Fundrise (eREIT Site) Reviewed

Fundrise is a crowd-funding investment platform that helps everyday investors as well as accredited investors get in on the real estate market in a more hassle-free way. Traditional real estate investing can be a headache with all that it entails but crowd funding platforms like Fundrise have been very innovative in the real estate investing space. From the individual investor perspective, it really could not be easier. You choose what amount you want to invest and what allocations you want and then you let your money sit and hopefully grow over time. No taking care of properties or managing lousy tenants or finding new tenants. Just invest and play the long game.

The ease of Fundrise coupled with its uniqueness to bring the benefits of the real estate market to everyday people are why C3 included it on our latest Mock Portfolio. C3 is a big fan of Fundrise and the crowdfunding/investing business model but there are a few things to consider before investing with Fundrise.

1. Fundrise is a risky investment as all investments are risky investments. Most people and analysts thought FB/Meta was a sure thing and look what happened there over the last few weeks. So be warned, Fundrise is an investment, and all investments are risky.
2. C3 is not an affiliate or partner of Fundrise in any way. C3 does not partner financially with any for-profit organization. This is how C3 does things so we can keep our opinions free from any financial corruption.
3. Fundrise does not hold any real estate that is catering to morally corrupt businesses since most of its assets are family homes and apartment complexes but renting brings on other moral issues. In traditional Christian social teaching being a landlord can be problematic. When you own a property and you rent out to another human being it is your duty to provide “good” housing conditions. Basically, do not be a slum lord. Since when you invest into real estate through a digital platform like Fundrise you forfeit a lot of the control traditional property owners have. You own it but you are not in charge of whether the property manager (Fundrise) is a slum lord or not. C3 is not saying that Fundrise acts like a slumlord, on the contrary, most of their properties seem to be very well kept and not completely overpriced. However, this potential issue should be constantly monitored by the Christian investor who is involved with Fundrise.
4. Another potential issue should be brought up here, and that is of reaping where one has not sown. Like all digital investments (Stocks, Cryptos, eREITs) the argument could be made that someone is gaining a profit while not doing any real work. C3 has addressed this issue in the past, and C3 simply does not subscribe to it. Money is not a barren commodity anymore (Think of the pre-industrial revolution world) and prudent investing is admirable if the profits are created by and used for just means (Supporting a family, creating ministry, evangelizing and so on). If you and a bunch of other people come together and give their hard-earned money to an organization so that it can grow and be a positive influence on the world and you get a ROI on your original investment because the company did well then that seems to be in alignment with Christian Morality. Fundrise is providing and creating housing that would not be available if it did not otherwise exist. At the very least, the properties Fundrise owns would not be producing profits for the general public of non-accredited investors but would rather be solidifying more wealth in the hands of the already wealthy. There is a lot to be said on this issue, but we will tackle it another day.
5. Fundrise was heavily funded by a Chinese social media company in its early stages called RenRen. We are listing this because we know many C3 subscribers are against Chinese backed companies. However, Fundrise is not reliant on RenRen at this current moment in time.

A couple great reviews/insights on Fundrise are below.

Ryan Scribner YouTube Review of Fundrise

Retipster review of Fundrise on YouTube

Realestateinvesting.org Review Article on Fundrise

Quick hitter Facts:

• Fundrise used to be only for accredited investors, but it is now open to everyone.
• Minimum investment is just $10, but different types of accounts have different minimums.
• Non-accredited investors are capped out at only investing up to 10% of their net worth or income, whichever is greater.
• The real estate you are investing in on Fundrise is located in the USA and is made up of commercial properties with some that could be considered residential.
• You get to pick the allocations of your funds invested with Fundrise into different eREITS.
• Regulation A+ released by the SEC is why Fundrise is open to non-accredited investors.
• No REIT’s that Fundrise invests in are publicly traded. This increases certain risks and is one of the reasons why an investment into Fundrise is not considered liquid (Easily redeemed for its equity).

Overall Fundrise seems to be a solid company with no egregious moral pitfalls, but caution should be taken when investing in such a new concept like crowd-funded real estate investing. Investors into Fundrise should keep up to date on the dealings of Fundrise and make sure their business practices are up to par with basic moral standings. C3 will continue to monitor Fundrise from a moral standpoint, but as for now the eREIT company has passed our ethical screening process.

Here are some links to a few of the properties that Fundrise owns that you would be potentially investing in if you choose to invest with Fundrise. As you will see, their holdings are diverse. We also suggest you check out the Real Estate Assets page on the Fundrise site to learn more about the properties that Fundrise holds.

1. DC-area stabilized industrial property
2. Creative office space redevelopment in LA
3. Industrial property near Washington, DC
4. Stabilized industrial property near Washington, DC
5. Industrial property near Phoenix, AZ
6. Commercial renovation in South LA    

As always, C3 is not a financial planner or investment broker of any kind. All financial decisions should be prayed over, and talked over with friends, family, and financial professionals.