Category: Uncategorized

Crowdfunding for Real Estate Podcast: What’s Actually Working Today?

On By crowdfundattnyIn JOBS Act, Reg CF, Regulation A, Rule 506(c), UncategorizedLeave a comment

Crowdfunding Real Estate Under the JOBS Act

Crowdfunding has long been pitched as a game-changer for raising private capital—opening the door for everyday investors to participate in opportunities once reserved for institutions. But how much of that promise has actually held up?

In a recent episode, crowdfunding attorney Mark Roderick cuts through the noise to explain how the JOBS Act has really reshaped the landscape—and what real estate sponsors need to know before choosing a path.

The Three Paths to Crowdfunding

Not all crowdfunding is created equal. Mark breaks down the three primary frameworks:

  • Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) – Designed to allow non-accredited (“mom and pop”) investors to participate in deals.
  • Rule 506(c) – Allows sponsors to publicly market offerings, but limits investors to accredited individuals.
  • Regulation A (Reg A) – A more complex, mini-public offering that can reach a broader audience but comes with heavier compliance requirements.

While each option has its place, their real-world performance has been far from equal.

Accredited vs. Non-Accredited Investors: Why It Matters

One of the biggest distinctions in crowdfunding comes down to who you’re raising money from.

  • Accredited investors (high-net-worth individuals) bring larger check sizes and fewer regulatory hurdles.
  • Non-accredited investors expand your audience—but significantly increase compliance, cost, and complexity.

This trade-off is at the heart of why certain crowdfunding models have struggled to scale.

Why 506(c) Is Winning

According to Mark, Rule 506(c) has emerged as the clear leader—especially in real estate.

Why?

  • Ability to advertise and market deals publicly
  • Access to larger pools of capital from accredited investors
  • More efficient fundraising with fewer administrative burdens

For many sponsors, it strikes the right balance between flexibility and scalability—making it the current “gold standard.”

The Reality Check on Reg CF

Reg CF was initially celebrated as a way to democratize investing—but in practice, it hasn’t fully delivered.

Challenges include:

  • Smaller individual investment amounts
  • Higher operational and compliance costs
  • Platform dependency and investor management complexity

The result? Many deals struggle to raise meaningful capital at scale, making Reg CF less practical for larger real estate projects.

Does Your Deal Justify Crowdfunding?

Before jumping in, sponsors need to ask a critical question: Is the deal big enough to support the cost and effort?

Crowdfunding isn’t free. Legal, compliance, and marketing expenses can quickly add up—especially for Reg CF and Reg A offerings.

For smaller deals, traditional private capital or relationship-based fundraising may still be the smarter path.

Final Takeaway

Crowdfunding can be a powerful tool—but only when used strategically.

Today, the market is showing a clear trend:

  • 506(c) dominates for efficiency and scalability
  • Reg CF remains limited despite its original promise
  • Reg A works—but only for the right size and structure

For real estate sponsors, success isn’t about choosing the most accessible option—it’s about choosing the one that actually works.

For a deeper dive into Reg CF, 506(c), and Reg A—and what’s truly working in today’s market—listen to the full episode featuring Mark Roderick.

Questions? Let me know.

Markley S. Roderick
Lex Nova Law
10 East Stow Road, Suite 250, Marlton, NJ 08053
P: 856.382.8402 | E: mroderick@lexnovalaw.com

A Radical Proposal For Liquidity In Crowdfunding Investments

A Radical Proposal For Liquidity In Crowdfunding Investments

On By crowdfundattnyIn Uncategorized7 Comments

Many smart people believe the main impediment to Crowdfunding in general and Reg CF in particular is the lack of liquidity. Who wants to invest without the chance to get out?

I don’t agree. I note that:

  • Plenty of money flows into real estate projects with no guaranty of liquidity.
  • Enormous amounts of money has flowed through Silicon Valley over the last 40 years with no guaranty of liquidity.
  • Even before Crowdfunding and outside Silicon Valley, lots of money flowed into private companies with no guaranty of liquidity.

Nevertheless, I agree the lack of liquidity is important and have a proposal to fix it, for those willing to take some risk.

Too often, in my opinion, proposals to allow liquidity focus on the SEC. For example, smart people propose that the SEC should adopt a rule providing that an online marketplace for Reg CF securities won’t be treated as an “exchange.” 

I don’t agree with that, either. One, the SEC probably doesn’t have that authority. Two, and far more important, it wouldn’t help. As described here and here, the absence of vibrant secondary markets for private securities isn’t because of the law. It’s because private securities are really hard to market and sell. The lack of transparency, the reliance on a tiny management team, the lack of the investor protections built into NASDAQ and other national exchanges, the miniscule market cap and public float – all these things and more make private securities illiquid.

Forget about petitioning the SEC or introducing another “Improvements in Crowdfunding” bill in Congress. Trying to create liquidity by legal fiat is like pushing string.

Funding portals can provide liquidity on their own. A funding portal could simply require every issuer to provide for liquidity in its organizational documents. The organizational documents could provide, for example, that within some period of time, say seven years, the issuer would either (i) buy out investors, or (ii) arrange for an exit, either a cash sale or a merger with a company with publicly traded securities. Only with a majority vote of investors (super majority?) could the deadline be extended.

Even an individual issuer could provide such a guaranty, without a mandate from the funding portal.

Think of the marketing campaigns. “Our company guaranties liquidity!” “Every company on our platform guaranties liquidity!”

For those who think seven years is too long, don’t buy private securities if you might need to sell them sooner. For those who think seven years is too short, write your own blog!

Seriously, the proposal has one big flaw, from the perspective of issuers. I’ve recommended before that Crowdfunding investors shouldn’t have the right to vote. My liquidity proposal, in contrast, gives investors the right to force the sale of the company. That might hamstring the company and, more important, it might inhibit the company’s ability to attract future, large investors.

To address that flaw, should we provide that the right of liquidity goes away if the company raises $X in the future? 

Everything is a tradeoff. If you believe a guaranty of liquidity will open the floodgates of investors, you’ll consider taking the plunge. If you doubt that a guaranty of liquidity will attract investors, on the other hand, then the tradeoff might be too high. But that takes us back to the beginning. If you think liquidity is the key, and you acknowledge that no change in the law will get us there, a proposal like this could be an option worth considering. 

Questions? Let me know.

Why I’m Grateful This Thanksgiving

On By crowdfundattnyIn Uncategorized2 Comments
William Bradford leader of the pilgrims

My 10th-great grandfather was William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims. I’m grateful that he and his band of religious refugees made the trip and were saved from starvation by the native population.

I’m grateful for the wisdom of the American people and the resilience of their institutions.

I’m thankful for a culture that rewards risk-taking and innovation and that is slowly, haltingly, inexorably freeing itself of the prejudices of our collective past.

I’m grateful for American entrepreneurs who endlessly question the present and invent the future.

I’m grateful I declined an invitation to sit on OpenAI’s Board.

I’m grateful – I’m not joking – to the SEC for providing oversight for the most complex, dynamic, trusted capital markets in the world.

I’m grateful that FINRA. . . .

I’m grateful to my colleagues at Lex Nova Law for helping to build a flexible, modern law firm.

I’m grateful to live in a diverse, changing, sometimes-chaotic country where it often seems we disagree about everything (we don’t). Like others, I worry that so many Americans have chosen alternative realities and conspiracy theories, but I have faith that these afflictions, like others in our history, will prove temporary.

I’m grateful that even while the voices of hate are the loudest, those who yearn for peace – the majority – refuse to be drowned out.

I’m grateful that people can change their minds.

I’m grateful to participate in the fundamental rethinking of capitalism called Crowdfunding, making capital available where it has never been available before and making great investment opportunities available to more and more Americans.

I’m grateful to everyone in the Crowdfunding ecosystem, especially to Doug Ellenoff and others who worked to make the JOBS Act a reality.

I’m grateful for my clients, a diverse, energetic, endlessly-creative group of entrepreneurs who are making America better and in the process making my life infinitely more rewarding.

While complaining that my health insurance premiums went up again, I’m grateful they have not dropped to zero.

Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving as much as I intend to enjoy mine. As always, contact me if you have any questions.

MARK

Why I’m Grateful This Thanksgiving

On By crowdfundattnyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

My 10th-great grandfather was William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims. I’m grateful that he and his band of religious refugees made the trip and were saved from starvation by the native population.

I’m grateful for the wisdom of the American people and the resilience of their institutions.

I’m thankful for a culture that rewards risk-taking and innovation and that is slowly, haltingly, inexorably freeing itself of the prejudices of our collective past.

I’m grateful for American entrepreneurs who endlessly question the present and invent the future.

I’m grateful I didn’t invest with FTX.

I’m grateful – I’m not joking – to the SEC for providing oversight for the most complex, dynamic, trusted capital markets in the world.

I’m grateful to my colleagues at Lex Nova Law for helping to build a flexible, modern law firm.

I’m grateful to live in a diverse, changing, sometimes-chaotic country where it often seems we disagree about everything (we don’t). Like others, I worry that so many Americans have chosen alternative realities and conspiracy theories, but I have faith that these afflictions, like others in our history, will prove temporary.

I’m grateful that during my own midlife crisis I wasn’t on Twitter.

I’m grateful for Anthony Fauci, an ordinary American who rose to the moment and became extraordinary.

I’m grateful to participate in the fundamental rethinking of capitalism called Crowdfunding, making capital available where it has never been available before and making great investment opportunities available to more and more Americans.

I’m grateful to everyone in the Crowdfunding ecosystem, especially to Doug Ellenoff and others who worked to make the JOBS Act a reality.

I’m grateful to Ukraine and its brave people, who are giving the world a lesson in the power of freedom.

I’m grateful for my clients, a diverse, energetic, endlessly-creative group of entrepreneurs who are making America better and in the process making my life infinitely more rewarding.

Yesterday six Americans were killed in a shooting in Virginia. That follows four in Oklahoma on Sunday, five in Colorado on Saturday, and all the rest. Next year I hope I can be grateful that we have finally begun to address the uniquely American plague of violence.

Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving as much as I intend to enjoy mine. As always, contact me if you have any questions.

The SEC Can Stop Your Regulation A Offering At Any Time

On By crowdfundattnyIn Featured, Regulation A, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The SEC has two powerful tools to stop your Regulation A offering anytime.

Rule 258

Rule 258 allows the SEC to immediately suspend an offering if

  • The exemption under Regulation A is not available; or
  • Any of the terms, conditions, or requirements of Regulation A have not been complied with; or
  • The offering statement, any sales or solicitation of interest material, or any report filed pursuant to Rule 257 contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; or
  • The offering involves fraud or other violations of section 17 of the Securities Act of 1933; or
  • Something happened after filing an offering statement that would have made Regulation A unavailable had it occurred before filing; or
  • Anyone specified in Rule 262(a) (the list of potential bad actors) has been indicted for certain crimes; or
  • Proceedings have begun that could cause someone on that list to be a bad actor; or
  • The issuer has failed to cooperate with an investigation.

If the SEC suspends an offering under Rule 258, the issuer can appeal for a hearing – with the SEC – but the suspension remains in effect. In addition, at any time after the hearing, the SEC can make the suspension permanent.

Rule 258 gives the SEC enormous discretion. For example, the SEC may theoretically terminate a Regulation A offering if the issuer fails to file a single report or files late. And while there’s lots of room for good-faith disagreement as to whether an offering statement or advertisement failed to state a material fact, Rule 258 gives the SEC the power to decide.

Don’t worry, you might think, Rule 260 provides that an “insignificant” deviation will not result in the loss of the Regulation A exemption. Think again: Rule 260(c) states, “This provision provides no relief or protection from a proceeding under Rule 258.”

Rule 262(a)(7)

Rule 262(a)(7) is even more dangerous than Rule 258.

Rule 258 allows the SEC to suspend a Regulation A offering if the SEC concludes that something is wrong. Rule 262(a)(7), on the other hand, allows for suspension if the issuer or any of its principals is “the subject of an investigation or proceeding to determine whether a. . . . suspension order should be issued.”

That’s right: Rule 262(a)(7) allows the SEC to suspend an offering merely by investigating whether the offer should be suspended.

Effect on Regulation D

Suppose the SEC suspends a Regulation A offering under either Rule 258 or Rule 262(a)(7). In that case, the issuer is automatically a “bad actor” under Rule 506(d)(1)(vii), meaning it can’t use Regulation D to raise capital, either.

In some ways, it makes sense that the SEC can suspend a Regulation A offering easily because the SEC’s approval was needed in the first place. But not so with Regulation D, and especially not so with a suspension under Rule 262(a)(7). In that case, the issuer is prevented from using Regulation D – an exemption that does not require SEC approval – simply because the SEC is investigating whether it’s done something wrong. That seems. . . .wrong.

Conclusion

As all six readers of this blog know, I think the SEC has done a spectacular job with Crowdfunding. But what the SEC giveth the SEC can taketh away. I hope the SEC will use discretion exercising its substantial power under Rule 258 and Rule 262(a)(7).

Arizonia and the Series LLC

On By crowdfundattnyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Led by Delaware, a number of states allow a “series” limited liability company. Think of the LLC itself as a building and each series as a cubicle within the building. If you follow the rules then the assets and liabilities in each cubicle are legally separate:  a creditor of one can’t get at the assets of another.

Thus, rather than forming a brand new LLC for each group of assets, a business can create separate series within one LLC, saving on state filing fees.

Apparently, Arizona really dislikes the series LLC. Arizona amended its LLC statute recently, and not only does the new statute not adopt the series concept for Arizona LLCs, it goes a step farther, refusing to recognize the concept even for LLCs organized in other states. Section 3901D of the Arizona statute provides that an Arizona resident who is a creditor of the series of a non-Arizona LLC can get at all the assets of the LLC, notwithstanding the laws of the state where the LLC was organized.

EXAMPLE:  NewCo LLC is formed in Delaware and has two series, Series X and Series Y, with Series X in the asbestos business and Series Y in the real estate business. Section 215 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act says that creditors of Series X can’t get at the assets of Series Y. But Arizona says they can, if they’re Arizona residents or the transactions took place in Arizona.

I wonder if that’s even constitutional. From law school I recall that states aren’t allowed to impose their own regulations on long-haul trucks if it impedes interstate commerce. This sounds similar.

But putting the constitutional question to the side, it’s hard to see the purpose of the law. NewCo LLC can keep the Arizona creditor away from its real estate assets by spending a couple hundred dollars more — in Delaware —and forming two wholly-owned subsidiary LLCs rather than two series. Just as likely, national companies using a series LLC will avoid doing business in Arizona, hardly a desirable outcome.

From the invention of the corporation hundreds of years ago to modern times, the history of commercial law is that governments accommodate the development of business. Here the Arizona legislature has done the opposite and it’s hard to see why.

Using a Transfer Agent Doesn’t Mean You Have a Single Entry on Your Cap Table

On By crowdfundattnyIn Title III, Title III Crowdfunding, Uncategorized1 Comment

Many issuers are concerned that “Crowdfunding will screw up my cap table.” In response, several Title III funding portals offer a mechanism they promise will leave only a single entry on the issuer’s cap table, no matter how many investors sign up.

The claim is innocuous, i.e., it doesn’t really hurt anybody. But it’s also false.

The claim begins with section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act. Under section 12(g), an issuer must register its securities with the SEC and begin filing all the reports of a public company if the issuer has more than $10 million of total assets and any class of equity securities held of record by more than 500 non-accredited investors or more than 2,000 total investors.

17 CFR §240.12g5-1 defines what it means for securities to be held “of record.” For example, under 17 CFR §240.12g5-1(a)(2), securities held by a partnership are generally treated as held “of record” by one person, the partnership, even if the partnership has lots of partners. Similarly, under 17 CFR §240.12g5-1(a)(4), securities held by two or more persons as co-owners (e.g., as tenants in common) are treated as held “of record” by one person.

With their eyes on this regulation, the funding portals require each investor to designate a third party to act on the investor’s behalf. The third party acts as transfer agent, custodian, paying agent, and proxy agent, and also has the right to vote the investor’s securities (if the securities have voting rights). The funding portal then takes the position that all the securities are held by one owner “of record” under 17 CFR §240.12g5-1.

Two points before going further:

  • Title III issuers don’t need 17 CFR §240.12g5-1 to avoid reporting under section 12(g). Under 17 CFR §240.12g6(a), securities issued under Title III don’t count toward the 500/2,000 thresholds, as long as the issuer uses a transfer agent and has no more than $25 million of assets.
  • 17 CFR §240.12g5-1(b)(3) includes an anti-abuse rule:  “If the issuer knows or has reason to know that the form of holding securities of record is used primarily to circumvent the provisions of section 12(g). . . . the beneficial owners of such securities shall be deemed to be the record owners thereof.”

But put both those things to the side and assume that, by using the mechanism offered by the funding portal, the issuer has 735 investors but only one holder “of record.”

Does having one holder “of record” mean the issuer has only a single entry on its cap table? Of course not. At tax time, the issuer is still going to produce 735 K-1s.

The fact is, how many holders an issuer has “of record” for purposes of section 12(g) of the Exchange Act has nothing to do with cap tables. The leap from section 12(g) to cap tables is a rhetorical sleight-of-hand.

As I said in the beginning, the sleight-of-hand is mostly harmless. Except for some additional fees, neither the issuer nor the investors are any worse off. And the motivation is understandable:  too many issuers think Crowdfunding will get in the way of future funding rounds, even though that’s not true.

Even so, as a boring corporate lawyer and true believer in Crowdfunding, I’m uncomfortable with the sleight-of-hand. When SPVs become legal on March 15th perhaps the market will change.

Crowdfunding Real Estate

PODCAST: The Storage Investor Show

On By crowdfundattnyIn Accredited Investor, Crowdfunding, Title III, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Real Estate Crowdfunding in 2021 with Mark Roderick – episode 9

In This Episode:

  • Updates to Accredited Investor qualifications
  • Who qualifies as a “Finder” of capital?
  • Title III crowdfunding changes
  • How can sponsors and investors take advantage of recent changes
  • Why crowdfunding is a marketing business

Guest Info:

Mr. Roderick concentrates his practice on the representation of privately-owned and emerging growth companies, including companies in the technology, real estate, and health care industries. Mark specializes in the representation of entrepreneurial, growth-oriented companies and their owners.

SEC Announces Two Major Changes to Crowdfunding

On By crowdfundattnyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

This special edition podcast covers two announcements from the SEC.

The first is that in due course, it will be permitted to pay commissions to someone who helps you find equity for your projects based on the amount of money that they raise for you. This is a seismic change.

The second is the addition of non-accredited investors to deals that would normally only be available to accredited investors. rules that the SEC issued to facilitate Title III crowdfunding during the coronavirus crisis.

PODCAST: Is the SEC Democratizing Investment?

On By crowdfundattnyIn Podcasts, Regulation A, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Democratizing investment. A huge step forward.

My guest today is Mark Roderick, founder of Lex Nova Law and one of the top online crowdfunding experts in the country. Mark and I discuss the very exciting changes proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulation crowdfunding, or Reg CF, the securities regulation that is really the first step taken by the S.E.C. towards democratizing investment. The additional changes proposed will give this regulation real legs.

Impact Real Estate Investing Podcast

Insights and Inspirations

  • Mark believes the latest round of changes to the crowdfunding rules will bring some fundamental changes to the industry including higher quality deals.
  • As the deals get better, so will the industry grow, and more investors join in.
  • He expects to see changes in the physical landscape in just 5 years as these rules begin to have a far-reaching effect.