredited investors who want shorter lock-up periods
💲 Minimum investment: $10 (LROs), $100 (Notes/Flywheel); Fees: No investor fees (Flywheel comes with a management fee depending on the time of investing)[6]
With Groundfloor, you act more as the bank for real-estate developers. Instead of owning the property, you invest in shorter-term “fix-and-flip” loans. Groundfloor offers three main ways to get paid: Notes, which are very short-term (1, 3, and 12-month) options with fixed rates, individual loans for specific projects you can hand-pick, or their Flywheel portfolio, which provides a 2-3 year cycle with weekly payouts as loans are repaid.
Keep in mind: Investing in hard money loans carries default risk, so if a borrower can’t complete a flip, your returns could be delayed or reduced.
Public REITs via brokerage
🚀 Best for: Anyone who needs maximum liquidity
💲 Minimum investment: Price of one share (~$80–$100); Fees: 0.12% expense ratio
The best analogy to think of public REITs is like trading stocks. You can easily buy and sell them on major exchanges, making them the most liquid way to invest in real estate. Because they are legally required to pay out 90% of their taxable income to shareholders, the dividends are generally much higher than those of standard S&P 500 stocks.
There are some pitfalls to remember, particularly with taxes. REIT dividends are usually taxed as ordinary income rather than at the lower capital gains rate. So your tax hit can be significant, which is why some investors prefer holding them in a tax-advantaged account like a Roth IRA.
Keep in mind: REIT values correlate much more with the stock market than with private real estate.[7] If the S&P 500 takes a dive, your REITs likely will, too, even if the underlying property value stays stable.
The risks most apps won't reveal up front
Even if you work with the best and most straightforward real estate investing platform, there are certain risks and industry specifics to be aware of. Here’s what surprises new investors in real estate:
Liquidity risk
Most of these platforms lock your money up for a certain period.
For example, if you invest $5,000 in the Arrived Single Family Residential Fund, you can’t get it back for the first six months. If you need to exit after that six-month mark but before three years, you’ll face a 1% redemption fee. Even then, your exit needs to be approved, and the platform can suspend redemptions entirely if market conditions worsen.
Fee drag on returns
Be mindful of the compound effect when it comes to fees. As Jay Rollins warns, “Most platforms charge layered fees such as acquisition, asset management, and performance fees. These could have a material impact on the returns of an investment over time.”
For perspective, a 1% annual fee on a 7% gross return doesn’t leave you with 6%; because it applies to your entire balance, your net return drops to 5.9% after five years.
Tax complexity
Many of these platforms operate through LLCs or partnerships, which means they issue a Schedule K-1 tax form instead of the standard 1099 form if you decide to invest in individual properties. K-1s are notorious for arriving later in the tax season, which can complicate your filing if you like to get your taxes done early.[8] However, it’s a small delay, and this fact alone should not be a deal breaker.
Platform risk
Before committing, you must do thorough due diligence on both the platform and a specific deal sponsor.
These are private companies and are not FDIC-insured. If a platform goes out of business or a sponsor misappropriates funds — as in the case of the CrowdStreet scandal — investors have limited recourse. A proactive way to protect yourself is to check if the company is registered to sell securities at FINRA BrokerCheck and see its history.
How to evaluate any real estate investing app
No matter which option you choose (even if it’s not on our list), use this quick checklist to ensure you’ve covered all bases before committing:
- Who can invest? Check if the app is open to anyone or only accredited investors. No matter how great an offering looks, if it requires accreditation, and you don’t meet the income threshold, you’ll be wasting your time.
- What is the minimum investment and total cost? Make sure you understand the total fee load, including acquisition and management fees, and remember how they compound over time.
- What is the exit strategy? Understand the expected hold period and whether you are absolutely comfortable with leaving this money untouched. Make sure you know exactly how to pull the funds out earlier in case of an emergency, and what the penalty may be.
- Is the platform vetted? Do your research and check the history of the platform and whether its finances have been audited. Most importantly, make sure it is registered with the SEC or FINRA.
FAQ
Are real estate investing apps safe?
No investment is 100% safe, and you could always lose money. To minimize the risks, stick to legitimate platforms registered with the SEC and FINRA. This ensures they follow disclosure and oversight rules. Sometimes, the platform is just the middleman; when investing in individual properties, do your research on the specific deal sponsors and the cap rate to ensure the projected returns are realistic for the market.
What's the minimum amount needed to invest in real estate apps?
The answer truly depends on your finances and goals. The minimum investment on Groundfloor or Fundrise can be as low as $10. At the other end, on CrowdStreet, the minimum investment starts from $25,000.
Do real estate investing apps pay dividends?
In some cases, yes. These may come in two forms: rental income (your portion of the monthly rent) or interest income (payments from loans made to developers). Some platforms pay those out monthly or quarterly, while others focus on appreciation, where you get one payout when the property is sold years later.
Can I use a real estate investing app in my IRA?
Some platforms offer IRA-compatible accounts, but it really depends. For example, Fundrise allows you to open a Roth or Traditional IRA directly on their platform, while Arrived requires you to open a self-directed IRA with a third-party custodian.
What happens if a real estate investing platform goes bankrupt?
In many cases, even if the platform goes bankrupt, you still own the real estate. Generally, the assets are held separately from the company’s operating funds, and they will likely be transferred to a new manager. That said, your money may be frozen for some time and dividends may not be paid.