The St. Regis Aspen Resort is taking the plunge into real estate tokenization through Indiegogo in a move that opens up ownership opportunities in a way traditional ownership would never allow. Not everyone can afford their own resort, but now even those who aren't real estate savvy can see what it feels like to own a token stake in high-value property.

Old ideas, new applications

Tokenization as a concept isn't the newest real estate option when it comes to investing, but it's certainly taking advantage of technology that has only peaked in the past few years. By partnering with Indiegogo's initial coin offering platform to tempt investors, interested parties can purchase small or large fractions of ownership in the property through what is essentially cryptocurrency technology.

Real estate, art and other valuable properties have been bought and sold through tokenization for some time. It's the kind of topic that gets the average person talking about both real estate ownership and blockchain technology in a combination that could push the real estate market into the technological forefront, rather than trailing behind as it often does.

More important is how it opens the doors of ownership to those who wouldn't traditionally be able to invest without a lifetime of savings. Instead, dipping a toe into property trading through smaller transactions makes for investments less likely to lead to massive capital loss and ease of transferring ownership rights. Many real estate agents push for jumping into the marketplace as a somewhat obvious first step into real estate as a whole, but that can be a daunting investment for someone who has no experience in weighing real estate options or picking from trustworthy agents.

The move is expected to boost the value of the property from $200 million to around $224 million through the sale of 18 million individual tokens, each valued at $1. These shares will account for 18.9 percent of the property's equity. It's not enough to take total control of the resort and that's not terribly surprising. Marriott holds major ownership in St. Regis brand and has not expressed interest in releasing that control as of late.

Integrating real estate and technology

Investing in real estate through this form of micro-payments and token ownership is novel, perhaps to the point of feeling quaint to those who have owned full properties. Yet it marks an important stride into pushing real estate away from its public perception as a small town business of knowing a real estate agent or its more global appearance as the realm where only corporate giants can afford to buy and sell at any tangible scale. When experts push towards jumping into the market to see how it feels, making it more accessible and user-friendly is hardly a bad thing.

Various companies have pushed for full integration between real estate and the Internet of Things, among other proposed improvements. At its core, the idea of having a network of sensors that can report on the condition of land, structures, local traffic and curbside appeal to business spaces could stoke the market towards greater and greater success by publishing hard numbers that speak to the potential profitability or comfort of a property instead of relying on good faith alone.

So while taking real estate into the virtual world through tokenization may seem strange, it's simply the latest step in adapting to our current digital landscape. One can only hope the move proves profitable and appealing, especially if it opens the doors to investors who may not have had the opportunity before.