LOS ANGELES—Few subjects have sparked as much controversy orinterest in commercial real estate as crowdfunding has. Whether or not it is viewedas a legitimate source of funding, there's no denying that theindustry is growing. We spoke with CrowdStreet CEOTore Steen to get his outlook on this burgeoningmarketplace and fundraising vehicle going into 2015.

GlobeSt.com: What do you believe will be some of thelargest trends in the overall crowdfunding industry in2015?

Steen: I see five key trends occurringin the overall crowdfunding industry.

1. Crowdfunding will become a key consideration or part offinancing for any startup. Not just an afterthought or interestingmarketing avenue, the tools, reach and platforms are now there andproven for the entrepreneurs to leverage. This method forfundraising can be used by for-profit companies, non-profitcompanies and community groups. It will become as common to use thecrowd as going to the bank.
2. We will see the acceleration of “funds” being launched—not justsingle assets—on crowdfunding platforms everywhere fromequity-based commercial real estate to donation-based non-profitopportunities.
3. Specific to equity crowdfunding of commercial real estate, wewill see more large CRE firms launch their own branded marketplacesto attract retail investors to their projects in an efficient andeconomical way.
4. With the delay of Title III of theJOBS Act and states continuing to roll out theirown legislation around crowdfunding, we will see continued growthof platforms that have state-specific offerings.
5. With the rapid growth in this market, we will begin to see somevery interesting merger and partnership activities starting to playout.

The future is bright for the continued growth of crowdfundingmarkets. According to the World Bank, by 2025, theglobal crowdfunding market potential could be between $90 billionand $96 billion. Today, it is about a $10-billion market.