The Potential of Tokenized Real Estate
Tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) can transform real estate investment by eliminating inefficiencies, Polygon CEO Mark Boiron has stated. In a conversation, Boiron emphasized that tokenization can eliminate middlemen, reduce transaction fees, and unlock liquidity.
“What you really want is the ability to redeem the illiquidity discount on real estate,” Boiron said, citing how illiquid assets tend to be beset by lower valuations.
One case in point is Lumia Towers, a 220 million dollar office building in Istanbul that used Polygon’s tech to tokenize its real estate project.
Real Estate Onchain
A number of companies already function to integrate blockchain into real estate deals:
- Quarter (U.S.) – Launched tokenized mortgage products to promote affordability and homeownership.
- Blocksquare (EU) – Presented a property tokenization platform for the facilitation of equity transfer onchain.
- The UAE’s Emerging Tokenization Market
- Tokenized real estate is rapidly gaining acceptance within the United Arab Emirates. Regional developers are adopting blockchain-based funding systems to promote liquidity and availability.
In addition, Tether partnered with Reelly Tech in February 2025 to accelerate USDT-based real estate transactions in the UAE, advancing stablecoin adoption in real estate investments further.
Regulatory Challenges Ahead
In so far as its potential is enormous, tokenization has regulatory challenges. Boiron stressed that governments must become accustomed to public, permissionless blockchain networks prior to tokenization taking hold in real estate markets around the world.
With increasing adoption, real estate may soon be entirely onchain, as blockchain makes it easier to have a more liquid, accessible, and cheaper investment arena.
