Fundrise is a financial company that advertises itself as “a real alternative to investing in the stock market.” The company lets individuals invest in private real estate markets, something that was difficult or impossible in the past.
Team Clark has gotten a number of questions about how Fundrise works and if it’s a good idea to invest with them, and this article addresses those.
If you are a beginner to investing in real estate , we also have an explainer on the primary forms of real estate investing if you want to learn more about alternatives to companies like Fundrise.
How Does Fundrise Work?
When you invest with Fundrise, your money is spread among a mix of private real estate assets located around the United States. Fundrise claims that investing in the private market can produce returns that are 30-40% higher than you would get if you invested in the public market.
With Fundrise, you are investing in “eREITs” and “eFunds”, which are limited liability companies that hold the real estate projects in your Fundrise portfolio.
Examples of those projects shown on the Fundrise website include:
- Stabilized apartments in Fort Myers, FL
- A commercial renovation in Los Angeles, CA
- A single-family rental home in Atlanta, GA
The company offers separate investment plans aimed at people who are interested in:
- Generating supplemental income
- Balancing their investment portfolios
- Looking for long-term growth
You earn returns through quarterly dividends and appreciation in the value of the shares of your investment. These returns come from the individual assets you’re invested in through interest or rental income collected, and the potential appreciation in the property’s value.
Of course, as with any legitimate investment, there is the standard (but important) caveat: “Actual results may vary and there can be no guarantee of enhanced returns due to investing on Fundrise or the use of Fundrise Advisors’ services.”
As an investor, you will typically receive dividends in the middle of the month following the end of each quarter, and may also get periodic cash distributions if certain properties are sold. The value of your shares is also typically re-calculated periodically — quarterly or semi-annually.
How Much Do I Need to Invest With Fundrise?
Fundrise offers five different account options: Starter, Basic, Core, Advanced and Premium.
| Account Level | Minimum Investment |
| Starter | $10 |
| Basic | $1,000 |
| Core | $5,000 |
| Advanced | $10,000 |
| Premium | $100,000 |
The Starter Portfolio has a $10 minimum. Investors in the Starter Portfolio have access to the company’s Flagship Fund which owns $250 million worth of real estate across the country.
What Are the Fees for Investing With Fundrise?
You can expect to pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee, which may be waived under certain circumstances, according to the company. So, you’re generally looking at a 1% annual fee to invest with Fundrise.
What Kind of Returns Has Fundrise Had?
Fundrise says on its website that its average annual returns from 2014-2019 have ranged from 8.76% to 12.42%.
For comparison, annual returns for the S&P 500 over the same period have ranged from -4.38% to 31.49%.
Should I Invest in Fundrise?
Money expert Clark Howard says he understands why Fundrise might be attractive to people who want to put their money in real estate but don’t want the hassle of managing individual properties. Still, he’s not exactly sold.
“There are much less expensive ways to invest in real estate,” Clark says. “There are already publicly traded ways to do this. I’d much rather you invest in a REIT index fund. There are no commissions going in and you get tremendous diversification.”
Final Thought
Diversification of your portfolio is always a good idea, but Clark thinks in this case a more traditional approach is the way to go.
“Fundrise is not a scam,” he says, “but with something like this, once you get in you can’t easily get out. That’s not the case with publicly traded funds, where you can sell at any time.”
