Crowdbaron Brings Real Estate Crowdfunding to Asia
We’ve seen crowdfunding been put to use for zany gadgets and enacting positive social change, but we’ve not yet seen it being used for investment purposes. But Crowdbaron wants to change that. It’s a Hong Kong-based startup that wants to make investing in real estate as simple as booking a hotel online. Aimed at folks who want to bolster their personal investment portfolio, the idea is that buying a small stake in one or numerous properties lets you take advantage of surging property prices in several countries.
クラウドファンディングは面白いガジェットの開発資金調達に利用され、社会的にもよい変化を与えているが、投資を目的としたクラウドファンディングは今まで見かけなかった。それに取り組もうとしているのがCrowdbaronだ。香港を拠点におくスタートアップCrowdbaronは、不動産への投資をオンラインでホテルの予約をするのと同じくらいシンプルにすることを目指している。同サービスは個人の投資ポートフォリオを増やしたい人をターゲットにし、1つ、もしくは複数の不動産に小額の出資をすることで複数国における不動産価格の上昇から利益を得ようというものだ。
ラウドファンディングが奇想天外なガジェットを実現するためや有益な社会的変化を引き起こすために利用されるのを見てきたが、投資目的に利用されるのはまだ見たことがない。しかし、Crowdbaronがこれを変えようとしている。この香港に拠点を置くスタートアップはホテルの予約をするのと同じくらい簡単に不動産への投資ができるようにしたいと考えている。考え方としては一つあるいは多数の不動産のほんの一部を購入し複数の国の不動産価格上昇に便乗しようというもので、投資ポートフォリオを多様化したいと思っている個人投資家を狙っている。
While you are buying a share in a property, this is not a sort of timeshare for the 21st century and so you won’t be staying in the apartment or villa in which you have a stake. This is purely for the profit. So you can spread the risk, Crowdbaron lets you take as little as a one percent stake.
Crowdbaron is aiming its platform at users across Asia, with an initial focus on customers based in Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia. Founder and CEO Saeed Hassan explains to us that the startup is “targeting a less wealthy target group” than would normally take a 100 percent stake in properties – a phenomenon seen recently with wealthy Chinese snapping up properties (and potential escape routes) in Australia, the UK, the US, and many other nations. Instead, Saeed says the site is good for “middle income families who are saving for the future, and who have been burned by the stock market and are frustrated by low interest rates”. He adds:
For these individuals, there is little chance they can purchase in Hong Kong or elsewhere. This group is very large and are willing to enter shared purchase arrangements – because it opens the door to potentially higher and stable returns they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. It’s about lowering the entry barriers and getting more people involved.
Aside from making a profit from rising property prices, Crowdbaron investors can also earn revenues from renting out their properties, which will be unfurnished to save hassle for the crowdfunded landlords. Saeed points out that these properties will remain managed by Crowdbaron through its network of property agents, and is also responsible for finding tenants. In the event of a property being empty, Crowdbaron promises to pay investors their share of rental revenue anyway.
Crowdbaron is split between a team of four in Hong Kong, and a further four in Jakarta, Indonesia. More sales staffers are being added this month, and a Madrid office is being prepared. While its investors are mostly in this region, it’s open to global investors aside from, for tax reasons, the UK and the US. Crowdbaron’s properties are currently spread across London and Jakarta, with more in Madrid and perhaps some US cities being added soon.
Real estate crowdfunding could turn out to be one of 2013’s hottest startup – and investment – trends. I notice that US-based RealtyMogul also looks promising, and recently won a bunch of awards and plaudits.
不動産のクラウドファンディングは2013年で最もホットなスタートアップ —そして投資の—トレンドの1つになるかもしれない。アメリカに拠点をおくRealtyMogulも前途有望のようで、最近ではたくさんの賞と称讃を獲得している。
不動産クラウドファンディングは3013年の最もホットなスタートアップ、そして投資のトレンドの一つになる可能性がある。米国に拠点を置くRealtyMogulも有望のようだ。多くの賞や称賛を獲得している。
最後の行「だから〜」を次のように修正します。よろしくお願いします。修正文→「リスクの分散も可能で、投資プロジェクト額の1％からでも出資できる。」