AcreTrader
Editor reviewed$10,000+ accredited farmland deals, Proterra-owned, decade-scale holds
Rates verified July 23, 2026View platformTracked since2026
0 reviews trackedThe Bottom Line
Best for
Accredited investors who want direct US farmland exposure as a small, long-term diversifier and can comfortably lock up $10,000 or more for a decade while accepting a real risk of principal loss.
Minimum
$10,000
Biggest pro
Cleanest track record in retail farmland
Biggest con
Accredited investors only
At a glance
Rates verified July 23, 2026- Minimum investment
- $10,000
- Accreditation
- Required
- Fees
- 0.75% annual administration on farm value + ~2-2.5% formation/closing costs at purchase + 5% disposition fee at sale
- Target return
- Historically targeted 7-9% total (3-5% cash yield plus appreciation, platform-reported)
- Liquidity
- 5-10 year holds; essentially no interim liquidity
- Founded
- 2018
Is it worth it?
~$900 a year on the $10,000 minimum, if the target holds
The $10,000 minimum at the platform-reported 9% target would generate roughly $900 a year before fees. Returns are not guaranteed: fees, defaults, and illiquidity reduce this, and platform-reported figures are not audited.
What Users Say About AcreTrader
AcreTrader is a legitimate, Proterra-backed platform for buying shares in individual US farms, offering real-asset diversification and platform-reported realized net IRRs of 9.4% to 30.3% on its completed deals. But it is accredited-only, layered with fees at the margins, and profoundly illiquid, with no secondary market as of mid-2026 and documented cases of investors losing most or all of their principal on troubled crop deals.
Highlights
- Now owned by Proterra Investment Partners (over $3.4 billion AUM, acquired August 2025), adding institutional backing to a platform operating since 2018.
- Low headline fee versus rivals: 0.75% annual administration, roughly half FarmTogether's recent per-deal management fees.
- High deal flow, often a new vetted farm offering each week, more than most accredited farmland competitors.
- Platform-reported realized net IRRs of 9.4% to 30.3% on full-cycle deals, with target cash yields of 3% to 5% from farm rent.
- Direct single-farm ownership through an LLC gives real-asset, inflation-linked diversification largely uncorrelated to stocks and bonds.
Limitations
- No secondary market as of mid-2026 despite years of promises; capital is locked for the 5 to 10 year hold with no reliable early exit.
- Documented losses: Trustpilot reviewers report losing some or all principal on Australian avocado and citrus deals that entered receivership, and one US almond orchard reportedly returned about 43% of capital.
- Fee stack (about 2% to 2.5% closing plus a roughly 5% disposition fee, sometimes a 20% incentive fee) erodes farmland's modest base returns.
- Accredited investors only, with minimums of $10,000 to $25,000 per deal, so it is closed to most retail buyers.
- The 9.4% to 30.3% IRR range comes from a small, self-selected minority of exits and is not a reliable predictor of future deals.
Editorial synthesis from industry coverage, product docs, and early user reports
Editorial policyWhat is AcreTrader?
AcreTrader is a farmland investing platform for accredited investors, launched in 2018 and now owned by Proterra Investment Partners, a Minneapolis alternative asset manager with over $3.4 billion under management that acquired the platform from Acres.com in August 2025. You buy shares in a single-farm LLC that owns a specific US row-crop or permanent-crop property, then collect rent income and any appreciation when the farm is eventually sold. Minimums typically run $10,000 to $15,000, though some deals reach $25,000, and every offering is restricted to accredited investors.
The terms matter more than the pitch. AcreTrader charges a 0.75% annual administration fee on farm value, roughly 2% to 2.5% in formation and closing costs baked into each deal, and about a 5% disposition fee when the property sells. Some offerings add a 3% management fee on crop revenue or a 20% incentive fee above a preferred return. Those layers meaningfully trim farmland's naturally modest returns. The platform reports realized net IRRs from 9.4% to 30.3% on the minority of roughly 140-plus properties that have gone full cycle since 2018, with target cash yields of 3% to 5% and total returns historically pitched around 7% to 9%. Treat that IRR range as a small, self-selected sample, not a forecast.
Liquidity is the biggest risk. AcreTrader has discussed a secondary market for years, but as of mid-2026 none exists. Your capital is locked for the stated 5 to 10 year hold, and if you need out early your only option is finding a private buyer yourself. Paradoxically, some exits have arrived far sooner than five years because institutional 1031 buyers trigger sales you do not control, so you get neither guaranteed liquidity nor a guaranteed hold.
The risks are not theoretical. Trustpilot reviewers in 2025 and 2026 report losing some or all of their principal on Australian avocado and citrus deals that went into receivership after weak yields, 2022 inflation, and higher rates pushed values below the debt. One US almond orchard investment reportedly returned about 43% of original capital after a distressed sale. Farmland is real and income-producing, but leverage, single-crop concentration, and operator execution can wipe out a position.
How it compares: the closest accredited-only rival is FarmTogether. FarmTogether's crowdfunded minimum is similar at around $15,000, but its per-deal management fees have run higher (about 1.5% on recent offerings), and it adds a fund option at $100,000. AcreTrader's edge is deal volume, often a new farm each week, and a lower headline 0.75% fee. Neither solves the core problem: both are illiquid, accredited-only, decade-scale bets on land.
Bottom line: AcreTrader is a credible, now institutionally-backed way to own US farmland, but it suits only accredited investors who can lock up $10,000 or more for a decade, accept real loss scenarios, and treat it as a small diversifier rather than an income staple.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Cleanest track record in retail farmland
- Proterra ownership adds balance-sheet stability
- Farmland's low correlation is genuine
Cons
- Accredited investors only
- Decade-scale illiquidity
- 5% disposition fee plus 2-2.5% formation costs meaningfully trim modest returns
Key details
Row-crop and permanent-crop deals with per-farm diligence docsNew diversified REIT-structured farmland fundInstitutional backing from Proterra post-acquisitionSeveral profitable exits (platform-reported)
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AcreTrader FAQ
What is the minimum investment on AcreTrader?
About $10,000 typical, with share blocks often running $15,000-$25,000.
Is accreditation required on AcreTrader?
Yes. All AcreTrader offerings are limited to accredited investors.
What are the risks of investing on AcreTrader?
Illiquidity is the core risk: 5-10 year holds with essentially no interim exit. Returns are modest by design (historical targets of 7-9% total, platform-reported), and the 5% disposition fee plus 2-2.5% formation and closing costs meaningfully trim them. Farm-level risks (weather, commodity prices) apply per deal.
What are AcreTrader's fees?
AcreTrader charges a 0.75% annual administration fee on the farm's value, plus roughly 2% to 2.5% in formation and closing costs built into each deal, and about a 5% disposition fee when the farm is sold. Some offerings also add a 3% management fee on crop revenue or a 20% incentive fee on returns above a preferred threshold, so read each deal's specific terms before investing. Those fees noticeably reduce farmland's modest base returns.
How do I sell or exit an AcreTrader investment early?
You largely cannot. As of mid-2026 there is no secondary market despite years of the company discussing one, so your money is committed for the full 5 to 10 year hold. If you need out sooner, your only real option is finding a private buyer for your LLC units yourself, with no platform-run marketplace to help. Some farms have sold in under five years when institutional 1031 buyers stepped in, but that timing is outside your control.
Is AcreTrader legit and safe?
AcreTrader is a real, established platform (operating since 2018, BBB-accredited, and acquired by $3.4 billion asset manager Proterra in August 2025), so it is not a scam. But legitimate does not mean safe: it is an illiquid, accredited-only investment, and investors have publicly reported losing some or all of their principal on troubled deals such as Australian avocado and citrus farms that went into receivership. Treat it as a high-risk, long-horizon diversifier, not a safe income product.
Source: acretrader.com