Real Estate

The barrier to real estate used to be a down payment, a mortgage, and the headache of tenants. Fractional platforms removed the down payment: you buy a share of a rental home or a diversified fund for as little as $10–$100 and collect your slice of the rent and appreciation. The trade-off is control and liquidity — you don't call the shots, and you usually can't sell on demand.

The three we rate differ mostly on how hands-off and how liquid they are. Fundrise is the most diversified and the most passive (eREITs plus private credit, from about $10). Ark7 lets you buy shares of specific individual rental homes from around $20. Roots is a resident-owned REIT that ties returns to a live-in-and-earn community model. Pick based on whether you want maximum diversification or the ability to choose specific properties.

Treat every dollar here as long-term money. These holdings are illiquid — early redemption often carries a penalty or a waiting period — and returns are never guaranteed. Real estate can and does lose value, and the platform return figures you'll see quoted (often in the 4–9%/yr range) are backward-looking, not a promise of what comes next.