Key Takeaways
- Groundfloor gives investors control through short-term, project-based real estate loans
- Fundrise simplifies investing with long-term, professionally managed portfolios
- Both require relatively low minimum investments compared to traditional real estate
- mogul blends transparency and security with fractional ownership of curated, professionally managed properties
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.
Choosing between Groundfloor and Fundrise depends on how much involvement you want in your real estate investments. Groundfloor offers hands-on control with individual short-term loans tied to specific real estate projects. Fundrise focuses on simplicity, managing diversified real estate investment portfolios for you.
Both models have merit, but investors today are looking for more than either control or convenience. Some platforms, like mogul, now offer transparency, security, and access to curated real estate opportunities once reserved for institutions.
How Real Estate Investment Platforms Like Groundfloor and Fundrise Work
Each platform takes a different approach to making real estate investing accessible. Understanding how they operate is the first step to deciding whether they match your financial style.
Groundfloor as a Lending Marketplace
Groundfloor operates as a real estate crowdfunding platform and lending marketplace. Investors fund real estate debt investments through hard money loans, typically for 6 to 18 months, for developers and flippers. Returns come from interest payments, with rates tied to the risk of each project.
Fundrise and Its Managed Portfolios
Fundrise pools investor money into diversified equity investments across commercial properties and residential assets. Instead of choosing individual real estate deals, you select a general strategy, income, balanced, or growth, while their team manages the details. It’s convenient, but it trades control for simplicity and a longer investment horizon.
How mogul Competes
mogul blends both models. Investors see property-level transparency without taking on the headaches of property management. Assets are handpicked by professionals, backed by blockchain security, and tracked in real time. That combination of institutional quality and investor clarity is rare in alternative assets and makes mogul stand out among real estate investing platforms.
Minimum Investments
Groundfloor lets investors start with a low minimum investment, making it possible to spread money across multiple projects.
Fundrise begins with a larger minimum investment and charges an annual asset management fee of 1%.
mogul is upfront about its fee structure, so investors understand how investment returns are calculated.
Groundfloor Entry Point
Groundfloor lets investors start with very small commitments, making it possible to spread money across multiple projects. The trade-off is that you need to stay involved, monitoring loans and reinvesting as they close.
Fundrise Entry Point
Fundrise begins with a larger minimum investment and charges an annual asset management fee of 1%. While this provides access to diversified portfolios, the recurring fee can compound over time and reduce net returns, which is an important consideration for investors seeking long-term growth.
Fees Across Platforms
Groundfloor doesn’t charge investors directly. Borrowers cover platform costs, which are factored into loan terms. Fundrise charges an annual management fee of 1%, which compounds over time.
mogul’s Transparent Fee Structure
mogul takes a different approach: it’s upfront about costs, including management, so investors know exactly how performance is calculated. There are no hidden deductions, and investors can clearly see how fees impact returns.
Key points:
- Transparent reporting of all management fees
- No hidden deductions that reduce net IRR
- Easy-to-understand breakdown of how returns are calculated
- Blockchain-backed ownership records for extra clarity
Groundfloor vs. Fundrise on Equity Investments
Groundfloor focuses on debt, while Fundrise emphasizes equity investments across apartment complexes, office buildings, and other commercial real estate investments. mogul offers fractional ownership of curated real estate assets, creating a more diversified portfolio for investors.
Groundfloor Debt Investments
Groundfloor specializes in short-term real estate debt. Investors fund property-backed loans, typically for fix-and-flip projects, and earn interest payments in return. This appeals to investors who prefer shorter commitments but requires monitoring as loans close and capital must be redeployed.
Fundrise Equity Investments
Fundrise emphasizes long-term equity positions in apartments, offices, and commercial properties. Returns come from rental income and property appreciation. This model provides steady diversification, but investors give up visibility into individual assets.
mogul and Fractional Ownership
mogul blends the best of both models by offering fractional ownership of curated real estate assets. These properties are professionally managed, with detailed reporting and blockchain-backed transparency. Investors get diversification and clarity without the burden of daily oversight.
Commercial Real Estate Opportunities
Commercial properties offer larger-scale real estate investment options, longer leases, and more consistent rental income. mogul emphasizes quality over quantity, curating private real estate with selective commercial real estate exposure designed for long-term stability.
Groundfloor vs Fundrise Investment Strategy
Groundfloor’s project-based diversification works for non-accredited investors who want to spread capital across many debt investments. Fundrise builds a diversified portfolio of real estate assets automatically, while mogul’s curated approach minimizes risk factors and exposure to market volatility.
Groundfloor’s Project-Based Diversification
Because of its low entry point, investors can spread money across dozens of projects. This strategy offers strong diversification but requires constant monitoring.
Fundrise’s Automatic Diversification
Fundrise handles diversification internally. Investors put money into a single portfolio that spreads across properties nationwide. It’s simple, but visibility is limited.
mogul’s Curated Diversification
mogul combines investor choice with expert curation. By focusing only on vetted, institutional-grade properties, the platform delivers diversification without sacrificing transparency.
Portfolio Management Tools
Groundfloor provides detailed dashboards showing loan status, repayment schedules, and borrower details like loan principal and accrued interest. Fundrise simplifies tracking but gives less property-level insight.
Groundfloor provides detailed dashboards showing loan status, repayment schedules, and borrower details like loan principal and accrued interest.
Fundrise simplifies this with streamlined dashboards, but the trade-off is limited property-level visibility. Investors see performance at the portfolio level, not the project level.
mogul goes further by combining professional-level analytics with user-friendly dashboards. Investors can track IRR, distributions, and property-level data in real time, creating more confidence and clarity.
Liquidity and Access to Funds
Groundfloor loans typically run 6 to 18 months, after which capital can be withdrawn or reinvested. That’s appealing for investors who want flexibility rather than tying up money in illiquid investments.
Fundrise portfolios are structured with a five-year investment horizon, with limited liquidity through its share repurchase program. This suits long-term investors but can feel restrictive for those seeking flexibility.
mogul provides quarterly distribution opportunities and maintains transparency about timelines upfront. While it isn’t designed for day trading, the structure provides more predictable access to cash flow than many traditional private real estate investments.
Platform Growth and Track Record
Investors care about more than flashy dashboards. A platform’s track record tells you whether it can deliver through different market cycles.
Groundfloor’s History
Groundfloor launched in 2013 with a focus on democratizing real estate lending. Over time, it’s funded thousands of short-term loans for developers across U.S. markets. While still relatively small compared to giants like Fundrise, Groundfloor has built a niche community of investors who prefer project-level control.
Fundrise’s Scale
Founded in 2012, Fundrise has grown into one of the largest real estate crowdfunding platforms. It manages billions in assets, attracting both accredited investors and non-accredited investors looking to invest passively in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and specialized funds like its Innovation Fund.
mogul’s Leadership Edge
mogul reports historical IRRs around 18.8%, with distributions often paid quarterly. Its combination of transparency, curated deals, and rigorous vetting has helped it build credibility with real estate investors seeking good investment opportunities that minimize closing costs and hidden fees.
How the Platforms Feel to Use
A platform’s interface shapes how confident and in control investors feel. Some are designed for detail and control, while others favor ease and automation.
Groundfloor’s Dashboard
Groundfloor caters to investors who like to dig into the details. You’ll see loan grades, repayment schedules, borrower histories, and property photos before committing. Once invested, the platform gives regular updates on project status. It’s thorough, but you’ll need to stay engaged.
Fundrise’s Interface
Fundrise simplifies the experience to the point of being nearly hands-off. After answering a few risk-tolerance questions, the platform allocates your money across pre-selected portfolios. You get a clean interface and portfolio summaries, but little visibility into individual properties.
mogul’s Real-Time Tracking
mogul strikes a middle ground by providing professional-level data without overwhelming the user. The dashboard displays property-level IRR, monthly distributions, and cash flow updates in real time.
Blockchain-secured ownership records back every investment, giving investors confidence in the accuracy of reporting. It’s not just about transparency; it’s about actionable detail that helps you track performance as it happens.
Matching Platforms to Investor Goals
Groundfloor is for people who want to be in the driver’s seat, evaluating real estate debt and short-term loans across multiple projects.
Fundrise works best for long-term investors who want simplicity, and some even see it as a way to generate passive income.
mogul appeals to investors who want curated real estate opportunities with professional oversight and a focus on minimizing risk in their investment decision.
Why Performance Matters
At the end of the day, numbers tell the real story.
Groundfloor loans usually return around 8–11%, though repayment delays can affect timing. Fundrise client returns have been more volatile — posting −7.45% in 2023 and +5.75% in 2024 — so current expectations are closer to 3–8%.
mogul has reported historical IRRs around 18.8%, reflecting a combination of yield and growth potential. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Unlike other platforms, mogul’s performance figures are net of fees and backed by rigorous underwriting. That makes the results not just attractive but also transparent, with clear reporting behind the numbers. For some investors, differences in performance can have a meaningful impact over time. Historical results show mogul has outpaced other platforms, though past returns are not a guarantee of future outcomes.
Groundfloor vs Fundrise and Why mogul is a Smarter Alternative
Groundfloor, Fundrise, and mogul are three of today’s most popular real estate investing platforms. Each offers unique investment options: Groundfloor for debt investments, Fundrise for equity investments and pooled funds, and mogul for curated real estate assets.
For investors comparing Groundfloor vs Fundrise, mogul offers a third path, one that emphasizes transparency, security, and professional curation.
If you're interested in real estate exposure without the responsibilities of direct ownership, mogul offers an alternative approach worth exploring.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Groundfloor or Fundrise Better?
It depends on your goals. Groundfloor focuses on short-term debt investments, while Fundrise offers diversified equity portfolios. mogul provides another option, combining curated properties with professional oversight and blockchain-backed transparency.
Why Do Investors Prefer mogul Over Other Platforms?
Investors choose mogul for its property-level clarity, blockchain-secured records, and institutional-grade management. It combines transparency with performance-focused outcomes.
What Makes mogul Different From Fundrise?
Fundrise pools investors into broad funds with limited visibility. mogul offers direct ownership of specific properties, giving investors more clarity and control.
How Does mogul Deliver Value for Investors?
mogul combines rigorous vetting, blockchain security, and real-time reporting. Investors gain access to high-quality properties with a structure designed to deliver both consistent income and long-term appreciation.