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Real Estate Crowdfunding and Its Discontents Whitepaper

What are the limitations of real estate crowdfunding? Download the whitepaper to see why many platforms have underdelivered, and how a direct-to-manager model differs.
WRITTEN BY
PUBLISHED ON
Soren Godbersen
May 14, 2026
December 1, 2025
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Overview

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Over the past decade, many so-called "crowdfunding" platforms that claimed to democratize real estate investing have instead underdelivered with poor risk controls, lack of transparency, misalignment with sponsors, and fee-heavy structures.

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The opportunity hasn't changed: Private-market real estate still offers a strong thesis as a hedge against volatility and driver of uncorrelated returns, especially given today's public markets and broader economic conditions.

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However, private-market real estate remains underrepresented in most individual investor portfolios. According to a 2023 study from NAREIT, while institutional investors like pension funds allocate between 10-20% to private real estate, individual investors typically allocate under 3%, leaving significant diversification and income potential untapped.

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Our newest whitepaper explores how individual investors can tap into the potential benefits of private real estate. It takes a hard look at the shortcomings of the crowdfunding model and makes the case for a different approach: direct-to-manager.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Industrial
What asset types are offered through Lightstone DIRECT?

Once you have created and verified your account, all live offerings are accessible from your investor dashboard. Each offering page includes a comprehensive set of materials to support your due diligence, including an investment summary, key financial projections, deal terms, and relevant legal documentation. You may review these materials at your own pace prior to making any investment decision. If you require additional information beyond what is provided on the offering page, you may submit an inquiry directly through the platform and a member of the Lightstone DIRECT team will respond accordingly.

What is the typical hold period of an investment?

Once you have created and verified your account, all live offerings are accessible from your investor dashboard. Each offering page includes a comprehensive set of materials to support your due diligence, including an investment summary, key financial projections, deal terms, and relevant legal documentation. You may review these materials at your own pace prior to making any investment decision. If you require additional information beyond what is provided on the offering page, you may submit an inquiry directly through the platform and a member of the Lightstone DIRECT team will respond accordingly.

Multifamily
How do I access and review the details of a live offering on Lightstone DIRECT?

Once you have created and verified your account, all live offerings are accessible from your investor dashboard. Each offering page includes a comprehensive set of materials to support your due diligence, including an investment summary, key financial projections, deal terms, and relevant legal documentation. You may review these materials at your own pace prior to making any investment decision. If you require additional information beyond what is provided on the offering page, you may submit an inquiry directly through the platform and a member of the Lightstone DIRECT team will respond accordingly.

What is the early funding incentive?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

What is the minimum investment amount for deals on the platform?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

Multifamily
What are the eligibility requirements to invest on Lightstone DIRECT?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

How does Lightstone DIRECT differ from other private investment platforms?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

Industrial
When was Lightstone founded?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

Multifamily
What is Lightstone DIRECT?

Lightstone DIRECT is a private investment platform that provides accredited investors with access to institutional-quality real estate offerings. The platform is designed to simplify the process of evaluating, committing to, and managing private real estate investments through a single, secure digital environment.

Soren Godbersen

Soren Godbersen is Chief Growth Officer at Lightstone DIRECT, where he oversees investor experience, day-to-day operations, marketing, and strategic direction of the group. Previously Godbersen was Chief Growth Officer at EquityMultiple, a category-defining real estate investment platform for accredited investors where he led the Marketing and Investor Relations Teams, helping to grow the firm’s AUM to nearly $1B, and investor network to over 5,000 individual high-net-worth investors. Godbersen holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Economics with Honors from Whitman College.

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