Real estate has long been among the least accessible asset classes for retail investors, constrained by high entry costs, limited liquidity and complex ownership structures. Technology-driven platforms are now seeking to dismantle these barriers and broaden access.
Alt DRX, a digital real estate investment platform, is using tokenisation and fractional ownership to allow investors to start building real estate exposure with investments as low as ₹10 per day. The approach aims to make real estate behave more like a financial product, systematic, divisible and easier to transact, rather than a one-time, high-value purchase.
Real estate: Traditionally cumbersome and time intensive but a proven wealth creator
Traditional real estate ownership in India comes with several constraints:
High capital requirement: While over 100 million Indians invest in capital markets, fewer than half a million purchase property each year.
Time-consuming processes: Identifying the right property, verifying ownership, completing legal checks, and dealing with intermediaries add cost and complexity.
Post-purchase management: Handling tenancy, paperwork, and upkeep is often cumbersome.
Liquidity: Selling a complete property is time consuming and may require months to get the right buyer and value
Digital real estate: A way to make real estate inclusive
Digital real estate solves all the problems of traditional real estate, making it accessible at the touch of a button. Despite the attention the segment has received in recent years, fractional real estate currently represents less than 1% of India’s total real estate investment market.
According to Alt DRX, this is primarily due to lack of penetration of this technology with the larger Indian audience. With greater regulatory clarity and increased investor familiarity, fractional ownership could grow to 10–15% of the market over the next few years.
Such a shift would significantly expand retail participation in real estate, particularly among younger investors who are already accustomed to systematic and app-based investing through equities and mutual funds.
Owning square feet instead of properties
At the core of this transition is asset tokenisation, which allows a single property to be divided into smaller digital ownership units. On Alt DRX, investors can own fractions as small as one square foot, accumulating exposure gradually rather than committing large sums upfront. This structure allows investors to:
Start with small, regular investments – Investors have the option to buy as low as 1 sq ft or create a Digital Real Estate SIP with as low as ₹10 per day. With daily investments, real estate begins to mirror SIP-style investing, a model that has already driven widespread adoption in equity markets.
Diversify across locations and asset categories – Investors can diversify across 4 different asset classes and multiple geographies on the same platform
Reduce concentration risk associated with single-property ownership – With a portfolio of properties, digital real estate hedges the risk for investors,
Liquidity, flexibility and proportional returns
Traditional real estate transactions are typically illiquid, with selling often taking months due to buyer discovery, negotiations, documentation and registration requirements.
Digital Real Estate aims to address this by enabling digital exits, where investors can sell their fractional holdings based on market demand. While liquidity is still evolving, technology reduces friction compared to physical transactions.
Returns, meanwhile, remain tied directly to the underlying asset. Rental income and appreciation are distributed in proportion to ownership, ensuring investors participate in real asset performance rather than synthetic returns.
Due diligence and ownership structure
To address concerns around trust and asset security, Alt DRX follows a structured acquisition process. Each property is:
- Shortlisted based on predefined investment criteria
- Subjected to legal and title due diligence
- Money flow is through a valid escrow system, enabling full traceability and control
- Acquired through a dedicated special purpose vehicle (SPV)
- Accompanied by access to transaction and legal documentation for all investors
This structure ensures that digital real estate investors hold verified ownership interests in underlying physical assets.
A gradual shift, not an overnight change
Industry observers note that real estate’s evolution is likely to be incremental rather than disruptive overnight. While liquidity and regulatory frameworks around fractional ownership continue to mature, the broader direction is clear.
As technology reduces entry barriers and improves transparency, real estate investing in India is moving away from being the preserve of high-net-worth individuals towards a more financialised, retail-friendly asset class.
For platforms like Alt DRX, the long-term opportunity lies in aligning real estate with modern investing behaviour, systematic, digital and accessible, even if participation begins at just ₹10 a day.