Technology lets people invest in Utah real estate shares at the press of a button

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Evolving technology is making it easier to invest in real estate shares as investments all across the country are available at the press of a button.

Apps like Fundrise, Equity Multiple, and Diversity Fund all made the top of the list for recommended real estate investment apps by Business Insider just last year.

KUTV spoke to Co-founder and CEO Ryan Frazier of Arrived, one of the newer apps that has come online nationwide.

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“Arrived makes it easy for anyone to buy and sell shares of rental properties across the country. Instead of buying a whole property, they can buy just a share of a property starting at just 100 dollars,” Frazier said.

Arrived has one home in Saratoga Springs on their app. Over 1,500 people own a share in it, and it’s rented out. After months of investing, people can request to retrieve some or all shares.

“Its really available to everyone over the age of 18, whether you’re an accredited investor or not an accredited investor,” Frazier said. “Part of the way we do that is we register every property through a securitization process with the FCC.”

Robert Cummings, the Director of the Utah Division of Securities, spoke more in depth about how apps like these work.

“These apps use what are called ‘real estate investment trusts,'” Cummings said. “These have been around since the 1960s, so these apps didn’t create a new investment; they’re using an old tool in a new way.”

So are these apps a good investment? Cummings says whether you want to build equity or get a strong return, you need to consider a few things first.

“We strongly encourage anybody looking at investing to talk with a professional, talk with a financial advisor, get a free consult, because this shouldn’t be a question of ‘I want to invest in real estate, how do I? It should be a question of your goals,” he said.

Cummings says you can pull filings about these investments and what the risks are online. It’s called the Edgar Portal.

He adds that the best way to build equity is to purchase a home on your own in this booming market.

A booming market is something that Frazier has taken note of.

“Salt Lake City is one that we’ve been excited about expanding into because it’s consistently rated as one of the top cities of where people want to live,” Frazier said.

When it comes to any regulations on investment properties in Utah, Frazier says that they are registered through the FCC and face federal regulations and guidelines.

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