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.
Mogul is a polished, premium-positioned fractional rental platform with a $250 minimum, monthly distributions, and a 12% hurdle rate on listings. The team's institutional pedigree is real, but Mogul is newer and has a smaller portfolio than legacy peers — best paired with established platforms.
Roofstock is the dominant marketplace for buying whole single-family rental homes online, with deep listings, vetted property data, and a property management network. It's a fit for investors who want to own a full rental at scale — but if you want fractional shares with $50–$100 minimums, Lofty or Arrived are better matches.
At a Glance
Pros & Cons
Monthly distributions
Mogul pays monthly distributions to investors — more frequent than the quarterly cadence used by most peer platforms in the SFR fractional space.
12% minimum hurdle rate per property
Mogul publicly states a 12% minimum hurdle rate for properties listed on the platform. While not a guarantee, the underwriting bar is more transparent than many peers.
Institutional founding team
Founded by former Goldman Sachs executives. The team brings institutional underwriting experience to the fractional retail space.
Sun Belt focus
Properties are primarily located in high-growth Sun Belt markets — Texas, Arizona, Florida — that have driven outsized rental demand over the last several years.
$250 minimum
Investors can get started with $250 per property — accessible enough for most retail investors to test the platform without committing large capital.
Newer platform with limited track record
Mogul is newer than legacy peers like Fundrise (2010) and Groundfloor (2013). Reported headline returns of ~18.8% should be treated as platform-marketed rather than fully realized across many vintages.
Smaller portfolio than scaled peers
Mogul lists a relatively small set of curated properties — meaningful for a newer platform but smaller than scaled peers running into the hundreds or thousands. Diversification options within the platform are still narrow.
Limited secondary liquidity
Like most fractional SFR platforms, secondary-market liquidity is constrained. Mogul has not publicly disclosed a SEC-registered secondary market like Ark7.
Geographic concentration risk
Heavy Sun Belt focus is a double-edged sword: the region has strong rental demand, but a regional downturn would hit Mogul investors disproportionately.
Real, full ownership
Buying through Roofstock means you actually own the property — title in your name, full control over rent setting, maintenance decisions, refinance, and sale. No platform sits between you and your asset.
Deep, vetted listings
Roofstock's marketplace contains thousands of single-family rental homes across the U.S., each with inspection reports, rent history, neighborhood ratings, and a Roofstock Estimate of expected return.
Property management built in
Roofstock's preferred property manager network covers most listed markets, so investors can buy a tenanted home in another state and hand off management on day one.
Use leverage to amplify returns
Because Roofstock investors buy whole homes, they can use traditional mortgage financing. That leverage is unavailable on most fractional crowdfunding platforms.
Investor-controlled liquidity
You decide when to sell. Roofstock has its own marketplace for tenanted homes, or you can list traditionally — either way, the exit timing is yours.
Whole-home minimums
Roofstock's main product is buying a full rental property. Even with leverage, that typically requires $20,000–$80,000+ in down payment plus closing costs, putting it out of reach for entry-level investors.
Roofstock One is closed to new investors
Roofstock One — the platform's accredited-only fractional product offering Tracking Stocks in single-family rentals — announced it was winding down in August 2023 and stopped accepting new capital contributions. The current marketplace is effectively a whole-home brokerage.
Transaction-style fees
Roofstock charges a 0.5% buyer fee or $500 minimum, plus standard closing costs and ongoing property management fees (typically 8–10% of gross rent). Sellers pay 3% or $2,500.
Headline cap rates can be optimistic
Roofstock's listed gross yields don't fully account for vacancy, maintenance, capex reserve, or local taxes. Real net returns are typically 1–3 percentage points lower than the headline number.
More work than passive
Even with property management, owning a rental home creates real work — financing, taxes, insurance, capex decisions, and tenant edge cases. It is not as hands-off as a REIT or fractional platform.
Deep Dive
What You're Investing In
Curated single-family rentals (typically priced $500K–$1M each), primarily located in Sun Belt growth markets. Each property is fractionalized into shares investors can purchase from $250.
Whole single-family rental homes — typically tenanted, sometimes vacant — from individual sellers, builders, and institutional sources. Multi-property portfolios are also occasionally listed.
Property Locations
Sun Belt focus: Texas, Arizona, Florida, with selective expansion. The geographic concentration is intentional but creates regional risk for investors who want broader U.S. diversification.
Strong coverage across the Sun Belt — Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Alabama, Arizona, Ohio — and select Midwest and East Coast markets. Each listing's market has a published neighborhood and school rating.
Expected Returns
Mogul-listed properties target rental yields of approximately 7–12% with monthly distributions. Expected annual IRRs on listed properties range 15–20% per Mogul's underwriting. Mogul reports an average yearly return of 18.8% — investors should treat this as platform-marketed rather than fully realized across many vintages.
Typical SFR cap rates on Roofstock listings range 5–8% gross. Real net returns after vacancy, maintenance, capex, and management fees are typically 1–3 percentage points lower. Total return depends heavily on whether the investor uses leverage, holds for appreciation, and selects strong markets.
Fees
Fee structure varies by offering. Read each property's fee disclosure carefully — sourcing, asset management, and property management fees all impact net investor returns.
Roofstock charges 0.5% of purchase price (or $500 minimum) on the buyer side and 3% (or $2,500 minimum) on the seller side. Property management fees through partner managers typically run 8–10% of gross rent. Standard closing costs and lender fees apply to financed purchases.
Liquidity
Long-term hold expected (5+ years typical for SFR fractional structures). Mogul has not publicly disclosed a formal secondary market.
Investor-controlled. Owners can hold indefinitely, refinance, or sell whenever they choose.
Who Can Invest
Open to U.S. investors. Specific accreditation requirements vary by offering — verify on the platform.
Open to all investors — no accreditation required. Standard mortgage financing is available with typical lender requirements (credit score, down payment, debt-to-income).
The Verdict
Mogul is a credible, premium-positioned newer entrant in fractional real estate. The $250 minimum, monthly distributions, 12% hurdle rate, and ex-Goldman Sachs founding team make it more interesting than most newer platforms. But its smaller portfolio size, Sun Belt geographic concentration, and shorter operating history mean it works best as a smaller piece of a diversified fractional portfolio, not as a single primary holding.
Full Mogul review →Roofstock is the gold-standard marketplace for investors who want to buy whole single-family rental homes online. Vetted listings, leverage availability, real ownership, and a property manager network make it a serious tool for portfolio scaling. But it isn't a fractional platform — Roofstock One has been closed to new investors and the core product requires whole-home capital. Investors who want low-minimum, hands-off fractional real estate exposure should look at Lofty or Arrived instead.
Full Roofstock review →Bottom Line
Mogul scores higher (3.5/5) and edges out Roofstock on our investment quality criteria.
Mogul is a polished, premium-positioned fractional rental platform with a $250 minimum, monthly distributions, and a 12% hurdle rate on listings. The team's institutional pedigree is real, but Mogul is newer and has a smaller portfolio than legacy peers — best paired with established platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our scoring criteria — returns, fees, liquidity, transparency, minimums, and track record — Mogul (3.5/5) scores higher than Roofstock (3.0/5). Mogul is a polished, premium-positioned fractional rental platform with a $250 minimum, monthly distributions, and a 12% hurdle rate on listings. The team's institutional pedigree is real, but Mogul is newer and has a smaller portfolio than legacy peers — best paired with established platforms.
Mogul's minimum investment is $250. Roofstock's minimum investment is Whole-home purchase price (typically $80,000–$400,000+); Roofstock One discontinued for new investors.
Mogul: Long-term hold expected (5+ years typical for SFR fractional structures). Mogul has not publicly disclosed a formal secondary market. Roofstock: Investor-controlled. Owners can hold indefinitely, refinance, or sell whenever they choose.
Mogul reports average yearly returns of Listed properties target 7–12% rental yield + appreciation; 12% minimum hurdle rate. Roofstock reports average yearly returns of Typical SFR cap rates 5–8%; total return depends on appreciation and leverage. 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