Real Estate Crowdfunding Today

Crowdfunding is poised to make a major impact on the real estate market. Funds raised by online platforms have grown from $1.5 billion in 2011 to a projected $10 billion in 2014, with this rate of growth expected to continue to accelerate going forward. By 2025, the global crowdfunding market could reach between $90 billion and $96 billion – roughly 1.8 times the size of the global venture capital industry today.

Goodwin Procter, the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate and the UCLA Ziman Real Estate Alumni Group, have joined forces to host a one-day comprehensive program featuring the nation’s leading crowdfunding experts who will discuss the evolution of the real estate crowdfunding industry, its impact on the real estate market, its potential for growth and how you can get involved.

This program has been approved for 4.75 California MCLE credits (general) and 5.5 NY CLE credits (professional practice).

As an exhibitor and/or sponsor, you will receive immediate exposure now and throughout the conference. Click above to request sponsor/exhibitor information.

8:00 a.m. – 8:55 a.m.
Registration & Networking Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Tim Kawahara, Executive Director, UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate

9:20 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
Keynote: Lewis G. Feldman, Partner, Real Estate Capital Markets Group; and Co-Chair, Crowdfunding Practice, Goodwin Procter, LLP
This opening presentation will discuss the themes which are poised to significantly impact the real estate investment landscape, specifically focusing on dissemination.

9:55 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Networking Break

10:15 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
Meet the Crowd
Crowdfunding is poised to make a major impact on the real estate market. This panel will address the different and unique capabilities various platform have to offer.

Moderator: Lewis G. Feldman, Partner, Real Estate Capital Markets Group; and Co-Chair, Crowdfunding Practice, Goodwin Procter, LLP
Panelists:
Jilliene Helman, Co-Founder and CEO, Realty Mogul
Adam Hooper, Co-Founder and CEO, RealCrowd
Arthur Weissman, Vice President of Business Development, WealthForge
Ray Sturm, Co-Founder and COO, RealtyShares

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Raising Debt Online Through Crowdfunding
How is raising debt through a crowdfunding platform different than borrowing from a conventional lender? This panel will feature a discussion between conventional and crowdfunding lenders, highlighting the similarities and differences between their approaches.

Moderator: Eric Sussman, Senior Real Estate Lecturer, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Panelists:
Carlo Tabibi, Co-Founder and CEO, Patch of Land
Paige Serden, Senior Vice President & Regional Manager, Real Estate Division, City National Bank
Ron Suber, President, Prosper
David Manshoory, CEO & Founder, AssetAvenue

12:05 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Lunch Break & Special Presentation
Dr. Richard Swart, Director, Program for Innovation in Entrepreneurial and Social Finance, Coleman Fung Institute, UC Berkeley College of Engineering

1:25 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
What It’s Like to Crowdfund a Deal as a Sponsor
What it’s really like to crowdfund a deal. Experienced operators share their stories raising money online to fund their real estate deals.

Moderator: Gary M. Tenzer, Co-Founding Principal and Managing Director, George Smith Partners, Inc.
Panelists:
Andy Carpiac, President, Kittridge Hotels & Resorts LLC
Jay Kerner, President and CEO, U.S. Realty Partners, Inc.
Mark F. Crawford, President and Managing Partner, Crawford Park Financial, Inc.
Eric Siragusa, Founder, President and Real Estate Investor, WaterTree Capital, Inc.

2:20 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Evaluating the Key Legal Issues
An overview of The JOBS Act and other regulations impacting the crowdfunding industry. This panel will cover the relevant issues that must be considered when using a crowdfunding platform.

Moderator: Steve Ellis, Partner, Goodwin Procter, LLP
Panelists:
Lawrence Fassler, General Counsel, Realty Mogul
Rick Weintraub, Chief Compliance Officer, CommunityLeader
Jonathan Littrell, General Counsel, AssetAvenue 

3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Networking Break

3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout A:
Why VC’s Are Investing in Crowdfunding Platforms
The crowdfunding industry has generated headlines recently due to an influx of venture capital investment. This panel will feature prominent venture capitalists discussing their optimism for the growth of the industry.

Moderator: Curtis Kaiser, Founding Attorney, Kaiser Law Group
Panelists:
Hrach Simonian, Principal, Canaan Partners
Bill Clark, President and Founder, MicroVentures Marketplace, Inc.
Kevin Swill, Chief Investment Officer, Carlton Group

Breakout B:
Technical Capabilities
The relevant technical issues. This panel will discuss the process of building a campaign and will also touch on platform security.

Moderator: Gerry Stegmaier, Partner, Goodwin Procter, LLP
Panelists:
Brian Fritton, Co-Founder and CTO, Patch of Land
Justin Hughes, Co-Founder and CTO, Realty Mogul
Dan Baird, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, CrowdEngine
Fred Bryant, Chief Compliance Officer, WealthForge

Breakout C:
Marketing Your Campaign
What does it take to successfully market a crowdfunding campaign? This panel will feature marketing experts in the field who will discuss the dos and don’ts of attracting your crowd.

Moderator: Scott Bachman, Chief Marketing Officer, CommunityLeader
Panelists:
AdaPia d’Errico, Chief Marketing Officer, Patch of Land
Thomas Bonneau, Vice President of Marketing, Realty Mogul
Cynthia Nevels, Founder, Think.Crowd.Fund!

4:20 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks: Lewis G. Feldman, Partner, Real Estate Capital Markets Group; and Co-Chair, Crowdfunding Practice, Goodwin Procter, LLP