REIT vs Direct Real Estate
Compare passive REIT investing against owning a rental property, accounting for leverage, cash flow, taxes, and your time.
REIT vs Direct Real Estate Calculator
Deciding between REITs and direct real estate is one of the biggest forks in any real estate investor's path, and the right answer depends on how much leverage, time, and complexity you're willing to take on. This REIT vs Direct Real Estate calculator from Predictable Income runs both scenarios side by side using the same starting cash, so you can see exactly where each path lands after your chosen holding period. The REIT side compounds your full cash amount at your chosen total return, keeping things fully passive and liquid. The direct property side models a real 30-year mortgage with amortization, applies appreciation to the property value, reinvests annual rental cash flow, and subtracts the remaining loan balance to show your true net equity at sale. It also surfaces the number most comparisons ignore, which is the total hours of landlord work required to earn that return. Whether you're weighing a rental property against VNQ, deciding if leverage is worth the headache, or just pressure-testing whether direct ownership actually beats a passive index approach, this tool gives you a clear, honest side-by-side so you can make the call that fits your life, not just your spreadsheet.