By Liyan Chen
The JOBS Act has led to the boom of crowdfunding platforms across many industries, and it seems like it is also poised to change the face of the real estate financing. As Bloomberg pointed out recently, the implementation of the JOBS Act will open up opportunities for real estate crowdfunding start-ups by saving them time and money on the legal process.
Here’s some background: Before the passage of the JOBS Act, real estate financing was mainly available to accredited investors under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933. But the JOBS Act, which eases restrictions on investments, will allow more individuals, including non-accredited investors, to invest up to $2,000 a year or 5 percent of their income or net worth in commercial real estate projects.
Currently, these real estate crowdfunding platforms, like Washington, D.C.-based Fundrise for example, have to go through a lengthy approval process by the SEC and local regulators.