Commercial Real Estate Finance

Posts Tagged ‘CrowdMason’

Mensch:

Noun, informal. A decent, upright, mature and responsible person.

Schlemiel:

Noun, slang. An awkward, clumsy, or unlucky person whose endeavors tend to fail; a loser. 

Mensch of the Week:  

CrowdMason

A couple weeks ago, in one of our Week in Review posts, I discussed an article that explained how last year’s Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) might influence commercial real estate investment. This securities law, intended to bring increased investment capital to start-ups of all kinds, is expected to promote a more “democratic” investment community.

How?

By lowering the capital requirements for “accredited” investors, so that one doesn’t have to be a bona fide millionaire in order to invest in a CRE or other venture. Now, fund managers don’t have to rely on high net worth, corporate, or institutional investors, but can amass needed equity through lots of smaller contributions from investors in lower tax brackets. This “crowdfunding” approach (similar in structure to “crowdsourcing”) will hopefully strengthen the investor base of companies and funds not lucky enough to have Blackstone Group or a Saudi prince in their Rolodex.

Not that anyone uses Rolodexes anymore.

We asked our readers whether or not they approved of crowdfunding in a Llenrock poll. While the response wasn’t overwhelmingly positive, the Yay’s beat the Nay’s with well over 50%, showing some promise for this new investment tool.

Which brings me to CrowdMason, an online start-up working to promote commercial real estate investment on a more public level. Read the rest of this entry »