Fundrise is a private markets investment platform where investors can choose from various alternative assets, including private real estate, private credit, and venture capital.
Platform members also have access to educational resources that help them make the best investment decisions
Low advisory fees
Fortunly Rating
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- Low advisory fees
- Highly rated mobile app
- Low minimum investment
- Unaccredited investors can invest
- Access to private real estate, private credit, and venture capital
- More than 2 million people served
- Unsuitable for short-term investments
- Limited liquidity, with most liquidation requests reviewed quarterly
Fundrise Overview
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., Fundrise is a direct-to-consumer private markets manager, with offerings spanning real estate, private credit, and venture capital.
The Fundrise platform helps clients build portfolios of private assets while keeping fees comparatively low and providing ongoing account visibility through its dashboard and mobile app.
How Fundrise Compares to Other Real Estate Platforms
$10
0.15% advisory fee + 0.85% flat management fee for real estate funds
$500
1% to 4%
$5,000
1% to 1.25%
How Fundrise Works
Fundrise stands out in the real estate market for more than just low fees and investment amounts. For one, it allows non-accredited investors to earn and has three main investment plans catering to people with different goals.
Basic Requirements
To invest in real estate as an unaccredited or accredited investor, you must be an American citizen or permanent US resident. You must also be at least 18 years old, have a valid US tax ID, and file taxes in the US.
Investment Plans
You can choose among three investment plans to become a real estate investor and generate long-term growth, and these are:
- Supplemental Income
- Balanced Investing
- Long-Term Growth
These plans allow you to choose the amount of money you wish to start investing with. For example, you can begin investing with as little as $10 through a taxable account. For IRAs, the minimum is $1,000. Instead of the old public five-tier system, Fundrise now frames plan selection around your income, balance, or growth objective.
Take a look at the following table for a quick reference regarding account levels:
| Taxable account | IRA | Investment-plan structure | $100,000+ benefits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum amount | $10 | $1,000 | Supplemental Income / Balanced Investing / Long-Term Growth | Eligible for select exclusive benefits |
| Dividend reinvestment | Yes | Yes | Depends on holdings and account setup | Yes |
| Invest via IRA | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customize portfolio strategy | Yes, by choosing an investment plan | Yes, by choosing an investment plan | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Relations priority access | No | No | Standard support | White-glove support |
Fees
While perks differ between levels, all unaccredited and accredited investors pay an annual advisory fee of 0.15% and an annual asset management fee of up to 0.85%.
Fundrise’s current fees page states a 0.15% advisory fee and a 0.85% flat management fee for its real estate funds.
The Innovation Fund carries a 1.85% flat management fee. Investors with $100,000 or more can also qualify for a 12-month advisory-fee waiver.
Referral Bonuses
Fundrise now describes this as a share-voucher invitation program, not a simple cash-reward system.
The amount depends on their account value and can be $25 for $10-$999 invested, $50 for $1,000-$99,999, or $100 for $100,000+ per successful invite.
Real Estate Investing Returns
Fundrise’s strategy revolves around building a diversified portfolio capable of enduring prolonged periods of economic uncertainty.
Investors with an account can potentially earn returns through dividends and appreciation, but the mix depends on the investment plan and underlying assets held.
Supplemental Income is geared toward cash flow, Long-Term Growth toward appreciation, and Balanced Investing toward a combination of the two.
The primary source of returns is rental property income and the property's value appreciation. For Fundrise’s broader platform, however, returns may also come from private credit income or venture-capital appreciation, since the company now offers exposure beyond private real estate alone.
How to Redeem Shares
Investors are generally free to liquidate and redeem their real estate shares at any time, but there are exceptions to this rule. Fundrise’s current guidance says most liquidation requests are reviewed quarterly, so this section should not imply on-demand access to cash.
The company reviews and grants requests depending on market conditions and may turn down the request or charge extra fees for early redemption if the current economic conditions are suboptimal. For certain eREIT and eFund shares redeemed before they are five years old, Fundrise says a flat 1% early liquidation penalty applies.
This cautious approach is further reason to only open an account if you are ready to invest long-term (for five years or more).
If you're unsure whether you can commit for at least half a decade, you'd likely be better off choosing a short-term investment opportunity, such as trading in bonds or opening a high-yield savings account.
Opening an Account
If making long-term investments and earning regular supplemental income on this platform interests you, you should open an account.
To do so, select the "Get Started" button in the upper-right corner of the platform’s homepage. Then, enter your email address, choose a password, pick the account level, and enter your personal information. The sign-up process should take you around 10 minutes.
Mobile App
You can download the Fundrise mobile app for iOS or Android from the App Store or Google Play. The app is highly rated on both online stores by thousands of users.
Final Verdict
Passive income from real estate assets offers high returns if you are willing to commit for the long term. Many platforms give prospective investors excellent value propositions, but Fundrise’s minimum investment amount and lower annual fees make it stand out even in this crowd.
If you’re thinking of earning supplemental income alongside your salary, investing through this real estate platform may be an excellent option. Just make sure you understand the risks and how to avoid them.