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Blockchain is making property investments more accessible than ever before. Traditionally, investing in real estate required significant capital and complex processes, limiting participation to wealthy citizens or institutional investors. Industry projections show real estate tokenization could grow into a $16 trillion market by 2030, fueled by lower entry barriers and greater liquidity. Now even brands like 777 are trying to enter a market to diversify their assets strategy.

Blockchain-based real estate is on a rise across multiple regions supported by innovative companies and forward-thinking regulations.

Current State Of Things in North America

In the United States, several platforms now offer blockchain real estate investing to the public. RealT, for example, tokenizes rental homes (mostly in the U.S.) and has opened them to thousands of small investors. Since launching in 2019, RealT has attracted over 65,000 investors and distributed more than $29 million in rental income via its tokenized properties. 

Typical investors on RealT can earn 6–16% yields from rental tokens – cash flows that are paid in stablecoins proportional to each investor’s fractional stake. This model has effectively brought high-yield rental assets to investors with only a few hundred dollars, whereas traditionally one might need tens of thousands to buy an entire rental property.

Another U.S. service, Lofty, uses the Algorand blockchain to let users purchase slices of single-family rentals for $50 each and receive daily rental income payouts automatically. Such platforms report that smaller investors are now building real estate portfolios once only accessible to institutions or the ultra-wealthy. For instance, Roofstock, a major online home marketplace, facilitated an on-chain sale of a real house via NFT in 2022, transferring ownership of a South Carolina home through a blockchain transaction in one day.

What’s Happening in Europe

Europe has been proactive in exploring blockchain for property investment. In 2019, Germany’s financial regulator (BaFin) approved one of the world’s first tokenized real estate bond offerings – a €250 million portfolio of commercial properties was cleared for sale to retail investors via Ethereum-based tokens. This was a landmark in that it allowed everyday German investors to invest in large-scale real estate projects through tokens.

Switzerland has likewise been a leader, with the SIX Digital Exchange in Zurich enabling trading of tokenized assets (and Swiss law recognizing tokenized securities). A concrete example in the EU was in Paris, France, where a prime office building was tokenized in 2021 and sold to more than 150 investors from multiple countries in a short span.

In the UK, agencies have even explored using blockchain for land registries to ease property transactions. On the ground, startups and platforms are emerging – for instance, Propbase in Berlin (Germany) facilitated the tokenization of a luxury apartment and let investors participate with as little as $50. Similarly, Estonia and the Baltic region have seen pilot projects on tokenizing rental apartments for cross-border investors.

Asia-Pacific Landscape

Asia-Pacific has a great potential for blockchain real estate innovation backed by appropriate regulations. Hong Kong and Singapore lead the charge: regulators there have developed clear rules to support tokenized securities, including real estate tokens.

A standout example is the Hong Kong–Thai startup Fraction. In 2021, Fraction obtained approval from Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission to tokenize and list real estate assets on its platform. They partnered with major Thai developers to fractionalize around US$462 million worth of property, including luxury condos and resort villas. Through Fraction’s marketplace, investors can buy ownership tokens in these projects for as little as THB 5,000 (~$150), making slices of Bangkok penthouses or Phuket beach villas available to middle-class buyers. This is a groundbreaking shift for a region where real estate has been a traditional favorite investment – now younger or less affluent investors can get in on premium properties that were once far beyond their means.

Singapore has also seen real estate funds exploring tokenized REIT-like structures, and in Japan, new regulations in 2022 clarified how real estate tokens are treated under the law. We are even seeing unique approaches like in Australia, where property developers are looking at tokenizing debt or equity in new projects to attract global investors online.

Middle East

The Middle East is rapidly embracing blockchain in the property sector as part of a broader push toward smart cities. Dubai, UAE stands out as a hub of innovation here. In 2025, Dubai’s giant developer DAMAC Group announced a partnership with blockchain firm MANTRA to launch a $1 billion initiative to tokenize real estate assets. The goal is to make Dubai’s high-end properties accessible to a worldwide investor base through compliant blockchain tokens. This move aligns with Dubai’s strategic vision to put its real estate registry on blockchain and attract global capital. Dubai has seen some properties sold in cryptocurrency and land records secured via blockchain.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have updated regulations to accommodate security tokens, and developers in Saudi Arabia have studied blockchain for financing new megaprojects. The Middle East’s interest is driven by its desire to diversify investment inflows and promote transparency. With many expatriates and foreign investors interested in Gulf real estate, tokenization offers a way to broaden participation beyond the traditional wealthy buyers.

Africa

In Africa, real estate tokenization is also making inroads, driven by the need to open up property ownership and attract investment. South Africa is at the forefront: a Cape Town-based firm Flyt Property Investment launched pilot projects allowing people across the continent to invest in South African rental properties through tokens. By lowering minimum investment sizes, Flyt’s projects aim to let ordinary Africans participate in real estate wealth-building opportunities beyond their local markets.

This is significant in a region where real estate has often been seen as an inaccessible asset for many due to cost. Elsewhere, in countries like Kenya and Nigeria, there are startups exploring crowdfunded property tokens as a way to finance developments (though regulatory frameworks are still catching up). Government land agencies in nations such as Ghana and Zambia have also looked at blockchain for land title management, which, while not directly about fractional investment, lays a foundation of trust and transparency crucial for wider investment.