"...[A] lot of what people say crypto is for, you can get with good real estate. It's inflation protected, I think in retrospect, better than crypto. It's a hard asset. It's a utility. People need housing in good times and bad times...I understand the sentiment around crypto, but I just feel like I can get it better with owning real assets." - Fundrise CEO Ben Miller
Takeaways
- Real estate is Ben's favorite asset - it is a real asset, a utility, people will always need it, it is inflation protected, and it can generate income.
- During a challenging macro environment is a good time to source value investments where the selling price is lower than the intrinsic value of the asset.
- A decade of low interest rates and government stimulus will lead to lasting inflation, a deceleration in the economy, and a liquidity crisis, which could lead to an acceleration in credit defaults.
- He's bullish on markets like Austin, Nashville, and Columbus and bearish on Chicago and Washington DC.
- In a down economy rental income is more stable than home sales. In the last recession, rental income only went down 3% on average while home prices dropped by an average of 35%. Look for the same in the coming years.
Bio
Ben Miller is Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise, America's largest direct-to-investor alternatives investment manager.
Fundrise’s mission is to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual investor, one that is simpler, lower cost, more reliable and transparent. They build software that enables the company to develop and manage investments uniquely well positioned to grow and preserve their clients’ capital in any economic environment.
Since launching America’s first online real estate investment platform in 2012, Fundrise has now become the largest direct-to-investor alternatives investment manager with more than 1.6 million active users, more than $3.3 billion worth of equity under management, and $7 billion worth of real estate transacted. From private credit to real estate private equity to growth-stage venture capital, Fundrise offers investors exposure to some of the most prized asset classes in the world.
Prior to Fundrise, Ben has decades of experience in real estate and finance. As Managing Partner of WestMill Capital Partners and President of Western Development Corporation, Ben was responsible for acquiring, developing, and financing more than $500 million worth of property.
