> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.share.land/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Why Shareland > The problem with real estate investing today - and how Shareland fixes it. ## The problem with real estate investing Residential real estate is the backbone of personal wealth accumulation in the United States. As an investment, it offers an attractive risk-return profile while protecting against inflation, market volatility, and regulatory uncertainty. But investing in real estate comes with serious structural problems: * **Illiquid** - you can't sell a fraction of your house when you need cash * **Non-divisible** - you own one property, not a diversified basket * **Non-diversifiable** - a typical homeowner is entirely exposed to one specific neighborhood * **Capital-intensive** - entry requires hundreds of thousands of dollars * **Slow** - buying and selling takes months and costs 6% in fees Most Americans concentrate a meaningful portion of their assets into their primary home - with no way to diversify or hedge that exposure. ## Why existing alternatives don't work There are three products that theoretically provide real estate price exposure today: | Product | Problem | | - | - | | Single-family REITs | No neighborhood-level exposure. Returns poorly correlated to actual housing markets. | | Multifamily REITs | Same issue - broad exposure only, not specific to where you live or want to invest. | | Case-Shiller futures | Metropolitan area only (not neighborhoods). Complex structure built for institutions, not individuals. Now largely discontinued. | Bank stocks and mortgage-backed securities don't provide the exposure either. **Retail investors currently have no tool that enables diversified, self-directed residential real estate exposure.** ## vs. Tokenized Real Estate Platforms Several platforms have emerged claiming to "democratize" real estate investing through tokenization. Here's how Shareland compares (as of Q1 2026): | Feature | Shareland | Arrived | RealT | Lofty | | - | - | - | - | - | | **Exposure Type** | Synthetic price exposure (\$/sqft) | Direct property ownership (equity shares) | Tokenized rental property shares | Tokenized rental property shares | | **Minimum Investment** | \$1 | \$100 | \~\$50 | \~\$50 | | **Liquidity** | Instant (trade anytime) | None - locked until property sells | Limited secondary market | Limited secondary market | | **Geographic Granularity** | Neighborhood-level | Property-specific | Property-specific | Property-specific | | **Diversification** | Buy multiple neighborhoods instantly | Must buy shares in multiple properties | Must buy shares in multiple properties | Must buy shares in multiple properties | | **Fees** | 1.5% transaction fee | 1% annual management + 5-10% platform fee on sale | 1-2% annual management | 1-2% annual management | | **Returns** | Track market price appreciation | Rental income + appreciation (if property sells) | Rental income + appreciation (if property sells) | Rental income + appreciation (if property sells) | | **Risk** | Market price volatility | Property-specific risk (vacancy, repairs, property manager competence) | Property-specific risk | Property-specific risk | | **Regulatory** | SEC-registered securities offering | Reg CF/Reg A+ | Reg D (accredited only) or Reg CF | Reg CF | **Key insight:** Traditional tokenized platforms require you to choose specific properties and wait years for liquidity. Shareland lets you trade synthetic exposure to entire neighborhoods with instant liquidity - more like trading stocks than owning rental property. ## The Shareland solution Shareland is a protocol that lets anyone trade synthetic land tokens that track the price of residential real estate in any neighborhood. * **Any amount** - from a dollar to millions * **Any geography** - from a specific block to the entire US * **Any timeframe** - from one day to forever * **1.5% fees** - vs 6% traditional * **Instant liquidity** - buy and sell on-chain immediately The result: all the benefits of real estate investing - attractive returns, inflation protection, diversification - without the downsides of illiquid asset ownership. Understand the mechanics behind synthetic real estate tokens This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.