B
art de Bruijn, co-founder and main director of EstateX, is working to make real estate investing on the blockchain accessible to everyday investors. With a rapidly growing community of over 26,000 users and nearly $3 million in presale funding, EstateX has garnered attention from Microsoft and advisory firm GDA Capital.

    De Bruijn's platform utilizes tokenization and smart contracts to unlock real estate ownership for retail investors, offering liquidity, transparency, and daily rental income through fractional ownership of real-world properties. He believes that tokenized real estate may not just rival REITs, but eventually replace them.

    Tokenized real estate offers a mix of yield, control, liquidity, and transparency that traditional REITs can't match. Investors know exactly what asset they're buying into, with clarity on the property's performance data and voting rights in some cases. EstateX redefines passive investing by giving users real-time access to their investments, daily rental income, and flexibility to trade or cash out when they choose.

    The platform plans to compete with REITs on liquidity and portfolio exposure through its secondary marketplace, PropXChange, where users can buy and sell tokens at any time. A $500 investment can generate daily returns from rental income, with up to 10-12% annual yield in some cases.

    However, new investors should understand the risks involved, including market risk and tech adoption. EstateX ensures liquidity for investors through its secondary marketplace and operates under EU and U.S. frameworks for compliance.

    Investor demand is growing fastest in short-term rentals and resort-style properties, but interest is also increasing in commercial and co-living assets. De Bruijn believes that tokenized property ownership will eventually become the preferred route, offering more efficiency, inclusivity, and alignment with how people want to invest today.