Good discussion. One downside of REITS is that they trade like a stock, so they typically fall when stocks fall. Directly owning real estate is a very different asset class from stocks and REITS. I own 7 houses and one commercial property and spend about 2 hours per month to manage them. I do use property managers, but good ones are worth the money. Another option is real estate syndications, where a sponsor buys an apartment complex or similar and takes money from passive investors. You can own real estate directly without having to do any management. But in my experience owning single-family rentals is a very powerful tool for regular people to build wealth. It takes a bit of work, but you are well-rewarded for it!