Real estate crowdfunding has exploded in popularity over the last decade, making high-value real estate deals more accessible to everyday investors. But with so many crowdfunding platforms available, how do you decide which to choose?
In this article, we’re ranking the top five best real estate crowdfunding platforms for today’s investors. Find out what to look for when making your choice, see how popular platforms compare, and learn which platform is likely to work best for you.
But first, a quick definition of real estate crowdfunding and a look at the criteria for objectively choosing the best platforms.
What Is Real Estate Crowdfunding?
Real estate crowdfunding is when multiple investors pool funds to invest in a real estate project or portfolio. Crowdfunded deals have project sponsors or fund managers who oversee the venture on behalf of the investors.
The term crowdfunding is often used interchangeably with real estate syndication. The two investment models are very similar, with the primary difference being in how ownership is held. In a true syndication project, all investors become limited partners in the entity that owns the project (with the sponsor being the general partner). Having said that, because the models are so similar, this article will explore both crowdfunding and syndication platforms.
Criteria for Choosing the Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms
When reviewing and comparing the best real estate crowdfunding platforms, we considered the following criteria:
Personal Considerations When Choosing the Right Crowdfunding Platform for You
In addition to the primary criteria for choosing the best real estate crowdfunding platform, there are a few personal preferences to consider, including:
Whole fund vs. deal-by-deal. Some platforms have you invest in an entire fund of properties, while others allow you to hand-select the projects you want to invest in. And some platforms offer both options.
Investment minimums. All platforms have a minimum acceptable investment amount. This can range from as little as $10 (for a low-yield fund investment) to $50,000 or more, depending on the platform and the project.
Investment durations. It’s important to understand the timeframe you’re committing to when investing in crowdfunding. Depending on the project/portfolio, timeframes could be as short as three months or they could take five years or more.
The company’s niche. Some platforms focus on a specific category of real estate (like multi-family developments) or a specific geographic location.
Gatsby’s experienced team has built local industry connections that increase efficiency and reduce costs, resulting in impressive returns. Founder and CEO, Dan Gatsby, is also heavily involved in the Los Angeles Builders Association (LABA), a non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable building practices and policies.
Gatsby offers deal-by-deal control, presenting investors with individual pre-vetted deals and allowing investors to choose which project(s) they wish to invest in based on carefully projected financials and time frames.
The exact projects offered at any given time depend on which investment types are performing well under current market conditions. For example, during the post-COVID boom, Gatsby leaned heavily into single-family fix-and-flip projects for quick investor returns. Today, Gatsby is more focused on multi-family developments and value-add projects that improve local housing inventory while generating highly competitive returns.
Investment minimums vary by project but typically range between $10,000 and $25,000.
Gatsby Investment’s Financial Performance
From the time the company was founded in 2016 through the end of 2024, Gatsby provided average annualized returns of 22.3% to investors. This is by far the strongest financial performance of any crowdfunding platform on this list.
To date, Gatsby has never failed to turn a profit for investors on any project.
Gatsby Investment Pros and Cons
Gatsby Investment Pros:
Proven history of exceptional returns
Strong legal ownership structure with equity investment
Fundrise is a popular crowdfunding platform, particularly for new investors, because of its hyper-low investment minimums (as low as $10), availability to both accredited and non-accredited investors, and streamlined investment offerings.
It is currently one of the 50 largest real estate private equity investors in the world, deploying more than $1 billion of capital annually.
Fundrise’s Investment Offerings
Fundrise offers three asset class offerings: real estate, venture capital, and private equity (also referred to as private credit). While the venture capital class invests in a portfolio of businesses, both the real estate and private equity funds focus on properties.
The Flagship Real Estate Fund contains residential Built-to-Rent (BTR), multi-family apartments, and industrial properties. The Private Equity Income Fund focuses on extending credit to builders and developers of housing in America’s popular Sunbelt with fixed rates of return.
Fundrise’s Financial Performance
From 2018 through 2024, Fundrise reports average annual returns of 6.87% for advisory client accounts. This slightly underperforms publicly traded REITs, which returned an average of 6.96% over the same period. However, it should be noted that Fundrise returns were less volatile than publicly traded REITs.
The only year in which losses were reported by Fundrise during this period was 2023, in which values dipped by 7.5%.
Fundrise Pros and Cons
Fundrise Pros:
Available to both accredited and non-accredited investors
Lower annual returns than other crowdfunding platforms
No customer support by phone
Lack of deal-by-deal control
Not available to internationals or Americans living abroad
3. EquityMultiple
EquityMultiple is a New York-based real estate crowdfunding platform offering a mix of equity, preferred equity, and debt investment opportunities, along with professionally managed fund products.
With investment minimums as low as $5,000 for the whole fund options, and $10,000 for the deal-by-deal offerings, EquityMultiple is financially accessible for accredited investors.
EquityMultiple’s Investment Offerings
EquityMultiple offers three primary categories of investment:
The Keep Plan (also known as Alpine Notes): Fixed-APY real estate notes with terms of 3, 6, or 9 months with minimum investment amounts of $5,000.
The Earn Plan: A fund of commercial real estate investments, focused on income generation. This vehicle also carries an investment minimum of $5,000
The Grow Plan: Deal-by-deal commercial real estate investments, balancing cash flow with appreciation. The minimum investment amount varies by project but typically ranges between $10,000 and $20,000 per deal.
EquityMultiple’s Financial Performance
The fixed-return Keep Plan currently offers annualized yields of 6% to 7.35%, depending on the length of your chosen term. According to EquityMultiple’s most recent cumulative track record report (as of 1Q 2025), which measures performance in terms of net IRR (internal rate of return) since inception in 2015, EquityMultiple has returned:
6.62% on the Keep Plan
8.64% on the Earn Plan
15.24% on the Grow Plan
The same report notes that 11.1% of investments resulted in some loss of principal.
While perhaps best known as a real estate crowdfunding platform, Yieldstreet provides access to a wide range of alternative asset classes, including private credit, art, cryptocurrencies, and venture capital.
With over $6 billion invested in the platform across 650+ offerings to date, Yieldstreet is a well-established, reputable crowdfunding platform.
Yieldstreet’s Investment Offerings
Yieldstreet offers a variety of investment opportunities across multiple asset classes, with real estate being one of its core focuses.
Real estate investment options often include bridge loans, mezzanine financing, and equity stakes in commercial properties. These deals are often sourced through partnerships with experienced developers and operators, and may span asset types like multifamily housing, industrial facilities, office buildings, and mixed-use developments.
Investors can participate in funds or choose from individual property deals. Minimum investments for single-deal opportunities generally range from $10,000-$15,000, while fund minimums vary depending on the product structure.
Many real estate offerings target medium-term holds, often from 1-5 years.
Yieldstreet’s Financial Performance
Yieldstreet reports a net IRR of 7.4% on real estate investments.
RealtyMogul is a California–based crowdfunding platform that connects investors with a range of commercial property opportunities nationwide. The company works with experienced sponsors to offer individual deals for accredited investors and professionally managed REITs to non-accredited investors.
Established in 2012, RealtyMogul has over a decade of operating history and has deployed hundreds of millions in capital, making it one of the more seasoned platforms in the real estate crowdfunding space.
RealtyMogul’s Investment Offerings
RealtyMogul offers two REITs, which are available to both accredited and non-accredited investors. These accounts require a minimum investment of $5,000, with liquidation possible after 12 months. Importantly, you must remain a shareholder for at least three years to be eligible to receive your full returns.
Deal-by-deal investments are reserved for accredited investors and typically come with investment minimums between $25,000 and $35,000.
RealtyMogul’s Financial Performance
The Income REIT has provided an average distribution rate of 6%, disbursed monthly, while the Apartment Growth REIThas provided an average distribution rate of 4.5%, disbursed quarterly.
While Investopedia reported an impressive IRR of 20.6% on individual deals (based on RealtyMogul’s published track record), it’s worth noting that the platform no longer maintains an active track record page on its website. So this figure may be outdated.
RealtyMogul Pros and Cons
RealtyMogul Pros:
Available to both accredited and non-accredited investors
Both whole fund REITs and deal-by-deal options
Allows investment through retirement accounts
Access to multiple real estate sectors
Previously reported exceptional returns, but it is unclear if this is still the case
RealtyMogul Cons:
Higher than average investment minimums
Longer holding periods than many other platforms
Up-to-date track record data on individual deals does not appear to be available
Start Investing in Real Estate Crowdfunding Today!
Each of the companies represented on this list of the best real estate crowdfunding platforms has a solid reputation in the industry and has responsibly managed investments for thousands of investors. The right option for you depends on your goals and financial profile.
Here is a summary of each company’s primary strength to help you make your decision:
History of highest returns: Gatsby Investment
Lowest investment minimums: Fundrise
Broadest range of alternative investments: Yieldstreet
Most commercial real estate options: EquityMultiple
Most well-established: RealtyMogul
Each of the platforms allows users to create a free account for full access to investment opportunity details. Simply create your accounts, review the available investment options, and start investing in real estate crowdfunding today!
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