Home tours and late night toilet repairs.

That’s what most people think of when they hear the words “real estate.” You’re either an agent or a landlord. You’re either selling homes, or fixing up diamonds in the rough and renting them out.

But you probably don’t think of the word “app.” At least, not yet.

That’s because there’s a new way of owning real estate—crowdfunding.

Here’s how it works…

You’ve probably noticed that real estate is wildly expensive. Even before the housing insanity of 2021, few had the cash to buy land, homes, or commercial lots outright. The traditional method to get around this was to take out a loan. It was a barrier that limited real estate to either financial institutions, the wealthy, or scrappy home flippers.

But what if you could team up with dozens of other people to buy a property? Say you and twenty people pitched in on a home in a promising neighborhood with good schools. You split the rental income, and when the home gets sold, you cash your share of the profits.

Suddenly, real estate is far less intimidating—you can pool your resources with others to buy a stake in a property, without shouldering all the risk or responsibility yourself.

But that’s not all. If enough people pitch in, you could hypothetically start buying apartment complexes, supermarkets, even a skyscraper!

That’s the power of crowdfunding.

And recently, it’s taken off. The past few years have seen a surge in online real estate crowdfunding platforms.

The model is simple. You give the platform money, either as a lump sum or monthly deposit. They use your money to buy promising properties. You get dividends and appreciation. They get a fee for managing your money.

And for many platforms, you can simply download an app and make decisions about how much you want to contribute and see how your properties are performing from your phone.

Let’s be clear—this is NOT a recommendation to start crowdfunding real estate purchases. Far from it. It’s still a new industry which is relatively untested. As with all financial decisions, it’s best to consult with a licensed and qualified financial professional first.

But it’s worth knowing about this new way of owning property. Only time will tell if it becomes a staple of wealth-building strategies, or if it fizzles out.