7 Best Real Estate Investment Apps for Investors: Find Your Perfect Fit
Investing in real estate no longer requires you to trawl around properties in person. Nor does it require you to have a real estate agent. In fact, you don’t even need to have all of the finances behind you that real estate investment typically demands. With these apps, you’re able to invest quickly, easily, and at a fraction of the cost.
Best Real Estate Investment Apps for All Types of Investors
The apps on this list provide you with a variety of options for diversifying your investment portfolio. Some are perfect for those at the beginning of their investment journey, others offer seasoned pros new and enticing opportunities.
Acorns: Best for Beginner Investors
If you’re new to investing then Acorn might be the app for you. It’s a really simple-to-use investing app that offers a low entry-level financially speaking. The passive nature means that you can begin investing without having to sink a great deal of time or effort into the process. There’s a huge library of educational content to guide you through the process (and investing in general) plus the intuitive way the app is designed makes it all so straightforward.
The fee structure is completely flat, which potentially makes it more expensive than the typical percentage-based options on the market but it’s not prohibitive. Most users use Acorn as a type of savings platform rather than a fully-fledged investment app, but that might be just what they need.
Streitwise: Best for High Dividend Commercial Real Estate Investing
Streitwise aims at investors across the spectrum, from small fish to heavy-weight whales. The app allows you to become part of the fractional investment world through commercial real estate options. The whole portfolio is tax-advantaged as well as offering professional management too. Their investments have delivered an 8.4% dividend yield over the last 4 years (up to 2022), which is significantly more comparatively than public bonds or REITs. The minimum investment is a bit steeper than other options available, starting at $5,000, and fees are set at 2% annually.
Yieldstreet: Best for Alternative Investment Opportunities
A relatively low entry point is offered by Yieldstreet, with $2,500 you can get started in some different streams of investment that are typically reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Including alternative investment options such as art investment, crypto, and legal finance, Yieldstreet is essentially a marketplace for privately structured credit deals.
If you’re entering at the lowest $2,500 point you’ll access Yieldstreet’s Prism Fund rather than the full platform. Yieldstreet itself requires you to be an accredited investor.
CrowdStreet: Best for Vetted Commercial Properties
If you’re keen to get into the commercial real estate space, CrowdStreet is a great option. It does, however, have a high entry point of $25,000. Plus you need to be an accredited investor. If you meet the criteria you’re afforded the ability to invest in some of the best commercial properties across North America. Each property is professionally vetted and backed by mortgages. One of the best uses of the platform is to connect directly to property developers themselves, allowing you to build personal relationships with them while investing in some of the most cutting-edge projects.
Getaway: Best for Vacation Rental Investments
Real estate investment but without the huge entry point of traditional methods. In fact, you can get started on Getaway with as little as $100. Getaway is great for those looking to diversify their portfolio with high-yield vacation rental properties without having to spend all of the time and effort that goes into being a host.
The platform works through you selecting the investment amount, picking your investment, the collecting your rental income each quarter. You’ll get a fractional share based on how much of the property you own. Signing up is free, so download and browse at your leisure before investing.
Landlord Studio: Best for Property Management
Not necessarily an investment app, but rather an app that helps you manage your investments. If you’re a serial landlord, managing multiple properties can quickly become an administrative burden. Landlord Studio is a suite of property management tools all in one convenient app. It is designed to make your processes more efficient, streamlined, and cost-saving. Rental calculators, accounting sheets, rent collection tools, bank feeds, and even tenant screening and referencing can all be taken care of within the app.
AcreTrader: Best for Investing in Farmland
If you’re after a more agricultural take on investing, AcreTrader might be the app for you. The app works perfectly for landowners looking to sell their assets, and those looking to invest in land and farms themselves. Everything on the app is live and tracked in real time, and you can view everything for completely free. In fact, you’re able to list properties to sell for free too.
If you’re looking to invest, there’s a high entry point of $15,000-$25,000, but the returns investors have seen on farmland and agriculture have been impressive in recent times.
Key Takeaways
Investing has never been so easy, with these real estate investment apps you’re able to get started with fractions of traditional capital all from your smartphone. Many have a level of free access that allows you to get a feel for the app before you have to invest, so you can get completely comfortable at first.
- Consider the type of investment that you’d like to be a part of before settling for an app, there are plenty of options available.
- If you’re a beginner, start small and read as much educational material as you can before getting started.
A great investment choice would be vacation rentals. Getaway offers high-yield properties with the chance to visit some of the best holiday homes America has to offer at low member-only rates. It’s quick and easy to get started.