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If you had $50,000 that you wanted to put to work in 2026, what would you do?
Business mogul Grant Cardone believes there is a clear answer to the “best, fastest way” to multiply that money – even for those with no experience.
Given the myriad of options in today’s investment world, Cardone first cautions against complacency.
“Don’t invest it in something you don’t know, because it might go to zero. Definitely don’t bet it on this crypto,” he said in a recent YouTube video titled “Best thing to do with $50K.”
He then emphasized the importance of using multiples in this capital before working – and pointed to an asset that, in his view, naturally does this.
“What you want to do is multiply the money first. You want to put it into something where you get a multiple immediately. The only thing on the planet that does that is real estate.” He said before giving an example.
“When I take 50 grand and put it into a real estate deal, it immediately becomes $200,000 or $250,000 in leverage and I have positive cash flow. The probability of that is zero to nothing. You’re not going to go from a $250,000 investment to zero in 51 minutes.”
Cardon refers to the use of leverage in real estate – where an investor pays a relatively small amount of cash and borrows the rest to control a much larger asset.
A down payment of $50,000 can allow someone to purchase a property worth several times that amount, while rental income may help cover mortgage payments and expenses.
However, leverage can increase losses as well as gains.
If property values fall, interest rates rise or local demand weakens, the investor’s equity can be wiped out. Returns depend on location, financing terms and market conditions – meaning it’s still possible to lose money, even if the asset itself doesn’t suddenly go to zero.
Cardone also stressed the importance of choosing the right type of real estate.
“The only thing you have to be aware of here is choosing the right market – a strong market, positive job growth, occupation,” he said. “You can be cash flow positive from day one and buy a great asset and you’ll never break even.”
Real estate has long been viewed as a powerful wealth-building tool—especially for investors seeking passive income. In fact, investment legend Warren Buffett has often referred to real estate when describing what a profitable, income-producing asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett said that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment buildings in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check” (2).
Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values also rise, reflecting higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income rises, providing landlords with an income stream that keeps pace with inflation.
Of course, you don’t need $25 billion—or even to buy a single property—to invest in real estate today.
Crowdfunding platforms like Arrival have made it easier than ever for everyday investors to tap into the US real estate market.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Ariad allows you to invest in rental housing shares with as little as $100 – all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing plumbing or managing difficult tenants.
The process is simple: search a curated selection of homes that have been evaluated for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you want to buy and then sit back when you start receiving positive rental income distributions from your investment.
For a limited time, when you open an account and add $1,000 or more, Arrival will credit your account with a 1% match.
Read more: I’m almost 50 and have no retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?
Read more: Non-millionaires can now invest in this $1B private real estate fund starting at just $10
Owning a rental property sounds great, until something goes wrong. One bounced check and your rental income is gone.
But institutional investors do not face this problem. Their portfolios are diversified across hundreds—sometimes thousands—of units.
Now, accredited investors can do the same through platforms like Lightstone DIRECT, giving you access to prime quality multifamily and industrial real estate – with a minimum investment of $100,000.
Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest private equity investment firms in the United States, with more than $12 billion in assets under management.
Over nearly four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles – including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on investments since 2004.
With Lightstone Direct, you get access to the same multifamily and industrial transactions that Lightstone pursues with its capital.
Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its capital in each deal — about four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the company ensures that its profits are directly aligned with its investors.
Mughal is another option. It’s a real estate investment platform that offers fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits – without the need for a large down payment or 3am tenant calls.
Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team selects the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you get access to basic quality offerings for a fraction of the normal cost.
Each property goes through a rigorous appraisal process, requiring a minimum return of 12% even in negative scenarios. Across the board, the platform offers an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell within three hours, investments are usually between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here.
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Grant Cardone (1); CNBC (2)
This article provides information only and should not be used as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
