What Is Passive Real Estate Investing And How Does It Work? (2024)

Some investment opportunities can be a good start if you’re new to passive real estate investing. Most methods of passive investment fall into one of four categories: crowdfunding, REITs, real estate funds or remote ownership.

1. Crowdfunding

Real estate crowdfunding is just what it sounds like. You raise and pool money with other investors for a real estate project or investment you may not have afforded alone. This method is usually reserved for online crowdfunding platforms where users can pool funds and invest indirectly in mortgage loans across the country.

Real estate crowdfunding shares similarities with online platforms that allow users to invest in partial shares of company stocks.

2. Real Estate Investment Trusts

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) invest in various types of real estate – like apartment buildings and commercial properties – and annually pay out profits as shareholder dividends.

REITs manage properties and collect rent. In some cases, they fund mortgages and collect interest. REITs are publicly traded trusts, and like stocks, they make investors money by paying out dividends. Many Americans diversify their portfolios and generate income by investing in REITs through their retirement accounts.

REITs typically provide a steady stream of cash. You shouldn’t expect them to deliver the explosive growth or payouts of riskier investment options.

3. Real Estate Funds

A real estate fund is a type of mutual fund that invests in public real estate securities, sometimes including REITs. Real estate funds are more of a long-term investment than REITs and provide value through appreciation rather than dividends.

Unlike REITs, real estate funds tend to be diversified, investing in many types of properties – not just commercial real estate. Because professionals manage real estate funds, investors don’t need to spend time doing extensive research to figure out where to put their money.

4. Remote Ownership

While remote ownership offers investors a little more control, it’s still considered passive investing, making it a good option if you want some involvement with properties but don’t want to be a landlord.

With remote ownership, an investor owns the investment property but relies on an on-site property manager or management company to oversee the property and its upkeep. Many remote investors live out of state and keep tabs on their properties through emails or phone calls.

Remote investing allows potential investors to purchase properties in high-demand areas they live far away from. However, relying on others to manage your investment property can present challenges, especially if you don’t plan on visiting often.

What Is Passive Real Estate Investing And How Does It Work? (2024)

FAQs

What Is Passive Real Estate Investing And How Does It Work? ›

Hands-off approach: When you invest passively, you put investment decisions in someone else's hands. If you invest in a real estate fund, the person running the fund will select all investments. If you have remote ownership of a property, someone else is managing it – and they may or may not be doing a great job.

How does passive investing work? ›

Passive investing is a long-term investment strategy that focuses on buying and holding investments for the long term. Its goal is to build wealth gradually over time by buying and holding a diverse portfolio of investments and relying on the market to provide positive returns over time.

What are the pros and cons of passive investing? ›

Passive investing has pros and cons when contrasted with active investing. This strategy can be come with fewer fees and increased tax efficiency, but it can be limited and result in smaller short-term returns compared to active investing.

How do you create passive income with real estate? ›

Here's a brief look at some of the many ways to make passive income from real estate:
  1. Publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) ...
  2. REIT exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ...
  3. REIT mutual funds. ...
  4. Non-traded REITs. ...
  5. Real estate syndications. ...
  6. Debt and debt-like investments backed by real estate. ...
  7. House hacking.

What is passive rental income? ›

The IRS considers a rental activity to be passive if real estate is used by tenants and rental income (or expected rental income) is received mainly for the use of the property. In other words, owning a rental property and collecting rental income is considered passive and not active in most cases.

What's the best passive income to invest in? ›

How to make passive income
  • Investing in a high-yield savings account or certificate of deposit (CD) ...
  • Dividend stocks. ...
  • Affiliate marketing. ...
  • Peer-to-peer lending. ...
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs) ...
  • Rent out parking space. ...
  • Rent out a room in your home. ...
  • Create an online product.
Mar 14, 2024

How much do you need to invest for passive income? ›

Earning passive income from investing involves predicting your return, based upon the investment amount. A $5,000 investment in a dividend fund that pays a 6% yield will provide $300 per year, while successful affiliate websites might earn $1,000 per month or more.

Are passive funds safe? ›

However, their risk levels are generally lower than those of Actively Managed Funds. By replicating the market index, Passive Funds invest in a diversified range of securities, providing a level of stability. For long-term investors, these Funds can offer benchmark returns with lower volatility.

What is an example of a passive investment portfolio? ›

Passive portfolios typically include a few different types of investments. Principal among these are index funds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Rather than select single securities like stocks or bonds, these funds seek to diversify across a number of individual holdings.

What are the fees for passive funds? ›

Key Takeaways

A reasonable expense ratio for an actively managed portfolio is about 0.5% to 0.75%, while an expense ratio greater than 1.5% is typically considered high these days. For passive funds, the average expense ratio is about 0.12%.

How to make $1,000 dollars a month in passive income? ›

Passive Income: 7 Ways To Make an Extra $1,000 a Month
  1. Buy US Treasuries. U.S. Treasuries are still paying attractive yields on short-term investments. ...
  2. Rent Out Your Yard. ...
  3. Rent Out Your Car. ...
  4. Rental Real Estate. ...
  5. Publish an E-Book. ...
  6. Become an Affiliate. ...
  7. Sell an Online Course. ...
  8. Bottom Line.
Apr 18, 2024

How to make $100 000 a year in passive income? ›

Ways to Make $100,000 Per Year in Passive Income
  1. Invest in Real Estate. Rental properties generate income through tenants who pay rent each month to live in a property you own. ...
  2. CD Laddering. ...
  3. Dividend Stocks. ...
  4. Fixed-Income Securities. ...
  5. Start a Side Hustle.
Jul 28, 2023

Is owning a house passive income? ›

Invest in Real Estate

Perhaps the oldest way to earn passive income on this list. Invest in property to rent or sell at a profit. Consider different markets and property types for the best investment opportunities.

Do you pay taxes on passive income? ›

Typically, passive income is subject to a taxpayer's usual marginal tax rate, which is based on their tax bracket. But taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is above a certain threshold may also be subject to the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT).

What does the IRS consider passive income? ›

Gross income from passive sources includes: Dividends, interest, and annuities. Royalties (including overriding royalties), whether measured by production or by gross or taxable income from the property.

Can you use Airbnb for passive income? ›

Airbnb lets you generate passive income from your home or spare room. Being an Airbnb host involves listing your property on its platform, which handles bookings and communications with guests. Hosts are paid out based on guest stays. Guests often find Airbnb is cheaper, has more character, and is homier than hotels.

Can you really make money with passive income? ›

Passive income is money you can earn with little effort and without working a traditional job. You can earn passive income by renting out property, through dividend stocks or a high-yield savings account.

How does passive real estate investing work? ›

While a fix-and-flip requires a significant amount of work, you can make more money when you sell. Hands-off approach: When you invest passively, you put investment decisions in someone else's hands. If you invest in a real estate fund, the person running the fund will select all investments.

Is 401k passive investing? ›

You may already be making passive investments through an employer-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k). If you're not, it's one of the easiest ways to get started and enjoy the benefits of passive investing.

Who manages the fund in passive investing? ›

With passive investing, there is no fund manager paid to choose individual stocks or bonds, and most index funds charge ultra-low fees that are below those of active funds. Index funds buy and then hold securities as they are added to the index, rather than frequently trading stocks or bonds.

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