Real estate investing
Owning real estate, such as rental properties, is a popular way to generate passive income. Investors can earn returns through rental income or by selling properties at a higher value later on. However, buying and managing real estate often requires significant capital and time. If you prefer to start with smaller amounts or less active involvement, online funds or crowdfunding platforms can be a good alternative.
Contents:
- property backed crowdfunding loans
- Investing in rental properties
- Platforms with higher risk/rewards
- Unlisted real estate funds
- Listed real estate funds and companies
Please note: investing in real estate involves risks, you can (partially) lose your investment.
How to invest in real estate?
One of the most common ways to invest in real estate is by buying a property and either renting it out or selling it later at a higher price.
For example, you can buy a house, renovate it, and sell it for a profit. Another option is buying a property to rent out to tenants, students, or tourists. This can create recurring monthly income through rent payments.
While these strategies are popular, they usually require a large upfront investment and active involvement. Besides owning physical property, there are many other ways to invest in real estate.
Investing online in property backed crowdfunding loans
By investing in real estate loans on crowdfunding platforms, you finance property projects instead of owning the real estate itself. Your return comes from fixed interest payments rather than rental income or increases in property value. Because of this structure, returns are often lower than direct real estate investments.
But returns are usually more stable, while you can start with a relatively low investment and without active involvement. Europe has several real estate crowdfunding platforms that offer property-backed loans. In many cases, these loans are used by entrepreneurs to renovate or redevelop properties, or to finance their business while using real estate as collateral to obtain lower interest rates or better financing conditions.
Platforms that offer such loans are for example:
Offers multiple investment options, including real estate projects that generate rental income and potential capital gains. Alongside real estate, it is market leader in P2P lending with an average return of 11.3% on Core Loans. Also provides access to selected bonds and ETFs.
- editorial team's preferred platform
- 11+ billion euros funded since its launch in 2015
- real estate notes linked to rental properties
- European market leader in P2P lending
- secondary market
- MiFID II license
Real estate crowdfunding platform, based in Riga, Latvia, where you can invest in the agricultural sector in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Poland. You fund farms that need to buy land, machinery or livestock, for example. Average annual return for investors: 11 to 12 percent.
- focused on agricultural loans
- average LTV ~45 percent
- average loan term ~18 months
- minimum investment: 50 euro
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- ECSP licence in Latvia (Latvijas Banka)
You invest in defaulted mortgage loans from Spain, that have been purchased at a discount. You invest in legal processes and enforcement, not in credit risk. Returns come from successful recoveries. They can be very high, but are also unpredictable.
- platform active since 2023
- reported returns: 22+ percent per year
- low correlation with other P2P investments
- no interim cash flow or secondary market
- 17,000+ registered investors
- MiFID II licence (regulated in Latvia)
EstateGuru is a real estate investment platform from Estonia, founded in 2014. You can invest in short-term real estate loans in different European countries. Investments start from 50 euros. The platform went through some difficult years, but its new strategy now seems to be working well.
- wide offering across 8 countries
- all loans secured by real estate collateral
- auto-invest feature by LTV, interest rate, or region
- in-house fund with expected return of 7 percent
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Estonia)
Inrento is a young Lithuanian platform for investing in rental real estate (buy-to-let). You invest in rental apartments, small shops, offices, or short-term rentals such as co-living and Airbnb units. You earn rental income and potential profit on sale. Projects are backed by a mortgage.
- started in 2020, recently reached 100M in total volume
- active in Lithuania, Poland, and Spain
- average return: 11.7 percent
- secondary market
- Best LendTech company 2025 (European FinTech Awards)
- European ECSP license granted in Lithuania
Women led European crowdfunding platform for real estate loans. You invest in projects backed by property, with expected returns of around 9 to 12 percent per year. The minimum investment is 150 euro. The platform is EU-regulated and focuses on transparent, relatively short-term investments.
- team experience in real estate since 2008
- maximum LTV of 60 percent
- aimed yearly returns: 9 to 12 percent
- four-women leadership
- focused on Latvia
- ECSP license (Latvia)
A European crowdfunding platform focused on the agricultural sector, active in the Baltic States, Poland, Bulgaria, and Portugal. It finances working capital, machinery, and sustainability projects, such as CO2 storage. Investors can earn an average annual return of over 12 percent.
- focus on agriculture
- loans secured by land or equipment
- projects for carbon credits
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- 15K+ registered investors
- ECSP license (Lithuania)
Stock.Estate is a new investment platform focused on real estate financing. It launched in 2024 and operates from Romania. You invest in short-term loans for property developers, with high interest rates (around 14.5 percent on average) and relatively short durations.
- launched in 2024, still a limited track record
- interest rates up to around 20 percent per year
- projects with first mortgage security
- no auto-invest, only manual investing
- many projects in development or renovation phase
- ECSP license, supervised by ASF (Romania)
Nordstreet is an international crowdfunding platform specializing in real estate projects with a Loan-to-Value (LTV) up to 75 percent. Investments start from 50 euros and the average return ranges between 12 and 12.5 percent. Founded in 2017, it is based in Lithuania.
Crowdpear is a Latvian crowdfunding platform for real estate, renewable energy and business projects. The platform was launched in 2022 by PeerBerry. It has financed 500+ projects, with a total amount of almost 50 million euros. The average return of investment is 10,6 percent.
- spinoff of PeerBerry (p2p platform)
- 3 out of 4 projects are based in Lithuania
- most loans secured with a first-rank mortgage
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Bank of Lithuania)
Brickstarter was founded in 2017 and specializes in vacation rental properties. You can invest on the platform with a minimum amount of 50 euros. With funds from different investors the platform renovates and manages property, eventually renting and reselling it for profits.
Letsinvest is a crowd-investing platform from Lithuania. You can start investing from 100 euros in commercial and residential developments. The average annual return is 9,41 percent. You can directly invest, buying into the equity of rental business or invest into bonds.
Profitus, based in Lithuania, is one of the fastest growing crowdfunding platforms for real estate-backed investments and business loans. You can start investing from 100 euros. The average return of investment is 12,14 percent (last updated: June 2024).
Fintown is a p2p platform where you can invest in private real estate projects in or around Prague, with an average interest rate of 12%. The owners of the platform also invest in the available projects themselves.
- focus on rental properties
- co-invests 20 percent in every project itself
- powered by Vihorev Group
- no ECSP-license
Large crowdfunding platform from Hamburg, Germany, focused on real estate and renewable energy. It offers debt-based investments with fixed interest and equity-based investments with profit sharing. So far, it has funded over 600 projects worth more than 1,17 billion euros.
- debt (loans) and equity (co-ownership) projects
- including renewable energy projects
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Germany)
Investing in rental properties
Some platforms focus specifically on financing rental properties. Because these apartments or houses can generate recurring rental income, they are often seen as relatively strong collateral for loans. Platforms that mainly focus on rental property investments include:
Offers multiple investment options, including real estate projects that generate rental income and potential capital gains. Alongside real estate, it is market leader in P2P lending with an average return of 11.3% on Core Loans. Also provides access to selected bonds and ETFs.
- editorial team's preferred platform
- 11+ billion euros funded since its launch in 2015
- real estate notes linked to rental properties
- European market leader in P2P lending
- secondary market
- MiFID II license
Real estate crowdfunding platform, based in Riga, Latvia, where you can invest in the agricultural sector in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Poland. You fund farms that need to buy land, machinery or livestock, for example. Average annual return for investors: 11 to 12 percent.
- focused on agricultural loans
- average LTV ~45 percent
- average loan term ~18 months
- minimum investment: 50 euro
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- ECSP licence in Latvia (Latvijas Banka)
You invest in defaulted mortgage loans from Spain, that have been purchased at a discount. You invest in legal processes and enforcement, not in credit risk. Returns come from successful recoveries. They can be very high, but are also unpredictable.
- platform active since 2023
- reported returns: 22+ percent per year
- low correlation with other P2P investments
- no interim cash flow or secondary market
- 17,000+ registered investors
- MiFID II licence (regulated in Latvia)
EstateGuru is a real estate investment platform from Estonia, founded in 2014. You can invest in short-term real estate loans in different European countries. Investments start from 50 euros. The platform went through some difficult years, but its new strategy now seems to be working well.
- wide offering across 8 countries
- all loans secured by real estate collateral
- auto-invest feature by LTV, interest rate, or region
- in-house fund with expected return of 7 percent
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Estonia)
Inrento is a young Lithuanian platform for investing in rental real estate (buy-to-let). You invest in rental apartments, small shops, offices, or short-term rentals such as co-living and Airbnb units. You earn rental income and potential profit on sale. Projects are backed by a mortgage.
- started in 2020, recently reached 100M in total volume
- active in Lithuania, Poland, and Spain
- average return: 11.7 percent
- secondary market
- Best LendTech company 2025 (European FinTech Awards)
- European ECSP license granted in Lithuania
Women led European crowdfunding platform for real estate loans. You invest in projects backed by property, with expected returns of around 9 to 12 percent per year. The minimum investment is 150 euro. The platform is EU-regulated and focuses on transparent, relatively short-term investments.
- team experience in real estate since 2008
- maximum LTV of 60 percent
- aimed yearly returns: 9 to 12 percent
- four-women leadership
- focused on Latvia
- ECSP license (Latvia)
A European crowdfunding platform focused on the agricultural sector, active in the Baltic States, Poland, Bulgaria, and Portugal. It finances working capital, machinery, and sustainability projects, such as CO2 storage. Investors can earn an average annual return of over 12 percent.
- focus on agriculture
- loans secured by land or equipment
- projects for carbon credits
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- 15K+ registered investors
- ECSP license (Lithuania)
Stock.Estate is a new investment platform focused on real estate financing. It launched in 2024 and operates from Romania. You invest in short-term loans for property developers, with high interest rates (around 14.5 percent on average) and relatively short durations.
- launched in 2024, still a limited track record
- interest rates up to around 20 percent per year
- projects with first mortgage security
- no auto-invest, only manual investing
- many projects in development or renovation phase
- ECSP license, supervised by ASF (Romania)
Nordstreet is an international crowdfunding platform specializing in real estate projects with a Loan-to-Value (LTV) up to 75 percent. Investments start from 50 euros and the average return ranges between 12 and 12.5 percent. Founded in 2017, it is based in Lithuania.
Crowdpear is a Latvian crowdfunding platform for real estate, renewable energy and business projects. The platform was launched in 2022 by PeerBerry. It has financed 500+ projects, with a total amount of almost 50 million euros. The average return of investment is 10,6 percent.
- spinoff of PeerBerry (p2p platform)
- 3 out of 4 projects are based in Lithuania
- most loans secured with a first-rank mortgage
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Bank of Lithuania)
Brickstarter was founded in 2017 and specializes in vacation rental properties. You can invest on the platform with a minimum amount of 50 euros. With funds from different investors the platform renovates and manages property, eventually renting and reselling it for profits.
Letsinvest is a crowd-investing platform from Lithuania. You can start investing from 100 euros in commercial and residential developments. The average annual return is 9,41 percent. You can directly invest, buying into the equity of rental business or invest into bonds.
Profitus, based in Lithuania, is one of the fastest growing crowdfunding platforms for real estate-backed investments and business loans. You can start investing from 100 euros. The average return of investment is 12,14 percent (last updated: June 2024).
Fintown is a p2p platform where you can invest in private real estate projects in or around Prague, with an average interest rate of 12%. The owners of the platform also invest in the available projects themselves.
- focus on rental properties
- co-invests 20 percent in every project itself
- powered by Vihorev Group
- no ECSP-license
Large crowdfunding platform from Hamburg, Germany, focused on real estate and renewable energy. It offers debt-based investments with fixed interest and equity-based investments with profit sharing. So far, it has funded over 600 projects worth more than 1,17 billion euros.
- debt (loans) and equity (co-ownership) projects
- including renewable energy projects
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Germany)
Platforms with higher risk/rewards
Some platforms focus on higher-risk real estate investments with the goal of generating above-average returns. These can involve distressed assets, development projects, or more complex financing structures. Examples of such platforms include:
Offers multiple investment options, including real estate projects that generate rental income and potential capital gains. Alongside real estate, it is market leader in P2P lending with an average return of 11.3% on Core Loans. Also provides access to selected bonds and ETFs.
- editorial team's preferred platform
- 11+ billion euros funded since its launch in 2015
- real estate notes linked to rental properties
- European market leader in P2P lending
- secondary market
- MiFID II license
Real estate crowdfunding platform, based in Riga, Latvia, where you can invest in the agricultural sector in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Poland. You fund farms that need to buy land, machinery or livestock, for example. Average annual return for investors: 11 to 12 percent.
- focused on agricultural loans
- average LTV ~45 percent
- average loan term ~18 months
- minimum investment: 50 euro
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- ECSP licence in Latvia (Latvijas Banka)
You invest in defaulted mortgage loans from Spain, that have been purchased at a discount. You invest in legal processes and enforcement, not in credit risk. Returns come from successful recoveries. They can be very high, but are also unpredictable.
- platform active since 2023
- reported returns: 22+ percent per year
- low correlation with other P2P investments
- no interim cash flow or secondary market
- 17,000+ registered investors
- MiFID II licence (regulated in Latvia)
EstateGuru is a real estate investment platform from Estonia, founded in 2014. You can invest in short-term real estate loans in different European countries. Investments start from 50 euros. The platform went through some difficult years, but its new strategy now seems to be working well.
- wide offering across 8 countries
- all loans secured by real estate collateral
- auto-invest feature by LTV, interest rate, or region
- in-house fund with expected return of 7 percent
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Estonia)
Inrento is a young Lithuanian platform for investing in rental real estate (buy-to-let). You invest in rental apartments, small shops, offices, or short-term rentals such as co-living and Airbnb units. You earn rental income and potential profit on sale. Projects are backed by a mortgage.
- started in 2020, recently reached 100M in total volume
- active in Lithuania, Poland, and Spain
- average return: 11.7 percent
- secondary market
- Best LendTech company 2025 (European FinTech Awards)
- European ECSP license granted in Lithuania
Women led European crowdfunding platform for real estate loans. You invest in projects backed by property, with expected returns of around 9 to 12 percent per year. The minimum investment is 150 euro. The platform is EU-regulated and focuses on transparent, relatively short-term investments.
- team experience in real estate since 2008
- maximum LTV of 60 percent
- aimed yearly returns: 9 to 12 percent
- four-women leadership
- focused on Latvia
- ECSP license (Latvia)
A European crowdfunding platform focused on the agricultural sector, active in the Baltic States, Poland, Bulgaria, and Portugal. It finances working capital, machinery, and sustainability projects, such as CO2 storage. Investors can earn an average annual return of over 12 percent.
- focus on agriculture
- loans secured by land or equipment
- projects for carbon credits
- auto-invest feature & secondary market
- 15K+ registered investors
- ECSP license (Lithuania)
Stock.Estate is a new investment platform focused on real estate financing. It launched in 2024 and operates from Romania. You invest in short-term loans for property developers, with high interest rates (around 14.5 percent on average) and relatively short durations.
- launched in 2024, still a limited track record
- interest rates up to around 20 percent per year
- projects with first mortgage security
- no auto-invest, only manual investing
- many projects in development or renovation phase
- ECSP license, supervised by ASF (Romania)
Nordstreet is an international crowdfunding platform specializing in real estate projects with a Loan-to-Value (LTV) up to 75 percent. Investments start from 50 euros and the average return ranges between 12 and 12.5 percent. Founded in 2017, it is based in Lithuania.
Crowdpear is a Latvian crowdfunding platform for real estate, renewable energy and business projects. The platform was launched in 2022 by PeerBerry. It has financed 500+ projects, with a total amount of almost 50 million euros. The average return of investment is 10,6 percent.
- spinoff of PeerBerry (p2p platform)
- 3 out of 4 projects are based in Lithuania
- most loans secured with a first-rank mortgage
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Bank of Lithuania)
Brickstarter was founded in 2017 and specializes in vacation rental properties. You can invest on the platform with a minimum amount of 50 euros. With funds from different investors the platform renovates and manages property, eventually renting and reselling it for profits.
Letsinvest is a crowd-investing platform from Lithuania. You can start investing from 100 euros in commercial and residential developments. The average annual return is 9,41 percent. You can directly invest, buying into the equity of rental business or invest into bonds.
Profitus, based in Lithuania, is one of the fastest growing crowdfunding platforms for real estate-backed investments and business loans. You can start investing from 100 euros. The average return of investment is 12,14 percent (last updated: June 2024).
Fintown is a p2p platform where you can invest in private real estate projects in or around Prague, with an average interest rate of 12%. The owners of the platform also invest in the available projects themselves.
- focus on rental properties
- co-invests 20 percent in every project itself
- powered by Vihorev Group
- no ECSP-license
Large crowdfunding platform from Hamburg, Germany, focused on real estate and renewable energy. It offers debt-based investments with fixed interest and equity-based investments with profit sharing. So far, it has funded over 600 projects worth more than 1,17 billion euros.
- debt (loans) and equity (co-ownership) projects
- including renewable energy projects
- secondary market
- ECSP license (Germany)
Unlisted real estate funds
If you want automatic diversification, real estate funds can be a good option as well. A fund pools money from multiple investors and spreads it across different properties or real estate loans on your behalf. These funds are usually actively managed.
That can limit returns somewhat because of management costs, but it also means you do not have to manage investments yourself. And because of their structure, network, and professional teams, real estate funds can often access larger or more competitive projects that are difficult for individual investors to find or enter directly.
Unlike online crowdfunding platforms, private, non-listed real estate funds are often only available in specific countries due to local regulations, tax structures, and licensing requirements. If you want to invest in funds, the stock exchange might be the best way to go.
Listed real estate funds and companies
Next to private funds, there are many publicly traded REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). REITs are similar to private real estate funds and own or finance income-generating properties such as apartments, offices, shopping centers, or logistics buildings. However, unlike private funds, their shares are traded on the stock exchange.
This makes them easier to buy and sell. However, besides exposure to the real estate market itself, investors are also exposed to stock price movements. These can work both positively and negatively. Income from the underlying properties is usually distributed indirectly through dividends, as REITs are required to pay out most of their taxable income to investors.
Examples of European real estate companies and REITs include Vonovia, Aroundtown, Warehouses De Pauw (WDP), Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and LEG Immobilien.
Open an account directly with a large European broker such as eToro, known for its beginner-friendly platform, or DEGIRO, which is popular for its low trading fees. Investing involves risks. You can lose your investment.
