Best Real Estate Apps for Investors in 2023

You'd be hard-pressed to find a successful investor that doesn't have real estate in their portfolio. Real estate has long been the most beloved alternative asset amongst wealthy investors, and for good reason. Investing in real estate is an easy way to diversify your portfolio and protect it against market volatility. Plus, real estate investments are one of the best ways to generate passive income in the form of dividends or rental income.

And there's nothing more passive than investing through an app. While real estate investments used to involve searching for, vetting, and purchasing properties and then managing them yourself, there are now dozens of real estate apps that let investors participate in hands-off real estate investments with as little as a few dollars.

The best real estate apps for investors do a good job of balancing risk with returns, charge low or no fees, are easy to use, and pay out dividends on a monthly or quarterly basis. All of the real estate investing apps on this list fit that description, but you'll still find variety amongst these platforms. Some are geared toward beginners with low investment minimums and the ability to buy shares in a professionally managed, diversified real estate fund, while others are meant for experienced, accredited investors who are ready to invest a substantial amount of money into individual real estate projects in hopes of earning higher returns.

Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, here are the best real estate apps for investors.

• Non-traded REIT
• Moderately liquid
• Dividends paid out quarterly
• Open to non-accredited investors

Fundrise is one of the oldest real estate crowdfunding platforms out there. Since launching in 2012, it's facilitated over $7 billion in real estate investments and paid out over $124 million in dividends to investors. When you invest with Fundrise, you're investing in a diversified real estate fund that includes commercial and residential real estate and both debt and equity investments. Your shares should appreciate in value over time, and on top of that, you have the potential to earn quarterly dividends.

You only need $10 to start investing with Fundrise, making it one of the best real estate apps for investors who want to invest with small amounts while still allowing for diversification. The annual management fee comes out to 1% (so $10 per year for every $1,000 invested). Fundrise is meant to be a long-term investment, although the platform does allow you to put in a request to your liquidate shares at any time, in theory. In practice, the platform doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to cash out quickly, especially during times of economic uncertainty.

• Short-term residential real estate loans
• Monthly payouts
• 12-month investment term
• Open to non-accredited investors

Groundfloor allows anyone with $10 to invest in residential real estate loans. These loans typically return 10% annually and are on 6-month or 12-month terms, making this one of the best real estate apps for investors who are looking for more short-term opportunities. You earn interest on the money you loan in the form of monthly payouts. You don't need to pay any fees as an investor either, as fees are passed off to borrowers.

Rather than investing in a diversified fund, Groundfloor gives you the option to choose from individual debt investments on their app. You'll be able to see the loan term, interest rate, and property details, and from there, you can build your own portfolio based on your investing goals and risk tolerance. If a borrower defaults on their loan, default interest may be added to the loan, and investors will keep earning interest on their investment until the loan is paid off in full.

• Non-traded REIT
• Monthly dividend payouts
• Highly liquid
• Open to non-accredited investors

With the Concreit app, you can buy shares of their private REIT, a diversified fund that invests in income-generating commercial real estate projects and short-term real estate loans that are fairly low risk. 

Concreit is unique in that it offers the ability to invest in commercial real estate while maintaining relative liquidity. While non-traded REITs aren't normally very liquid, Concreit lets investors put in withdrawal requests at any time, and they'll fund your request with the cash they have on hand, normally within a week. That said, under extenuating circumstances, (for example, if a lot of investors are cashing out at once), there may be delays.

Investors have historically earned a steady annualized return of 5.47% with Concreit. You can also earn weekly payouts with this app, making it one of the best real estate apps for investors who want to generate passive income. Their 1% annual management fee is fairly standard, and the low $1 minimum to invest makes this opportunity accessible to just about anyone.

• Non-traded REIT
• Quarterly dividends
• Low liquidity
• Open to non-accredited investors

Nico combines financial gain with social good by letting anyone with $100 to spare invest in their local neighborhoods. This platform offers the world's first Neighborhood REIT—Nico Echo Park. This REIT invests in a diversified portfolio of multi-family homes and commercial real estate in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The platform plans to eventually expand into other neighborhoods as well.

The properties in Nico's Neighborhood REIT portfolio are income-generating, so under normal circumstances, investors will receive quarterly dividends. Additionally, your investment will go up in value if the properties in the REIT appreciate in value. As a certified B Corporation, Nico is required to meet certain standards with its investments when it comes to environmental impact and social performance.

• Individual residential real estate redevelopment projects
• Monthly payouts
• 10-month average repayment period
• Only open to accredited investors

With Fund That Flip, accredited investors can invest in residential real estate loans for short-term redevelopment projects like the flipping of a single-family home. Average annualized returns on the platform are 10.75%, and the principal is usually repaid in under 10 months, making this one of the best real estate apps for investors who are accredited and in search of short-term investment opportunities.

The minimum investment is $5,000, and you're investing in individual projects, so you'll need to be ready to invest a substantial amount of money if you want to diversify your holdings. That said, projects are pre-vetted by Fund That Flip, and only 6% to 8% of loan applicants are approved. Even if the flip doesn't go as planned, you have the protection of the value of the property as well as the borrower's 15% to 20% equity.

• Non-traded REIT
• Commercial real estate
• Quarterly payouts
• Open to non-accredited investors

HappyNest manages a diversified fund of commercial real estate properties that are rented out to Fortune 100 tenants like FedEx, CVS, and AutoZone. Anyone with $10 to invest can buy shares in HappyNest's private REIT, which has the potential to pay out quarterly dividends. That said, HappyNest is still best for long-term investors.

The low investment minimum paired with no fees makes this one of the best real estate apps for investors who are just getting started in real estate as well as experienced real estate investors who want to add commercial properties to their portfolio. Their mobile app is extremely easy to use, and you can set up weekly or monthly recurring deposits to continue growing your investment without having to think about it.

• Individual rental properties
• Quarterly payouts
• Open to non-accredited investors

Arrived Homes is a unique real estate investing app that lets users choose individual rental properties to invest in with as little as $100. Buying shares in these rental properties allows you to earn returns in the form of quarterly dividends from rental income (historically, Arrived Homes has paid an annualized dividend return of 5.41% to 7.02%) as well as property appreciation.

While investing in individual properties can be risky, the low investment minimum means you can spread your funds across multiple varied properties without investing a lot of money. The ability to invest in individual properties can lead to higher returns for investors who understand real estate trends in 2021 and can successfully analyze real estate investment opportunities. What's more, individual properties are less likely to track market patterns than many real estate funds, making Arrived Homes one of the best real estate apps for investors who want to diversify and protect their portfolios against market volatility.

• Individual commercial real estate projects
• Monthly payouts
• Low liquidity
• Only open to accredited investors

CrowdStreet lets accredited investors invest in large-scale commercial real estate projects with as little as $25,000. These opportunities were historically reserved for ultra-high net worth investors with ample connections, but the CrowdStreet platform makes them available to all investors as long as you're accredited. 

For the most part, you pick from individual real estate projects that are listed on CrowdStreet, although there are a few commercial real estate funds available. Choosing individual projects to invest in can be risky, but CrowdStreet provides detailed information about each property, such as the projected internal rate of return (IRR), and the sponsor behind the project so you can make educated investment choices. This makes it one of the best real estate apps for investors who are experienced in real estate, know how to analyze investment opportunities, and are interested in branching into commercial properties.

There are dozens of apps that let you invest in real estate. Some of these apps have very low investment minimums (as low as $1) and allow almost anyone to start investing in real estate with the click of a few buttons. Other real estate apps for investors have higher minimum investment requirements ($1,000+) and may only be open to accredited investors.

Most real estate investing apps either offer REITs (diversified real estate funds) that investors can buy shares in or they're real estate crowdfunding apps that let investors invest in a fraction of a real estate project. Some real estate apps for investors even let you purchase an entire property that is then rented out and managed by the platform. While there are many different kinds of real estate investing apps, they all allow investors to add real estate investments to their portfolios without having to actually purchase and manage properties themselves.

The best real estate apps for investors are easy to use, charge minimal fees, and offer consistent returns and transparency. However, choosing the best real estate investing platform for you will depend on your investing goals and financial situation. Key features to pay attention to are minimum investment requirements, fees, and the time horizon of the investment. You may also want to pay attention to the type of real estate investment the app offers—some investors may be keen on residential real estate, while others may be looking to diversify into commercial real estate.

Many real estate investing apps offer the opportunity to earn passive income in the form of weekly, monthly or quarterly dividends. These dividends typically come from rental income (in the case of equity investments) or interest (in the case of debt investments). Many of the best real estate apps for investors will automatically reinvest your dividends, although some allow you to cash them out regularly.

Not all real estate investing apps pay dividends, but most do. They typically pay out monthly or quarterly, although a few offer weekly payouts. These dividends are usually automatically reinvested to help you grow your investment faster.

Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, offer investors an easy way to add real estate to their investment portfolio with a small initial investment and relative liquidity, making them a good investment for beginners as well as anyone who wants to diversify into real estate without purchasing property. While public REITs are fairly liquid, a lot of real estate apps for investors offer the ability to invest in private or non-traded REITs, which typically offer a lower degree of liquidity.