Delaware Statutory Trust fundraising is gaining momentum in 2026, as investors continue turning to DSTs for tax-deferred real estate exchanges and passive property ownership. Industry data reported by Mountain Dell Consulting shows DST equity fundraising reached approximately $5.5 billion through July, up 31% from roughly $4.2 billion during the same period in 2025. July alone generated approximately $985 million in equity sales, the highest monthly total of the year and another indication that activity in the 1031 exchange market is strengthening.
Recent sponsor activity provides further evidence of the expansion. Peachtree Group announced in August that its DST platform has surpassed $525 million in cumulative offerings since launching in 2022, following its 14th and 15th DST acquisitions. The continued pace of offerings gives investors completing 1031 exchanges a broader selection of professionally managed properties and strategies, while potentially allowing property owners to exchange actively managed real estate for passive fractional ownership without immediately recognizing capital gains.
Why We’re Watching
The 31% increase in DST fundraising is significant not only because more capital is entering the market, but because a growing market can give advisors and investors more offerings to evaluate — and potentially more meaningful differences to consider among them.
Fundraising momentum alone does not tell advisors whether one DST is more appropriate than another. As the marketplace expands, understanding how individual offerings differ becomes increasingly important.
The question isn’t simply which sponsors or offerings are attracting capital, but what investors are receiving in exchange for the risks, illiquidity and structure of each investment.
For wealth advisors, rising fundraising makes due diligence across the growing DST marketplace increasingly important. Property type, sponsor experience, leverage, distribution rates, tenant concentration, financing terms and exit assumptions can vary substantially from one offering to another. As more capital flows into the sector, comparative research and sponsor track-record data can help advisors evaluate whether individual DST offerings fit clients’ tax-planning objectives, income needs and tolerance for an illiquid real estate investment.
Sources
- Mountain Dell Consulting, DST industry fundraising data, as reported in August 2026.
- Peachtree Group, Peachtree Group Surpasses $525 Million in DST Offerings with Recent Acquisitions, August 2026.
