CrowdStreet vs. Lofty 2026 Real Estate Investing Comparison

Individual commercial real estate deals (multifamily, industrial, hospitality, office, retail, medical office, data centers, parking) and the C-REIT diversified fund. Most carry a $25,000 minimum.

Individual U.S. real estate — single-family homes, multi-family buildings, mixed-use properties, and commercial real estate — fractionalized into shares of a property-specific LLC. Investors can also trade their shares with other investors on Lofty's exchange at any time.

Deals span the U.S. with concentration in growth-market metros — Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and the Mountain West. Each project's location is disclosed in its offering documents.

Lofty properties span roughly 40 U.S. markets, with active diversification across states and regions so investors can build a geographically balanced portfolio. Specific market mix is updated as new properties are listed.

CrowdStreet reports a historical realized IRR of approximately 18.3% before fees across exited deals. After typical sponsor fees, real net IRR is meaningfully lower and varies deal-by-deal. Some realized deals have lost all investor capital — a reality CrowdStreet discloses in its annual performance report.

Returns vary by individual property. As of May 2026, Lofty's marketplace has a 9.2% average rental yield across 111 properties. Each property page lists projected rent, projected appreciation, and historical comps so investors can model expected returns themselves before committing capital. Past performance does not guarantee future results — read each property's underwriting carefully.

Reported returns are gross of fees. Sponsors charge investors whatever they see fit — fees can exceed 20% of invested capital over the hold period. CrowdStreet itself charges sponsors 0.5–2% to list, indirectly built into deal pricing.

Lofty charges a 2.5% fee on share purchases and a 3% fee on share sales — meaning a round-trip trade carries roughly 5.5% in exchange fees. There are no AUM fees, no property management fees billed directly to investors, no upfront fees, and no early withdrawal penalties.

Hold periods are typically 3–7 years. CrowdStreet's own disclosures warn investors may be forced to hold for 10+ years if sponsors delay sale.

There is no minimum holding period on Lofty. Investors can list their shares for sale on the exchange at any time, at any price they choose.

Accredited investors only. Verification of income ($200k+ individual / $300k+ couple) or net worth ($1M+ excluding primary residence) is required before investing.

Lofty is open to U.S. citizens and many international investors who can complete identity verification. Investors must be 18 or older.