Being an accredited investor gets you into deals that never show up in a brokerage app: private real estate, farmland, private credit and funds from the biggest private market managers. The trade is that your money is usually locked up for years, and nothing here is insured or guaranteed.
So the real question is not which platform is best. It is how much you can lock up, for how long, and in what.
The first three platforms below are our picks, and four more are compared after them.
Best Investments for Accredited Investors
Want to build real wealth? Here are our favorite investments for accredited investors:
EquityMultiplePrivate real estate deals and short-term notesfrom $5,0002
FarmTogetherU.S. farmland you never have to managefrom $15,0003
Willow WealthFormerly Yieldstreet. Private market funds, notes and managed portfoliosfrom $5,000Also compared below: Crowd Street, Percent, AcreTrader and EquityZen.
1. EquityMultiple
Private real estate deals and short-term notes from $5,000
Best for private real estate, starting with a $5,000 short-term note.
EquityMultiple is an online platform for private commercial real estate. You can put $5,000 into a 3, 6 or 9 month Alpine Note, or the standard $25,000 into a single debt, preferred equity or equity deal. Since August 2026 the platform has been run by Larson Capital Management, which will sponsor and manage most new deals.
Create an account and confirm how you qualify as accredited
Pick a note or a deal and read its offering documents
Fund it by bank transfer, check or wire, then wait for it to pay out
Want the fine print? Fees, hold periods and what to watch
Alpine Notes start at $5,000 with no fees. Most single deals start at $25,000.
2. FarmTogether
U.S. farmland from $15,000 a farmBest for adding farmland you never have to manage.
FarmTogether sells shares of individual U.S. farms to accredited investors. You buy units in an LLC that owns the land, collect lease payouts along the way, and get your share when the farm is sold. Its crowdfunded farms target a net return of 6% to 13% a year over 8 to 12 years.
Create an account and verify that you are accredited
Pick a farm and review its crop, fees and hold period
Collect lease payouts, then your share when the farm sells
Want the fine print? Fees, hold periods and what to watch
Crowdfunded farms start at $15,000 and are built to be held 8 to 12 years.
More: How to invest in farmland
3. Willow Wealth (formerly Yieldstreet)
Private market funds, notes and managed portfolios from $5,000The widest menu here, with a track record you should read first.
Willow Wealth is Yieldstreet under a new name. The change came in November 2025, and the company says the legal entity and team are the same. You can buy evergreen funds from Goldman Sachs, Carlyle and StepStone from $5,000, park cash in 3 to 9 month Short Term Notes, or have a Willow 360 portfolio built for you from $25,000.
Create a free account and verify that you are accredited
Choose funds or notes yourself, or answer the Willow 360 questions
Fund it and track payouts from your dashboard
Want the fine print? Fees, hold periods and what to watch
Free to join, and evergreen funds start at $5,000. Read its record in the details above before you send money.
More Platforms for Accredited Investors
These four did not make our top three, but each one does something the top three do not. Each was accepting new sign-ups as of this update. What is open to invest in changes from week to week, so check the current offerings before you plan around one.
4. Crowd Street
Private equity, credit, real estate and venture funds from $5,000
Best for choosing your own private market funds.
Crowd Street, which most people still know as CrowdStreet, started out in private commercial real estate. It now leads with curated funds across private equity, private credit, real estate and venture capital. There is no account fee, but on registered funds a sales load typically comes out of your investment up front, and there is no secondary market.
Know its history too. Beginning in May 2022, a real estate operator raised more than $62.8 million from investors through the platform and moved nearly all of it into his personal accounts and other businesses he controlled. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 87 months in prison in May 2025. The criminal case was against him, not CrowdStreet. Investors in those deals have separately filed a proposed class action against CrowdStreet. A court sent those claims to arbitration in 2025, and the case has not been decided.
Our CrowdStreet review covers what the company changed afterward.
5. Percent
Private credit deals from $500
Best for the lowest minimum and the shortest terms.
Percent is a private credit marketplace that only accepts accredited investors. Many deals start at $500 and most run 6 to 24 months, with many paying out monthly. Percent keeps 10% of each interest payment. Its secondary market lets you ask to sell an eligible deal early for a 0.50% charge, though it says liquidity is not guaranteed.
We go deeper in our Percent review.
6. AcreTrader
Individual farms with a 5 to 10 year hold
A second farmland marketplace, with shorter typical holds.
AcreTrader lets accredited investors buy into individual farms through an entity that holds title to the land. Most offerings need $15,000 to $30,000 and are expected to be held 5 to 10 years. It passes through closing costs, typically up to 2.5% of the offering, generally charges 0.75% of the land’s value a year, and may take up to 5% when the farm is sold. It does not charge carried interest.
See our AcreTrader review for how a deal works.
7. EquityZen
Shares of private companies before they go public
Best for owning a piece of a private company.
EquityZen, now part of Morgan Stanley, gives accredited investors stakes in private companies through its own funds. The standard minimum is $10,000, some deals take $5,000, and you pay a one-time sales fee of 2.5% on investments up to $1 million. There is no payout schedule. Proceeds depend on the company having a successful exit.
How These Platforms Compare
Here are all seven side by side. The minimum is what each company lists as its standard or typical entry point.
| Platform | Minimum | What you invest in | Typical hold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EquityMultiple | $5,000 for notes, $25,000 standard per deal | Private real estate | Notes 3 to 9 months, deals longer | Visit EquityMultiple |
| FarmTogether | $15,000 | U.S. farmland | 8 to 12 years | Visit FarmTogether |
| Willow Wealth | $5,000 for funds, $25,000 managed | Private credit, real estate and private equity | 3 months to 5+ years | Visit Willow Wealth |
| Crowd Street | $5,000 typical | Private equity, credit, real estate and venture funds | Long term | Visit Crowd Street |
| Percent | $500 on many deals | Private credit | 6 to 36 months | Visit Percent |
| AcreTrader | $15,000 to $30,000 on most farms | U.S. farmland | 5 to 10 years | Visit AcreTrader |
| EquityZen | $10,000 standard | Shares of private companies | Until an exit | equityzen.com |
What Is an Accredited Investor?
An accredited investor is someone who passes the SEC’s test for buying private investments that are not registered with it. For an individual, there are three main ways to pass.
You only need to meet one. The SEC lists a few other routes too, such as being a director or executive officer of the company selling the securities, or a knowledgeable employee of a private fund. Companies, trusts and other entities generally need more than $5 million in assets or investments.
Not sure which side of the $1 million line you are on? Our guide to average net worth by age can help you see where you stand.
How Platforms Check That You Are Accredited
Nobody mails you a certificate. Each platform checks in its own way, and there are two basic versions.
You tell them. Some platforms let you self-certify. EquityMultiple, for example, asks how you qualify when you sign up and has you confirm it again each time you invest.
They verify. When a private deal is advertised to the public under SEC Rule 506(c), the company has to take reasonable steps to verify that every buyer is accredited. In practice that usually means one of three things: tax forms such as W-2s or a 1040 for the two most recent years, recent bank and brokerage statements plus a credit report, or a letter from your CPA, attorney, broker or investment adviser.
| Platform | How it checks | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| EquityMultiple | You self-certify at sign-up and confirm again each time you invest | Documents are not typically required |
| FarmTogether | Tax documents for the last two years, or an asset document plus a credit report, or a third-party letter | Parallel Markets verification also accepted |
| Willow Wealth | A CPA or lawyer letter, two years of W-2s, statements plus a credit report, or a CRD number | Good for five years |
| Crowd Street | Its built-in verification, or a letter from your CPA, attorney or advisor | One year, or 90 days with a letter |
| EquityZen | You verify your status after you sign up | Required before you can invest |
If you do not qualify yet, you are not shut out of real estate or private credit.
We’ve already reviewed the best real estate crowdfunding sites for non-accredited investors.
What Can Go Wrong With These Investments
Target returns get the attention. Here is what they leave out.
- You cannot get out. Most of these deals have no secondary market. EquityMultiple and Willow Wealth both say in their own disclosures that you should not invest unless you can hold for at least five to seven years.
- You can lose all of it. These are not bank deposits and nothing is FDIC insured. Willow Wealth’s investors, back when it was Yieldstreet, lost at least $208 million across real estate and marine loans, according to CNBC’s reporting.
- Targets are not results. EquityMultiple and Willow Wealth both say the projected returns on their sites are estimates, not guarantees. Treat every target IRR the same way.
- The platform can change under you. Yieldstreet became Willow Wealth in November 2025. CrowdStreet now goes by Crowd Street and leads with funds. EquityMultiple handed day-to-day control to a new operator in August 2026. An investment you already hold keeps its terms, but the company you signed up with may not be the one you deal with later.
- You may be asked for more money. EquityMultiple says you are never obligated to answer a capital call, but that saying no can shrink your share of the deal.
- Fees come in layers. A one-time commitment fee at Willow Wealth, a sales load on registered funds at Crowd Street, a 2.5% sales fee at EquityZen, 10% of each interest payment at Percent. Add them up before you compare target returns.
- Taxes get harder. Many of these investments send a K-1 instead of a 1099. EquityMultiple says K-1s can be delayed when it is waiting on the firm that runs the property, and that you may have to file in each state where you earned income.
- No regulator signs off on the deal. EquityMultiple and Willow Wealth both state that no federal or state securities regulator has recommended or approved their offerings. The homework is yours.
More: Real estate due diligence checklist
How to Choose a Platform
Four questions sort these platforms faster than reading every offering.
- How much can you put in one deal? $5,000 is enough to start at EquityMultiple, Willow Wealth or Crowd Street, and $500 is enough at Percent. Farmland takes $15,000 at FarmTogether.
- How long can it sit? Under a year points to EquityMultiple’s Alpine Notes or Willow Wealth’s Short Term Notes. Up to three years points to Percent’s credit deals. A decade points to farmland.
- Do you want to choose every deal? Willow Wealth will build and manage a portfolio for you through Willow 360, starting at $25,000. On the other platforms you choose each deal or fund yourself.
- What do you already own? Willow Wealth’s own disclosures say alternative investments should only be part of your overall portfolio. Make sure this piece fits your long-term investing strategy, because you will not be able to change your mind next month.
Accredited Investor FAQs
It depends on how much you can lock up and for how long. EquityMultiple is our top pick for private real estate, with short-term notes from $5,000 and most single deals from $25,000. FarmTogether is our pick for farmland, from $15,000, if you can hold for 8 to 12 years. Willow Wealth, formerly Yieldstreet, has the widest menu of private market funds from $5,000, but read its track record before you invest.
You need income of more than $200,000 a year, or $300,000 with a spouse or partner, in each of the last two years, with the same expected this year. Or you need a net worth of more than $1 million, on your own or with a spouse or partner, not counting your primary residence. A Series 7, Series 65 or Series 82 license in good standing also qualifies you. You only have to meet one of these.
Sometimes. Some platforms, including EquityMultiple, let you self-certify. Others verify with tax forms for the last two years, bank and brokerage statements plus a credit report, or a letter from a CPA, attorney, broker or investment adviser. FarmTogether and Willow Wealth both accept those.
On the seven platforms here it runs from $500 on many Percent deals to $25,000 or more for a single real estate deal. EquityMultiple Alpine Notes and Willow Wealth evergreen funds start at $5,000, and Crowd Street’s typical minimum is $5,000 too. FarmTogether starts at $15,000 a farm.
Yes, all of it. Private placements are not bank deposits, are not FDIC insured and usually cannot be sold early. Willow Wealth, back when it was called Yieldstreet, had real estate and marine loan deals that cost investors at least $208 million, according to CNBC’s reporting. Only invest money you can leave alone for years and could afford to lose.
Yes. Yieldstreet changed its name to Willow Wealth in November 2025. The company says the legal entity, regulatory registrations and team are unchanged, and that existing accounts moved over automatically. Willow Wealth now also offers managed portfolios and evergreen funds from Goldman Sachs, Carlyle and StepStone.
You still have options. Fundrise is open to non-accredited investors and starts at $10. We compare more in our guide to real estate crowdfunding for non-accredited investors.
Real estate crowdfunding uses funds from a group of investors to help fund real estate investments. This could mean using funds to purchase properties in opportunity zones, develop existing properties into higher-value assets, or to provide loans for real estate development.
Real estate crowdfunding is different than traditional real estate investing. There are four main ways to make money with it. Capital appreciation: you own shares in real estate and the property appreciates. Rental income: many platforms invest in rental properties or commercial real estate to generate rent. Dividend payments: some crowdfunding sites pay annual or quarterly dividends to shareholders. Interest payments: if you fund real estate loans, you earn interest as the borrower pays off the loan.
The Bottom Line: Greater Rewards Can Come With Greater Risks
Accredited status gets you access. It does not make any single deal a good one.
If you want private real estate and a small first step, start with EquityMultiple and a $5,000 Alpine Note. If you want something that has nothing to do with buildings or stocks, FarmTogether is the farmland pick. If you want big-name funds in one account, Willow Wealth has the widest menu, and a record you should read first.
Whichever you choose, read the offering documents, add up the fees, and only use money you will not need for years.
