Best Real Estate Investing Apps for Passive Income (2025)
Published on
January 7, 2025
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The world of real estate investing has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Gone are the days when investing in real estate was reserved for the wealthy elite or seasoned real estate professionals. Today, anyone with a smartphone can explore opportunities and build wealth through real estate.
In this guide, we’ve curated a list of the 15 best real estate investing apps updated for 2025. Let’s explore how these platforms can help you maximize returns and achieve your real estate investing goals. Here are a few of our favorite real estate apps, including many where we have our own money invested.
- Concreit
- DiversyFund
- Roofstock
- Fundrise
- Arrived Homes
- PeerStreet
- Groundfloor
- Streitwise
- Lex Markets
- Yieldstreet
- RealtyMogul
- HappyNest
- Crowdstreet
- CityVest
- AcreTrader
Concreit
Concreit enables you to easily invest money into a variety of real estate strategies, from a fund of loans secured by real estate focused on income to individual rental homes. You can invest as little as $1 in that fund through our real estate investment app.
Concreit’s Cash Flow offering has paid dividends weekly for the last few years, which you can opt to reinvest automatically if you want. You can also set up automatic recurring investments to keep growing your weekly dividend.
Concreit can do this through a combination of owning low-risk, short-term loans that turn over frequently. That makes Concreit a shorter-term investment than most real estate crowdfunding platforms, with more liquidity.
DiversyFund
DiversyFund takes a different approach, aiming for long-term growth rather than dividend payments. Their growth REITs offer payouts only after a property is sold, so they don’t have a track record showing a past rate of return.
Investors need just $500 to start, and anyone can invest using the real estate platform, not just accredited investors. However, only investors looking for long-term investments should participate, given the long time horizon and lack of dividends.
Fundrise
Fundrise is an online investing platform that allows investors to buy eREITs (real estate investment trusts) with an investment minimum of just $10. They offer funds owning both residential and commercial real estate investments, and both real estate secured debt and equity.
The more you invest, the greater flexibility you have over picking and choosing investments. Accredited real estate investors can invest money in individual properties.
While Fundrise has a long history of transparent and high returns, it is a fundamentally long-term investment. If you sell within five years, they do hit you with a penalty for shares of their eREITs (although not shares of their Interval Fund).
Roofstock
If you’d rather buy an entire rental property directly, check out Roofstock. This real estate platform offers an online marketplace for investment properties, many of them turnkey properties. Some are already rented to paying tenants. That means you can skip all the headaches and instantly become a landlord by writing a check.
In addition, Roofstock offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you change your mind about the property for any reason, Roofstock offers to buy it back if you can’t find another buyer for the same price you paid. They also offer a list of vetted and approved local property managers, so you can sleep at knowing your property is in good hands.
Arrived Homes
If you've always dreamed of investing in residential rental properties but don't have the capital or the desire to be a landlord, Arrived Homes helps you do so. With just $100, you can buy fractional ownership in a real estate property and earn rental income quarterly in the Arrived Homes app.
Individual investors can participate, with no requirement to be a qualified investor. It's as simple as signing up, choosing your investment properties, and earning passive income stream.
PeerStreet
PeerStreet offers real estate debt investing, with loans secured by real property. You get to pick and choose the loans you want to fund, and earn interest accordingly.
PeerStreet pays monthly dividends (interest), and you can view the ratings of each investment yourself to decide if it's a good fit for you. You'll find loans with varying terms, including fixed-income returns for those who have a conservative investment strategy.
The minimum investment is $1,000, and you can diversify your real estate portfolio to offset your risk. Unfortunately, everyday investors can’t participate — only accredited investors are allowed.
Groundfloor
If you like the PeerStreet model of investing in individual real estate loans but aren’t an accredited investor, consider Groundfloor as an excellent alternative.
Groundfloor grades each loan based on risk, with “A” grade loans paying around 6.5% interest, and riskier “F” grade loans paying around 14.5%.
Unlike other real estate crowdfunding sites, Groundfloor doesn’t earn its revenue by charging investors a management fee, or any other type of fee for that matter. Instead, they earn money by charging their borrowers lender fees and points at closing, while passing along to investors all the interest on the loans.
You can invest as little as $10 toward any given loan, making it easy to start investing and spreading your money across many loans. If the borrower defaults, Groundfloor simply forecloses to recover your money.
Streitwise
Streitwise offers an equity REIT that owns several commercial office parks. The real estate investment platform has paid an annual dividend yield of 8.4% for several years now, but like any investment, it's not guaranteed.
It does require a higher investment of $5,000 to start, an intimidating amount for the everyday investor. But they do allow non-accredited investors to participate, and even allow foreign investors.
Lex Markets
Lex Markets lets you buy fractional ownership shares in commercial buildings, including an office building in New York City, a parking garage in Portland, Maine, and more.
But what makes Lex Markets unique is its secondary market for buying and selling shares. Lack of liquidity is what scares many novice investors away from these real estate sites and non-traded REITs. Unlike public REITs, you can’t necessarily sell shares when you want (or need). Lex Markets solves this problem with an online platform that lets investors buy and sell shares directly from each other, after the initial public offering.
You can buy as little as one share in a given property, which typically costs between $200-250.
Yieldstreet
Yieldstreet goes beyond real estate investment opportunities and includes other alternative investments like art, consumer loans, vehicle loans, commercial loans, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and more.
Non-accredited investors can buy shares in Yieldstreet’s Prism Fund, which includes wide range of investment types. You can get started with just $500.
Even better, Yieldstreet doesn’t charge an early redemption fee, although they do limit redemptions to 5% of their total outstanding shares each quarter. That means you aren’t guaranteed to get your money back immediately.
RealtyMogul
RealtyMogul offers two REITs that each own a wide range of properties. Non-accredited investors can buy shares in either REIT.
Their Income REIT offers a higher dividend yield of 6%, with less focus on appreciation. In contrast, their Growth REIT pays a 4.5% annual dividend, but aims for higher appreciation. Both investment portfolios own a mix of residential and commercial properties, including apartment buildings, retail space, and office space.
RealtyMogul requires a higher minimum investment requirement of $5,000. They’ve been around longer than most competitors, and offer excellent transparency in their returns and fees.
HappyNest
HappyNest's goal is to make real estate investing a reality for anyone that wants to try it. You need just $10 as an initial investment, and anyone can invest.
The investment platform offers a single REIT with three commercial properties. HappyNest targets a 6% annual income yield.
They advertise no asset management fee or broker commission, although they have to make money somehow, which means investor fees aren’t as transparent as they could be.
Crowdstreet
Crowdstreet is one of the largest real estate investing platforms today for institutional-quality deals, but it's only open to accredited investors. The minimum investment is a hefty $25,000, but investors access many types of investments from mixed-use buildings to multifamily properties to office buildings. And with an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.7% on fully realized deals, they’ve delivered strong results.
CrowdStreet operates as a marketplace, matching you with real estate syndications and private placements. It offers investors full transparency to help you choose the right investments for your portfolio.
On the downside, there’s typically no option to sell your investments early. These commercial property investments average a 2.8 year hold period, so only long-term investors should consider Crowdstreet.
CityVest
CityVest is another real estate crowdfunding platform for accredited investors. You'll need a minimum investment of $25,000, but you'll get access to institutional real estate investments.
They have a strict vetting process and provide opportunities most retail investors wouldn't have access to on their own.
AcreTrader
Looking for asset classes beyond apartment buildings and commercial real estate? AcreTrader lets you invest in parcels of farmland, and investors can crowdfund their investment to get in on the outstanding returns. You'll need a minimum investment of $15,000 - $25,000 to start though, and AcreTrader only allows accredited investors currently. It’s another long-term investment, typically held for 5-10 years.
Why Use a Real Estate Investing App
Using the best real estate investing apps make investing accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy or experienced.
Many apps for real estate investing allow the general public to invest, not just accredited investors. Some make it even easier with low minimum investments, such as $10. This keeps the barrier to entry extremely low.
You don't have to know much about real estate to use them either. You just need to know your risk tolerance, how much you want to invest, and what type of investment strategy you'll use.
Unlike direct real estate investment, it doesn’t take any time or labor to invest through real estate crowdfunding apps. Investing is completely passive, so even the busiest investors can participate. However, it’s important to always conduct thorough due diligence before making any investment decisions.
Finally, real estate crowdfunding platforms make it easy to diversify your investments. With a few dollars, you can spread your money across dozens of properties, all over the country. That includes not just residential properties, but also commercial real estate ranging from office buildings to apartment complexes to parking garages and beyond.
What Makes a Good Real Estate Investing App?
As you research real estate investing apps, you need to know what to look for. Keep an eye out for these characteristics of the best real estate investing apps.
- Low minimum investment
- Clear explanation of each investment's risk
- Clear explanation of all fees, from annual fees, transaction fees, to property management fees
- Historical returns, including both cash flow/income yield and share price growth
- The redemption program: how to cash out your investment
- Early redemption fees, should you need to sell your investment within the first few years
- Detailed information about each investment property, fund, or opportunity
- Information on the local real estate market
- Availability for non-accredited investors
Best Real Estate Investing Apps FAQs
Do real estate apps for investing really work?
Yes, but like any investment, crowdfunded real estate apps have their pros and cons. There are always risks with investment opportunities, and you should always try to diversify your portfolio. Investing apps can help make investing easier by lowering the barrier to entry and giving you access to more opportunities than you'd have on your own.
What is a good ROI in investing?
A good ROI is subjective and depends on your risk tolerance and timeline of the investment. As real estate values and prices fluctuate, so do returns on real estate investments. The right ROI for you should be the one you're most comfortable with, and that exceeds the ROI you could earn with other comparable investments. Some investors prefer to limit their risk and take a lower potential return, whereas others prefer higher risk and greater ROI.
How do I start investing in property with little money?
When you use a real estate app to invest in real estate, you crowdfund with hundreds of other investors so that you don't need to come up with a large amount of capital. The key is to find an investment that you feel comfortable with, that you can meet the minimum investment requirement. As a general rule, equity real estate investments offer greater growth potential, while debt investments offer higher income returns.
Final Thoughts
Real estate investment apps help break the barriers that real estate investing has historically imposed. Today, anyone can become a real estate investor, whether you own physical real estate or not.
The right app gives you direct access to real estate debt investments, equity investments, or both. Aim to spread your money across many asset types and locations, so you aren’t overexposed to any one market or type of property.
Learn more about how Concreit can help you start investing in real estate with our app.
Disclaimer
This information is educational, and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security which can only be made through official documents such as a private placement memorandum or a prospectus. This information is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell an investment or financial product, or take any action. This information is neither individualized nor a research report, and must not serve as the basis for any investment decision. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance does not guarantee future results or returns. Neither Concreit nor any of its affiliates provides tax advice or investment recommendations and do not represent in any manner that the outcomes described herein or on the Site will result in any particular investment or tax consequence.Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but Concreit does not guarantee its accuracy.