Real Estate Platform Comparison· Updated July 15, 2026

DiversyFund vs. Roots 2026 Real Estate Investing Comparison

A side-by-side breakdown of returns, liquidity, fees, and trustworthiness to help you decide where to invest your money.

1.5

DiversyFund marketed a $500-minimum, non-accredited growth REIT that reinvested all cash flow instead of paying regular dividends. The product you may remember no longer exists for new investors: the SEC permanently suspended the second fund's Regulation A exemption in June 2023 (a settled order with no fines and no admission of wrongdoing), the original fund's SEC filings show mounting losses and minimal distributions ($11,822 paid to all investors in the first half of 2025), and a shareholder lawsuit continues with three surviving claims after a June 2025 ruling. The company now markets a separate accredited-only fund. Existing investors are effectively waiting on asset sales with no redemption option.

★ Our Pick Roots logo

3.5

Roots offers an unusual win-win structure where renters earn shares of the REIT alongside investors, with $100 minimums, quarterly distributions, quarterly liquidity, and a 12.02% trailing twelve-month return as of April 2026, but investors hold REIT shares rather than direct property ownership.

At a Glance

DiversyFund vs. Roots, Key Stats

$500 (historical, closed)Minimum$100

Indefinite: no redemption program, investors wait for asset salesHolding Period1 year minimum to avoid early-redemption penalty

N/A: there has never been an early withdrawal optionEarly WithdrawalPenalty applies in first 12 months; no penalty after year one

Minimal (SEC filings show $525,872 paid in all of 2024 and $11,822 in H1 2025 across the entire investor base)Rent PayoutQuarterly distributions

N/A for new investors; REIT I reported a $7.9M net loss in 2024 and a $2.4M net loss in H1 2025 per SEC filingsAvg. Returns12.02% trailing 12 months (4/10/25 – 4/10/26); 17.17% average annual since inception 7/1/2021

Pros & Cons

What each platform does well and poorly

Real multifamily assets in the portfolio
DF Growth REIT's SEC filings show roughly $66.8 million in rental real estate (net of depreciation) and $97.9 million in total assets as of June 30, 2025. Unlike some failed platforms, there is a real, reported portfolio behind investor shares.
Current SEC reporting
DiversyFund's funds still file semiannual and annual reports with the SEC, so investors can track the portfolio, cash position, and litigation status through primary sources rather than marketing updates.
Low minimum brought new investors into real estate
The original $500 minimum with no accreditation requirement made private multifamily investing accessible to people who had never had access before, and helped prove demand for low-minimum real estate products.
SEC matter resolved without fines or fraud findings
The SEC's June 2023 order permanently suspended REIT II's Regulation A exemption, but the settlement imposed no fines or penalties, and in August 2023 the SEC closed its investigation without recommending enforcement action against the company, its funds, or its principals.
The original product is closed and there is no way in or out
REIT II's offering ended in 2022 and its Regulation A exemption was permanently suspended in June 2023. The original growth REITs never offered a redemption program, so existing investors cannot withdraw; they are waiting on property sales that have not yet returned meaningful capital.
Mounting losses and a thin cash position
Per the fund's own SEC filing for the first half of 2025, DF Growth REIT reported a $2.38 million net loss for the period (after a $7.9 million net loss in 2024), an accumulated deficit of $26.3 million, and cash of $305,385, down from $1.95 million at the end of 2024.
Ongoing shareholder litigation
A shareholder suit filed in December 2022 against the funds, DiversyFund, Inc., and its principals was largely dismissed in April 2024, but after an amended complaint, a June 2025 ruling allowed three claims to proceed. The company disputes the claims and says it will contest them; the parties were preparing for discovery as of the fund's most recent filing.
Pivot to a high-minimum accredited fund
While original investors wait, DiversyFund now markets a separate fund for accredited investors with dramatically higher minimums. The $500-minimum retail product that built the brand is not available to new investors.

$100 minimum, open to non-accredited investors
Roots is open to both non-accredited and accredited investors with a $100 starting minimum, making it one of the more accessible REIT-style platforms for first-time real estate investors.
Quarterly liquidity
Roots offers investors the ability to redeem shares every quarter: meaningfully more flexible than the multi-year lock-ups common at Arrived, CrowdStreet, and Cadre. After the first 12-month holding period there's no early-redemption penalty.
Strong reported track record
Roots reports a 12.02% trailing twelve-month return (4/10/25 – 4/10/26) and a 17.17% average annual return since inception in July 2021. Returns are not guaranteed, but the published track record is competitive with peer REIT funds.
Renters build wealth alongside investors
The 'Live in it Like You Own It' program gives Roots renters quarterly equity grants for behaviors that improve property value (paying rent on time, keeping properties in good condition). Roots reports more than $1.7M saved and invested by renters under the program.
Low transaction fees
Only a $5 transaction fee to get started and no penalty to cash out after the first year, light fees compared with Fundrise's 1% AUM or Arrived's variable sponsor markups.
REIT shares, not direct property ownership
You own units of the Roots REIT, not fractional ownership of a specific property. That's simpler and more diversified than per-property models, but it means investors don't pick individual properties or vote on property-level decisions.
Geographically concentrated
Roots is heavily concentrated in the Atlanta metro and a small number of additional Sun Belt markets. That focus is part of the brand but means less geographic diversification than national platforms.
Quarterly (not daily) distributions
Distributions are paid quarterly rather than daily or monthly. Investors waiting on real estate income for cash flow may find quarterly cadence inconvenient.
Less property-level transparency than per-property platforms
Because Roots is a fund, individual property underwriting and rent rolls are aggregated rather than fully exposed to investors.

Deep Dive

Detailed comparison

What You're Investing In

Nothing, at the original entry point. The $500-minimum growth REITs are closed. The current DiversyFund offering is accredited-only with a much higher minimum.

A single REIT, the Roots REIT, focused on residential real estate in Atlanta and select other Sun Belt markets.

Property Locations

Value-add multifamily properties in various U.S. markets, held directly and through joint ventures.

Primarily Atlanta metro, with select expansion into adjacent Sun Belt markets.

Expected Returns

For existing growth REIT investors, returns depend on eventual asset sales. The funds reinvested cash flow by design, so there was never meaningful income along the way, and recent filings show losses: a $7.9 million net loss in 2024 and a $2.4 million net loss in the first half of 2025 for DF Growth REIT, with an accumulated deficit of $26.3 million. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Roots targets 12–15% annual returns and reports 12.02% trailing twelve months (4/10/25 – 4/10/26) and 17.17% average annual return since inception (7/1/2021). Past performance does not guarantee future results, read the offering circular before investing.

Fees

The funds paid management and other fees to affiliates of the sponsor, detailed in offering circulars and annual reports. The SEC's 2023 order cited inaccurate statements about fees on the DiversyFund website relative to REIT II's offering documents.

Roots charges a $5 transaction fee to get started and no early-redemption penalty after the first year. There is no investor-facing AUM fee disclosed; the REIT covers operating expenses internally before distributing returns.

Liquidity

Indefinite. The growth REITs never had a redemption program, and the eventual liquidation has not yet returned meaningful capital to investors.

12-month minimum holding period to avoid an early-redemption penalty. After year one there is no exit penalty.

Who Can Invest

No one, for the original product: the growth REITs are closed to new investment. The company's current offering is limited to accredited investors at much higher minimums.

Open to both non-accredited and accredited U.S. investors aged 18 or older. International availability is limited.

The Verdict

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

1.5

DiversyFund is not an option for new retail investors, and that is the most important fact about it: the $500-minimum product that made the brand famous is closed, and its successor fund is accredited-only. Existing growth REIT investors hold shares in funds whose own filings show mounting losses, minimal distributions, thin cash, and unresolved litigation, with no redemption mechanism while they wait. Investors drawn to low-minimum real estate should study the structural lesson here before choosing any platform: products that defer all returns to a sponsor-controlled liquidation leave you with no income and no exit if the plan slips. Platforms with investor-controlled liquidity and regular distributions, such as Lofty, Fundrise, or Arrived, put structurally more control in investors' hands, though each has its own trade-offs worth comparing.

Full DiversyFund review →

★ Our Pick

3.5

Roots is one of the most differentiated REIT options in 2026. The win-win renter-equity model is genuinely unique, the $100 minimum is accessible, quarterly liquidity is meaningfully better than most private real estate platforms, and the published 12% trailing return is competitive. The trade-offs are REIT (not direct property) ownership, a heavy Atlanta concentration, and quarterly (not daily) distributions. A solid hands-off pick for investors aligned with its mission.

Full Roots review →

Bottom Line

Roots scores higher (3.5/5) and edges out DiversyFund on our investment quality criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

DiversyFund vs. Roots FAQ

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

Based on our scoring criteria, returns, fees, liquidity, transparency, minimums, and track record, Roots (3.5/5) scores higher than DiversyFund (1.5/5). Roots offers an unusual win-win structure where renters earn shares of the REIT alongside investors, with $100 minimums, quarterly distributions, quarterly liquidity, and a 12.02% trailing twelve-month return as of April 2026, but investors hold REIT shares rather than direct property ownership.

What is the minimum investment for DiversyFund vs. Roots?

DiversyFund's minimum investment is $500 (historical, closed). Roots's minimum investment is $100.

How do DiversyFund and Roots compare on liquidity?

DiversyFund: Indefinite. The growth REITs never had a redemption program, and the eventual liquidation has not yet returned meaningful capital to investors. Roots: 12-month minimum holding period to avoid an early-redemption penalty. After year one there is no exit penalty.

What returns can investors expect from DiversyFund vs. Roots?

DiversyFund reports average yearly returns of N/A for new investors; REIT I reported a $7.9M net loss in 2024 and a $2.4M net loss in H1 2025 per SEC filings. Roots reports average yearly returns of 12.02% trailing 12 months (4/10/25 – 4/10/26); 17.17% average annual since inception 7/1/2021. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

One of the most flexible ways to invest in real estate

Start building generational wealth with Lofty

$50 minimums · Daily rent payouts · No lock-up periods · 24/7 exchange

View Properties

Real Estate Platform Comparison· Updated July 15, 2026

DiversyFund vs. Roots 2026 Real Estate Investing Comparison

A side-by-side breakdown of returns, liquidity, fees, and trustworthiness to help you decide where to invest your money.

1.5

★ Our Pick Roots logo

3.5

At a Glance

DiversyFund vs. Roots, Key Stats

$500 (historical, closed)Minimum$100

Indefinite: no redemption program, investors wait for asset salesHolding Period1 year minimum to avoid early-redemption penalty

N/A: there has never been an early withdrawal optionEarly WithdrawalPenalty applies in first 12 months; no penalty after year one

Minimal (SEC filings show $525,872 paid in all of 2024 and $11,822 in H1 2025 across the entire investor base)Rent PayoutQuarterly distributions

Pros & Cons

What each platform does well and poorly

Real multifamily assets in the portfolio
DF Growth REIT's SEC filings show roughly $66.8 million in rental real estate (net of depreciation) and $97.9 million in total assets as of June 30, 2025. Unlike some failed platforms, there is a real, reported portfolio behind investor shares.
Current SEC reporting
DiversyFund's funds still file semiannual and annual reports with the SEC, so investors can track the portfolio, cash position, and litigation status through primary sources rather than marketing updates.
Low minimum brought new investors into real estate
The original $500 minimum with no accreditation requirement made private multifamily investing accessible to people who had never had access before, and helped prove demand for low-minimum real estate products.
SEC matter resolved without fines or fraud findings
The SEC's June 2023 order permanently suspended REIT II's Regulation A exemption, but the settlement imposed no fines or penalties, and in August 2023 the SEC closed its investigation without recommending enforcement action against the company, its funds, or its principals.
The original product is closed and there is no way in or out
REIT II's offering ended in 2022 and its Regulation A exemption was permanently suspended in June 2023. The original growth REITs never offered a redemption program, so existing investors cannot withdraw; they are waiting on property sales that have not yet returned meaningful capital.
Mounting losses and a thin cash position
Per the fund's own SEC filing for the first half of 2025, DF Growth REIT reported a $2.38 million net loss for the period (after a $7.9 million net loss in 2024), an accumulated deficit of $26.3 million, and cash of $305,385, down from $1.95 million at the end of 2024.
Ongoing shareholder litigation
A shareholder suit filed in December 2022 against the funds, DiversyFund, Inc., and its principals was largely dismissed in April 2024, but after an amended complaint, a June 2025 ruling allowed three claims to proceed. The company disputes the claims and says it will contest them; the parties were preparing for discovery as of the fund's most recent filing.
Pivot to a high-minimum accredited fund
While original investors wait, DiversyFund now markets a separate fund for accredited investors with dramatically higher minimums. The $500-minimum retail product that built the brand is not available to new investors.

$100 minimum, open to non-accredited investors
Roots is open to both non-accredited and accredited investors with a $100 starting minimum, making it one of the more accessible REIT-style platforms for first-time real estate investors.
Quarterly liquidity
Roots offers investors the ability to redeem shares every quarter: meaningfully more flexible than the multi-year lock-ups common at Arrived, CrowdStreet, and Cadre. After the first 12-month holding period there's no early-redemption penalty.
Strong reported track record
Roots reports a 12.02% trailing twelve-month return (4/10/25 – 4/10/26) and a 17.17% average annual return since inception in July 2021. Returns are not guaranteed, but the published track record is competitive with peer REIT funds.
Renters build wealth alongside investors
The 'Live in it Like You Own It' program gives Roots renters quarterly equity grants for behaviors that improve property value (paying rent on time, keeping properties in good condition). Roots reports more than $1.7M saved and invested by renters under the program.
Low transaction fees
Only a $5 transaction fee to get started and no penalty to cash out after the first year, light fees compared with Fundrise's 1% AUM or Arrived's variable sponsor markups.
REIT shares, not direct property ownership
You own units of the Roots REIT, not fractional ownership of a specific property. That's simpler and more diversified than per-property models, but it means investors don't pick individual properties or vote on property-level decisions.
Geographically concentrated
Roots is heavily concentrated in the Atlanta metro and a small number of additional Sun Belt markets. That focus is part of the brand but means less geographic diversification than national platforms.
Quarterly (not daily) distributions
Distributions are paid quarterly rather than daily or monthly. Investors waiting on real estate income for cash flow may find quarterly cadence inconvenient.
Less property-level transparency than per-property platforms
Because Roots is a fund, individual property underwriting and rent rolls are aggregated rather than fully exposed to investors.

Deep Dive

Detailed comparison

What You're Investing In

Nothing, at the original entry point. The $500-minimum growth REITs are closed. The current DiversyFund offering is accredited-only with a much higher minimum.

A single REIT, the Roots REIT, focused on residential real estate in Atlanta and select other Sun Belt markets.

Property Locations

Value-add multifamily properties in various U.S. markets, held directly and through joint ventures.

Primarily Atlanta metro, with select expansion into adjacent Sun Belt markets.

Expected Returns

Fees

Liquidity

Indefinite. The growth REITs never had a redemption program, and the eventual liquidation has not yet returned meaningful capital to investors.

12-month minimum holding period to avoid an early-redemption penalty. After year one there is no exit penalty.

Who Can Invest

No one, for the original product: the growth REITs are closed to new investment. The company's current offering is limited to accredited investors at much higher minimums.

Open to both non-accredited and accredited U.S. investors aged 18 or older. International availability is limited.

The Verdict

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

1.5

Full DiversyFund review →

★ Our Pick

3.5

Full Roots review →

Bottom Line

Roots scores higher (3.5/5) and edges out DiversyFund on our investment quality criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

DiversyFund vs. Roots FAQ

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

What is the minimum investment for DiversyFund vs. Roots?

DiversyFund's minimum investment is $500 (historical, closed). Roots's minimum investment is $100.

How do DiversyFund and Roots compare on liquidity?

What returns can investors expect from DiversyFund vs. Roots?

One of the most flexible ways to invest in real estate

Start building generational wealth with Lofty

$50 minimums · Daily rent payouts · No lock-up periods · 24/7 exchange

View Properties

About Lofty

DiversyFund vs. Roots 2026 Real Estate Investing Comparison

DiversyFund vs. Roots, Key Stats

What each platform does well and poorly

Detailed comparison

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

DiversyFund vs. Roots FAQ

Start building generational wealth with Lofty

DiversyFund vs. Roots 2026 Real Estate Investing Comparison

DiversyFund vs. Roots, Key Stats

What each platform does well and poorly

Detailed comparison

Which is better, DiversyFund or Roots?

DiversyFund vs. Roots FAQ

Start building generational wealth with Lofty