NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CapitalFund Realty (CAPFUNDR) today launched the first online platform that enables individuals to invest directly in institutional-quality real estate funds (www.capfundr.com). These funds will be available directly from the CAPFUNDR website, and will be offered at much lower fees than non-traded REITs which are often the only real-estate oriented option for individual investors. CAPFUNDR, founded by veteran real estate executives Edward C. Yu and Jean-Michel (Mitch) Wasterlain, plans to roll out additional funds in the near future utilizing diverse strategies such as investing in multifamily, net lease, and retail properties.
"Our real estate funds will give individual investors access to the same properties and the same quality of management that benefit institutions," said Mr. Yu. "We leverage technology and our expertise to provide investors with a selection of high quality institutional-style funds that offer affordable minimum investment amounts."
CAPFUNDR also announced its first private equity fund offering, CAPFUNDR REIT Value Fund I, which will look to capitalize on market inefficiencies to purchase shares of non-traded REITs at prices below their intrinsic value. There are no brokerage commissions on the Fund and the minimum investment is $10,000.
“Non-traded REITs are a flawed model,” added Mr. Wasterlain. “The fees they charge make it nearly impossible to produce the returns that investors expect. But for individual investors who want to invest in real estate to diversify their portfolios, there have been limited choices. We are giving investors a better option with lower fees, credible management, and much more transparency."
"Our new fund can buy the shares of non-traded REITs, in some cases, for less than fifty cents on the dollar," said Mr. Yu. "At that price, they are a good buy for our investors.”
Co-CEOs Ed Yu and Mitch Wasterlain each have over 25 years of experience at noted real estate funds and public REITs. Mr. Yu has held senior positions at Starwood Capital Group, CBRE Investors, and Prudential Real Estate Investors. Mr. Wasterlain was CEO of ORIX Capital Markets and Chief Investment Officer of NorthStar Realty Finance, a listed public REIT [NYSE:NRF].
The other two founders, Joe Cane and Mirza Joldic, are the firm's General Counsel and Chief Technology Officer, respectively. Mr. Cane has practiced law for over 20 years and specializes in representing start-up, early stage, and mature companies, as well as VC and private equity firms. Mr. Joldic was a technology consultant for the City of New York and for Prudential Real Estate Investors, where he focused on large inter-agency data integration projects and customized workflow applications.
About CapitalFund Realty
Located in New York, CapitalFund Realty (CAPFUNDR) is the curated marketplace for real estate funds. The firm specializes in providing institutional style investment funds to individual investors through their website, www.capfundr.com.