What is crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding and fractional ownership?
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. It is an alternative source of finance that allows individuals to invest what they can afford into opportunities they find attractive. Equity crowdfunding allows investors to invest collectively into a venture they find attractive in return for equity in that venture. In the case of 80eight, investors will contribute to real estate projects that will provide them with ownership in the form of shares (Equity) in that property in return for their funds. There is no debt involved. Fractional Ownership refers to a method in which several unrelated parties can share in and mitigate the risk of ownership of a high-value tangible asset, such as real estate.
How do I earn with 80eight?
Each investor will own a proportionate share in a specific property. The returns earned on a property will be issued to you according to your proportion of ownership in the property. Returns are issued as dividends on the shares that you hold and therefore provide certain tax benefits. The returns calculated are based on the rental incomes of the property less the property-related costs. These costs include but are not limited to, utility and service charges, repairs and maintenance, management fees and SPV administration fees. 80eight aims to provide investors with a real-world experience of owning property but does so in a manner that is passive. Like any investment, there are real-world risk factors that exist and we strive to minimise those risk factors as best as possible by actively managing the investment properties we offer. 80eight does not provide investment or financial advice. As part of our investment offering, we will provide you with the tools necessary in order to make an informed investment decision.
How is 80eight regulated and is it secure?
80eight (RF) Ltd is registered as a public company for the purpose of being able to raise funds from the public and issuing the public with shares in return for these funds. 80eight (RF) Ltd is managed by Crowdfin (Pty) Ltd which is a juristic representative of ELA Asset Management (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider (FSP number 49010). Crowdfin (Pty) Ltd has a management agreement in place with 80eight (RF) Ltd for the purpose of regulating and overseeing activities within 80eight and specifically with regard to investments offered. Being a juristic representative of ELA Asset Management (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider, 80eight (RF) Ltd's activities are governed by the FSCA (Financial Services Conduct Authority). The FSCA is the regulatory authority in South Africa that governs financial services and products. Being a public company, we are required to disclose all financial information relating to your investment and in addition, we are also required to be independently audited. All financial information is made available to you as an investor and Annual Financial Statements are made available on request from our offices.
What are the risks involved in my investment?
80eight (RF) Ltd does not negate any of the real-world risks involved in owning a property. We do not guarantee any of the expected returns advertised due to a number of varying factors. Some of the risks involved in property investments can be found below: Variable income: Variable returns due to vacancy loss, negotiated lower rentals, tenant defaults, maintenance, and repairs. Due to these factors it is possible that rental incomes are lower than expected and investors will receive a lower return than stipulated. Market Risk: Property investments are speculative, and the property market can rise as well as decline. Rental income can change from time to time and valuations of properties can change as a result of macro and micro-economic factors. Real estate is cyclical and can increase or decrease in value as a result. Economic Risk: A decline in property valuations can be a result of various reasons such as the wider economy weakening or problems with the property that may require an injection from future cash flows. Political Risk: Legal, political, and economic factors can negatively impact property values. Non-tradable shares: Investors will not own the property directly but rather by means of owning shares in an SPV investment Company that owns the property. These shares are regarded as illiquid as they cannot be easily traded. Liquidity Risk: Since property is regarded as a medium to long-term investment it is regarded as an illiquid investment. This means that at the end of the investment term, it may not be possible to dispose of the property and collect the proceeds immediately. This may result in investors experiencing a delay in receiving their capital or the property being sold at a loss. This depends on being able to sell the property timeously and at an attractive price which may not be possible at that point in time. Capital Risk: If for any reason 80eight ceases to carry on its business, investors may lose funds, incur costs, or experience delays in their investment being wound up. To mitigate this type of risk, 80eight will only offer freehold properties on its platform. This means that the risk of a property being repossessed by a bank and put on auction is zero as there is no debt on the property investments. All investments are ring-fenced and therefore the failure of one investment cannot impact the performance of another investment. There will always be a freehold property backing your investment in the event of any unforeseen circumstances and the ring-fenced structure provides an extra layer of security as investment funds cannot be used to pay off 80eight debts. Bearing this in mind, 80eight strives to mitigate these risks at every step of the way. We aim to minimise risk and downside as much as possible on behalf of the investors by selecting properties that are attractive. Our due diligence model addresses all these risks as much as possible to ensure that investor risk is minimised, and only quality properties are offered on our platform.