Buying a property in Australia has traditionally required a large deposit, a long settlement process, and significant legal friction. In 2026, a group of property fintech startups is unbundling that process. Fractional ownership platforms allow investors to buy a portion of a residential or commercial asset, while digital settlement tools make transactions faster and cheaper. ASIC’s 2026 Digital Property Settlement Review noted that e-conveyancing now covers more than 90 percent of Australian property transfers, creating the infrastructure for more innovative investment models (https://asic.gov.au/). This shift is not just about technology; it is reshaping who can participate in property markets.
Fractional Platforms Open the Door to Smaller Investors
How DomaCom and Bricklet Work
DomaCom, a fractional property investment platform, enables investors to pool funds and co-own a property without needing to buy the entire asset. Each investor holds units in a registered scheme, receives rental income proportional to their stake, and can sell their units on a secondary market. Bricklet, meanwhile, focuses on shared equity and co-ownership arrangements, allowing buyers to purchase a portion of a home while another party holds the remainder. These models appeal to first-home buyers and self-managed super funds looking for property exposure without high entry costs.
Digital Settlements Are Reducing Friction
PEXA and the End of Paper-Based Conveyancing
PEXA, Australia’s electronic property exchange, has become a backbone for proptech innovation. By digitising titles, mortgage registrations, and funds transfers, PEXA has reduced settlement times from weeks to days. New startups are building on this infrastructure to offer instant buyer verification, AI-driven contract reviews, and automated stamp duty calculations. For fractional platforms, faster settlement means investors can enter and exit positions with less administrative burden.
Tokenisation Is Moving from Hype to Pilot Programs
Regulated Trials Explore Digital Property Titles
While fully tokenised property remains experimental, several Australian proptech startups are running regulated pilots that represent ownership shares as digital tokens on private blockchains. These pilots focus on commercial assets held by wholesale investors. The goal is to enable 24/7 trading, automated distributions, and transparent ownership ledgers. However, ASIC has made it clear that tokenised property products must comply with existing managed investment scheme rules, which limits their current retail availability.
The Investor Shift Toward Alternative Property Exposure
Self-managed super funds and younger investors are increasingly interested in property exposure without the burden of managing tenants or paying stamp duty on a full asset. Fractional platforms offer that exposure, but they carry liquidity risk because secondary markets are still thin. Startups are addressing this by partnering with licensed exchanges and creating regular trading windows. As digital identity and e-conveyancing mature, property is beginning to behave more like a tradable asset class—though it remains far from the liquidity of shares or ETFs.