Investing in real estate has always been a slow-moving, high-barrier game. It’s a world of big deals, long contracts, and limited access. But what if it wasn’t? What if buying a share in a high-rise office building were as easy as trading stocks?
We spoke with Igor Izraylevych, CEO of S-PRO, a company that has been developing blockchain solutions for years. His insights offer a grounded look at where tokenization is headed and why it’s not just hype.
“The Old Rules of Real Estate Are Cracking”
“I’ve always been fascinated by industries that resist change,” Igor says. “Real estate is one of them. It’s built on traditions, established relationships, and processes that haven’t really evolved for decades. It’s also one of the most illiquid markets out there. Selling a property is never simple, and buying into prime real estate? That’s reserved for a select few. Blockchain is starting to crack those old rules.
Tokenization isn’t just about making transactions digital—we’ve had that for years. It’s about changing ownership itself, splitting properties into tradable shares, and allowing investors to own fractions of real estate rather than entire buildings.
You don’t need millions to invest anymore. You just need a platform that lets you buy a token representing a piece of a building.
“Liquidity Changes Everything”
One of real estate’s biggest weaknesses is liquidity—or rather, the lack of it. Selling a property means months of negotiations, paperwork, and legal checks. There’s no easy way out once you’ve bought in.
“But if you tokenize an asset,” Igor says, “you can sell your share anytime. You’re not stuck waiting for a buyer who wants the whole building—you just need someone interested in buying your piece of it.”
This flexibility has never really existed in real estate before. Stocks, bonds, and even some commodities have always been more liquid than property. But with tokenization, real estate is finally catching up.
“It’s a fundamental shift,” Igor continues. “Liquidity changes everything. It opens the door for smaller investors, for faster transactions, and for global access to properties that were previously out of reach.”
“But It’s Not a Magic Fix”
Of course, tokenization isn’t a silver bullet. While blockchain offers transparency, real estate itself is still messy. Property management, tenant agreements, maintenance—these are all factors that exist beyond the blockchain.
“Some people assume that just because a property is tokenized, it’s suddenly a frictionless investment. But let’s be real—owning a fraction of a building doesn’t mean you’re free from real-world challenges,” Igor notes. “If a building has issues, the token doesn’t protect you from that. Investors still need to do their due diligence.”
And then there’s regulation.
“Right now, different countries are taking very different approaches to tokenized assets,” Igor explains. “In some places, it’s embraced. In others, it’s either unclear or outright restricted. And because tokenized real estate is essentially a form of securitized asset, it falls under financial laws that vary from country to country.”
So, while tokenization opens doors, it also raises new legal and operational questions.
“Who’s Really Building This Future?”
For tokenization to work at scale, companies need to develop robust blockchain platforms that handle transactions securely while staying compliant with financial regulations.
“At S-PRO, we’ve worked with real estate firms and blockchain development companies to build this infrastructure,” Igor says. “It’s not just about creating digital tokens. It’s about ensuring that those tokens are backed by legally sound structures, and that they can be traded on regulated platforms.”
Different blockchains serve different needs. Corda is a popular choice for enterprises because of its privacy features, while Ethereum has been widely used for public tokenization projects.
“What’s Next?”
So, is real estate tokenization just a passing trend, or are we witnessing a true industry shift?
“I don’t think traditional real estate is going away,” Igor admits. “Big deals, institutional investments, and physical transactions will always be part of the industry. But what’s happening now is that a parallel market is emerging—one that’s more liquid, more digital, and more accessible.”
He predicts a few key trends:
- More regulated platforms for buying and selling tokenized real estate
- Integration with DeFi, allowing people to use tokenized property as loan collateral
- Institutional adoption, with large funds experimenting with blockchain-based property investment
“I’d say we’re at the beginning of something big,” Igor reflects. “Tokenization won’t replace traditional real estate overnight, but it’s creating new ways to invest—and that’s already a huge step forward.”