Fundrise UK: Expansion Plans and Alternatives for 2024

Fundrise is an online investment platform that allows anyone to invest in real estate, even with a small amount of money.

In the public markets, you can purchase shares of Real Estate Investment Trusts, generally known as REITs. These REITs generally invest in income-generating real estate by buying and managing buildings or by holding mortgages. 

Fundrise offers a concept called eFunds, where the investors’ money is pooled in and used to purchase land, develop and create housing and then finally sell it in the housing market to home-buyers.

Overall, Fundrise offers its investors a hassle-free and efficient way to invest in real estate. Fundrise manages all the time-consuming work and formalities, and you do not have to waste your time and energy.

There is a reason why Fundrise is one of the most popular real estate investment platforms in the United States. From managing your investments to tracking other potential investment opportunities, this platform is truly focused on providing the end-user with a seamless and smooth experience. So, let’s go over some of its features.

As of now, investors in the UK and the EU cannot invest with Fundrise. But, it does plan on going global by creating a worldwide investment platform that allows users to invest in US properties. They plan on expanding their reach by allowing investors from the UK, Canada, and Australia to invest in US real estate. 

The Co-founder and CEO of Fundrise, Ben Miller, has disclosed at cpexecutive.com that:

“Beginning to take on international investors is an enormous step for the investment crowdfunding industry and one that requires a significant amount of research and works to comply with U.S. legislation and regulations (…). Other countries have different laws governing crowdfunding, which adds another layer of complexity. So, we started with countries that have relatively similar regulatory regimes and no language barriers”.

So, with plans to expand its investor base, Fundrise might come to the UK in the coming future. But, this does not mean that the UK and other European investors cannot invest in real estate. Several platforms offer similar features! So, let’s go over the alternatives to Fundrise in the UK and the EU.

Several real estate crowdfunding platforms, such as Fundrise, operate in the UK and other European countries.

This is still a recent market, so it is essential to choose a platform trusted by many investors, which has good feedback, and that has been in the market for some time. Still, no one can predict these platforms’ future, so it is impossible to name the “best alternative”.

We’ve made a comparison table that includes some leading platforms in the UK to facilitate your choice. They all operate cross-border, meaning that they accept clients from most European countries, including the UK. For a complete list of platforms available in your country, check our list of real estate crowdfunding platforms available by country.

There is no single-best platform – all investment platforms are different, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Take a look at the ones you find interesting, explore their website, and decide for yourself.

The secondary market is an important feature, as it allows you to exit a deal if you need the money before the end of the investment.

It’s also important to understand if what you’re buying is debt or equity: Equity-based crowdfunding vs Debt-based crowdfunding. In equity, you earn a percentage of the rent, plus a percentage of the selling value, while when buying a loan, you’ll receive interest.

Some of these platforms’ currency is EUR, so you might be charged significant currency conversion fees upon deposit and withdrawal. An alternative would be to use a low-cost currency conversion service such as Revolut or Wise.

Additionally, you can diversify your risk in real estate crowdfunding investment by investing in several platforms, and choosing deals with different characteristics and different geographies.

Hope we helped, and leave your comments below.

Happy investments!