The Sebi recent move to allow mutual fund firms to play in realty space has opened up a new avenue for individual investors.It was a month ago that Sebi had approved the inclusion of real estate and issued a set of guidelines. Prior to that, only high net worth individuals were allowed to invest in realty directly. Now with realty brought under the MF guidelines, it will be much more transparent and regulated. It will encourage middle category investors to participate in the realty growth story with minimum investment. The timing is quite opportune as the real estate sector is currently experiencing strong winds from sub-prime bruised western markets, general fund crunch and a lull in the Indian IPO market. Allowing retail participation in real estate mutual funds (REMFs) will enhance liquidity and create a healthy secondary market for realty assets, observe industry analysts. The success of REMFs to a great extent would depend on how well the sponsors and fund managers voluntarily embrace the guidelines required for a successful introduction and sustenance of this kind of investment product.