This $100 Real Estate Hack Quietly Paid Out $2.75 Million to Small Investors in 3 Months

In Q3 2025, small investors on Arrived collectively earned more than $2.75 million in dividend income — not from owning entire rental properties, but from fractional shares of income-producing assets and real-estate-backed loans.

That payout marked roughly a 15% increase from the prior quarter, during a period when most U.S. savers were still earning well under 1% in traditional savings accounts.

The contrast isn't subtle. While the majority of cash sat idle, a growing group of investors put relatively small amounts of money to work in structures designed to generate income.

Behind that $2.75 million figure is a simple idea: instead of letting excess cash sit in low-yield accounts, thousands of investors allocated as little as around $100 per offering into funds and properties targeting 4%+ and 8%+ annualized dividends.

Not risk-free. Not liquid like cash. But materially more productive.

Where The $2.75 Million Came From

During Q3 2025, Arrived had 456 properties operating across its platform, spanning single-family rentals, vacation rentals, and credit investments. Those assets produced income across several layers.

Individual single-family rental properties paid an average 4% annualized dividend, with results varying by home depending on rent, expenses, and occupancy.

Vacation rentals averaged lower at about 2.4% annualized, reflecting seasonal dynamics, though individual properties ranged much higher or lower depending on performance.

On top of individual properties, Arrived's pooled funds concentrated and smoothed those cash flows.

The Single-Family Residential Fund delivered a 4.2% annualized dividend in Q3 2025, backed by 56 homes and occupancy above 92%.

The Private Credit Fund, which focuses on short-term, first-lien loans to real-estate operators, generated about 8.4% annualized for the quarter, supported by more than $64 million deployed and 30 new loans added during that period.

Together, those income streams are what produced the $2.75M+ in dividends paid out to investors over just three months.

Two Very Different Income Engines

What makes the numbers interesting isn't just the size of the payout, it's that they came from two distinct approaches to income under the same platform.

The Single-Family Residential Fund is built for investors who want rental-style income with the potential for long-term appreciation.

Historically, Arrived frames this strategy as mid-single-digit dividends plus price growth over time. In Q3 2025, that translated into a 4.2% annualized dividend from a diversified pool of rentals.

The Private Credit Fund, by contrast, is almost entirely about interest. Instead of owning homes, investors are effectively the lender, collecting payments on short-term loans secured by residential properties.

Arrived has historically guided to 7–9% income targets here, and Q3 2025 came in near the upper end of that range.

Same low minimums. Same fractional structure. Very different parts of the income stack.

While Most Savings Still Earn Under 1%

As of early 2026, the national average savings account yield sits around 0.6% APY, with many traditional accounts still closer to 0.4%.

Even high-yield accounts that advertise higher rates require action — and plenty of people never move their money.

Set that backdrop against Q3 2025:

• ~4.2% annualized income from the Single-Family Residential Fund
• ~8.4% annualized income from the Private Credit Fund
• $2.75M+ paid out platform-wide in a single quarter

That gap is the real story. While most cash earns next to nothing, a subset of investors is accepting more risk and less liquidity in exchange for mid- to high-single-digit income.

It's not better for everyone, but it is materially different.

Why The $100 Starting Point Matters

The $100 figure isn't about turning pocket change into a fortune. It matters because it lowers the barrier to participation.

Instead of needing tens of thousands of dollars for a down payment, investors can allocate small amounts across different funds or properties.

That makes it possible to spread risk, observe how dividends behave, and understand lockups and liquidity before committing meaningful capital.

It also reframes real-estate-backed income as something you can test, not something you have to fully commit to on day one.

This doesn't replace an emergency fund. Dividends aren't guaranteed. And capital is at risk.

But for people who already have their safety net in place and are still earning 0.4% on excess cash, the Q3 2025 numbers are a reminder that there's a parallel game happening, and entry doesn't require owning a house or being an accredited investor.