Participatory real estate investing
Loans backed by
Ecuadorian bricks.
Ecaterra connects retail lenders with vetted real-estate developers in Ecuador. Fund residential and commercial projects in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, and receive monthly payments backed by mortgage collateral.
What is real estate crowdlending?
Collective loans, backed by real bricks.
Real estate crowdlending is a collaborative-financing model in which dozens or hundreds of individuals jointly lend capital to a real-estate developer to build, finish or refurbish a project in Ecuador.
Unlike buying a slice of a building (equity crowdfunding), here you act as the lender: you put in an amount, sign a civil loan contract, and receive monthly installments with interest over the agreed term. The loan is secured by a mortgage on the property or by a Ecuadorian commercial trust (fideicomiso mercantil de garantía).
At Ecaterra every project goes through a risk committee, an independent appraisal and a legal review before it is opened to the public. Everything runs in U.S. dollars, the official currency of Ecuador since the year 2000.
- You are the lender
You sign a civil loan contract; the developer repays principal plus interest.
- Mortgage or trust-backed
Each loan is secured by real estate or a stand-alone trust patrimony.
- Payments in U.S. dollars
You receive monthly or quarterly interest straight into your bank account.
Why Ecaterra
What separates bricks from uncertainty.
Access from US$ 250
Building a tower used to be a club for the few. With a low minimum ticket, anyone in Ecuador can now take a seat at the table.
Predictable cash flow
You get periodic payments based on the loan schedule. You know how much, and when, from day one.
Geographic diversification
Spread your capital across projects in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Manta and Loja from a single dashboard.
Real collateral, not promises
Every deal is backed by a first-rank mortgage or a commercial trust with irrevocable instructions.
Independent due diligence
Appraisal by a valuator registered with the Superintendency of Banks, external legal review and developer analysis.
No soft currency
Everything is denominated in U.S. dollars. No local devaluation eats into your yield.
How it works
Four steps, none of them paperwork-heavy.
- 01
Create your account and verify your identity
100% online sign-up with national ID or passport. We comply with Ecuador's UAFE anti-money-laundering rules.
- 02
Browse the published projects
Each card includes appraisal, location, term, target rate, collateral structure and developer track record.
- 03
Invest the amount you choose
From US$ 250. Your contribution is held in a trust account until the funding round closes.
- 04
Collect monthly installments
You receive principal and interest in your Ecuadorian bank account according to the schedule in the loan contract.
Risk disclosure
Let's talk plainly about risk.
Investing through real estate crowdlending involves the risk of developer default, construction delays, and collateral enforcement. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
Ecaterra is not a bank or a financial institution. We do not take public deposits. We act as a technological intermediary between lenders and real-estate initiatives, in accordance with Ecuadorian law.
Before investing, read each project's documentation carefully and, if needed, consult an independent financial adviser.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before investing.
Who can invest in Ecaterra?+−
Individuals of legal age, with a valid national ID or passport and a bank account at an Ecuadorian financial institution. We also welcome Ecuadorian investors living abroad.
In what currency do I invest and get paid?+−
The entire platform operates in U.S. dollars (USD), Ecuador's official currency since the year 2000. We do not handle other currencies.
What happens if the developer doesn't pay?+−
The collateral enforcement process begins. For mortgage-backed loans, executive collection proceedings start; for trust structures, the stand-alone patrimony is liquidated according to the irrevocable instructions of the trust.
Do I pay taxes on the interest I earn?+−
Yes. Interest earned is taxable income for Ecuadorian income tax purposes. Ecaterra issues a yearly statement of returns for your filing before the SRI (tax authority).
What fees does Ecaterra charge?+−
We charge an origination fee to the developer and an annual fee to the lender on interest earned. The full fee schedule is in the adhesion contract you accept upon signing up.
Can I withdraw my money before maturity?+−
Your capital is locked for the loan term (between 6 and 24 months). We are building a secondary market so lenders can transfer their positions to other verified users.
Get on the list for launch
Receive the next opportunities before everyone else.
Ecaterra will roll out investments gradually during 2026. Leave us your name and email and be among the first to review each new project in Ecuador.