Real Estate Platform Comparison· Updated May 5, 2026
A side-by-side breakdown of returns, liquidity, fees, and trustworthiness to help you decide where to invest your money.
Ark7 is one of the most accessible fractional rental platforms with $20 secondary-market shares and a SEC-registered ATS, but a 12-month hold before resale, monthly dividends, and layered fees mean investors should model net returns carefully.
Cadre is a credible accredited-only commercial real estate platform with strong reported historical IRRs and institutional backing, but its $50,000 minimum, the January 2024 acquisition by Yieldstreet (now Willow Wealth), and a 2018 Kushner Cos. property controversy mean retail investors and platform-trust-sensitive investors should weigh it carefully.
At a Glance
Pros & Cons
$20 secondary-market shares
Once a property is past its 12-month hold, investors can buy shares for as little as $20 each — the lowest per-share entry point in the fractional rental space.
Monthly dividend distributions
Ark7 pays dividends on the 3rd of each month — more frequent than the quarterly cadence used by most competing fractional platforms.
SEC-registered PPEX ATS secondary market
Ark7's secondary market runs on a SEC-registered Alternative Trading System, giving it more regulatory scaffolding than informal redemption windows used by some peers.
Per-property LLC structure
Each property is held in its own LLC, so liabilities of one property don't bleed into others — standard but worth confirming on any fractional platform.
12-month lock-up before resale
Investors cannot sell shares on the secondary market for the first 12 months after the initial offering. Capital is locked for a full year before any exit option is available.
Layered fees compress returns
Ark7 charges a 3% sourcing fee, plus 8–15% of monthly rental income for property management. Short-term rentals carry higher property-management percentages, which can materially reduce investor net yield.
IRA fees scale with property count
Holding Ark7 investments in an IRA costs $100 per property per year (capped at $400/year). For an investor diversifying across many properties, this fee adds up.
Smaller, earlier-stage platform
Ark7 is still a relatively small venture-backed platform with a more modest balance sheet than scaled peers. The platform appears stable today, but as with any earlier-stage operator, normal startup-stage business risk is worth weighing alongside the property-level economics.
Institutional-quality commercial deals
Cadre curates commercial real estate offerings — multifamily apartments, office, hotels, industrial — that typically only institutional investors can access directly.
Established platform with track record
Founded in 2014, Cadre has reported approximately $184 million in cumulative gross distributions to investors and a roughly 17.8% historical IRR across realized deals.
Cadre Direct Access Fund
Investors who don't want to pick deals one-by-one can use the Cadre Direct Access Fund, which builds a diversified portfolio across roughly 15 high-growth U.S. markets.
Backed by a larger alt-investment platform
Since January 2024, Cadre has operated as part of Yieldstreet (rebranded to Willow Wealth in October 2025), a multi-asset alternatives platform with broader product distribution. Cadre's CEO Ryan Williams continues to lead the brand and Cadre's investment team transitioned with the deal.
$50,000 minimum
Cadre's typical direct-deal minimum is $50,000 — among the highest in our comparison set. Spreading capital across multiple deals (the prudent diversification strategy) requires several hundred thousand in available capital.
Accredited investors only
Cadre is closed to non-accredited investors. You must verify $200K+ income (or $300K+ jointly), $1M+ net worth excluding primary residence, or hold relevant financial licenses.
5–8 year hold periods, limited liquidity
Cadre deals typically run 5–8 years with no formal early-exit option. Sponsors decide when to liquidate. Capital should be considered locked for the full hold.
Now part of Willow Wealth (formerly Yieldstreet)
Yieldstreet completed its acquisition of Cadre on January 23, 2024 and rebranded the parent platform to Willow Wealth in October 2025. Investors who want a fully independent commercial real estate platform should factor in that Cadre's parent company has faced significant investor-loss coverage tied to other (non-Cadre) parts of its business.
2018 Kushner Cos. controversy
In 2018, Fortune Magazine and Bloomberg reported Cadre benefited from misleading rent filings on a Kushner Cos. property deal. The episode prompted significant scrutiny of the platform's underwriting and disclosure practices.
Limited public transparency
Independent reviewers (notably the Real Estate Crowdfunding Review) have flagged Cadre for declining to answer detailed performance and methodology questions. The platform reports its own IRR figures but external scrutiny is limited.
Deep Dive
What You're Investing In
Individual U.S. single-family and small multi-family rental homes, fractionalized into shares. Investors can buy shares from new property offerings or, after the 12-month hold, from other investors on the SEC-registered ATS secondary market.
Individual commercial real estate deals (multifamily apartments, office, hotels, industrial) and the Cadre Direct Access Fund. Both carry meaningful minimums and accreditation requirements. Cadre branding lives inside the broader Willow Wealth platform.
Property Locations
Properties span 10+ U.S. states with concentration in growth markets. Specific market mix varies by listing.
The Cadre Direct Access Fund covers approximately 15 high-growth U.S. markets, with concentration in Sun Belt metros. Direct deals are sourced across the U.S.
Expected Returns
Returns vary by property and depend heavily on local rental performance. Recent platform updates report ~95% portfolio occupancy and cumulative dividends measured in the millions of dollars. Each property page lists projected dividend yield and projected appreciation. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Cadre reports a historical IRR of approximately 17.8% across realized deals and roughly $184 million in cumulative gross distributions. Advertised target returns on individual offerings typically range 10–15%. Past performance is platform-reported and not independently audited.
Fees
3% one-time sourcing fee at acquisition. 8–15% of monthly rental income for third-party property management (varies by long-term vs short-term rental). No commission on secondary market trades. IRA accounts: $100 per property per year, capped at $400/year.
Cadre's fee structure varies by offering and includes both platform-level and sponsor-level fees. Read each deal's fee schedule carefully. Fund products typically include both management and carried-interest fees.
Liquidity
Investors cannot sell shares for the first 12 months after a property's initial offering. After that, shares can be listed on Ark7's SEC-registered PPEX ATS secondary market.
Typical hold periods run 5–8 years. Sponsors decide when to liquidate; investors do not control exit timing.
Who Can Invest
Open to U.S. investors aged 18 or older. No accreditation required for most listings. IRA accounts are supported with a per-property annual fee.
Accredited investors only. SEC accreditation requirements apply: $200,000+ annual income (or $300,000+ jointly), $1,000,000+ net worth excluding primary residence, or holding relevant financial licenses.
The Verdict
Ark7 is a credible fractional rental platform with a unique combination of monthly dividends, a SEC-registered ATS secondary market, and the lowest per-share minimum in the space at $20. The 12-month hold before resale, layered management fees, and relatively small total AUM mean it works best as one piece of a diversified fractional portfolio rather than a primary holding. Investors who want immediate secondary liquidity, lower fees, or true daily payouts should compare against alternatives.
Full Ark7 review →Cadre is a credible institutional-quality commercial real estate platform with a strong reported track record and a diversified fund product. The $50,000 minimum and accredited-only access already limit it to high-net-worth investors, and the January 2024 acquisition by Yieldstreet — now Willow Wealth — plus the lingering 2018 Kushner Cos. controversy and limited public transparency add additional considerations. High-net-worth investors who already have institutional CRE exposure may still find selective value here, but most retail investors should look elsewhere.
Full Cadre review →Bottom Line
Ark7 scores higher (3.0/5) and edges out Cadre on our investment quality criteria.
Ark7 is one of the most accessible fractional rental platforms with $20 secondary-market shares and a SEC-registered ATS, but a 12-month hold before resale, monthly dividends, and layered fees mean investors should model net returns carefully.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our scoring criteria — returns, fees, liquidity, transparency, minimums, and track record — Ark7 (3.0/5) scores higher than Cadre (2.5/5). Ark7 is one of the most accessible fractional rental platforms with $20 secondary-market shares and a SEC-registered ATS, but a 12-month hold before resale, monthly dividends, and layered fees mean investors should model net returns carefully.
Ark7's minimum investment is $20 (secondary market) / $100 (new offerings). Cadre's minimum investment is $50,000 (typical direct deal).
Ark7: Investors cannot sell shares for the first 12 months after a property's initial offering. After that, shares can be listed on Ark7's SEC-registered PPEX ATS secondary market. Cadre: Typical hold periods run 5–8 years. Sponsors decide when to liquidate; investors do not control exit timing.
Ark7 reports average yearly returns of Varies by property; portfolio occupancy ~95% in 2025. Cadre reports average yearly returns of ~17.8% historical IRR per Cadre's own platform reporting. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
One of the most flexible ways to invest in real estate
$50 minimums · Daily rent payouts · No lock-up periods · 24/7 exchange