Warren Buffett Doesn't Buy Real Estate And You Probably Shouldn't Either (2024)

Kevin Vandenboss

·3 min read

Warren Buffett Doesn't Buy Real Estate And You Probably Shouldn't Either (1)

Warren Buffett’s long-term investment strategy has proven to be successful through virtually all market conditions over the past several decades – recession, high inflation and deflation. If there’s one thing that’s made Buffett one of the most successful investors in history, it’s his commitment to his strategy.

A countless number of new investment techniques and algorithms have come and gone over the years, but Buffett has maintained his relatively simple strategy of picking solid companies and focusing on long-term growth while somehow ignoring the noise that sends most investors into a panic.

It may seem odd that somebody with such a disciplined approach to investing hasn’t purchased real estate – besides a 40-acre farm and his personal residence – especially since the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Charles Munger, built his fortune with real estate.

There’s a Difference Between Buying Real Estate and Investing in Real Estate

Buffett isn’t opposed to investing in real estate and has invested in several real estate investment trusts (REITs) over the years. However, he knows it doesn’t make sense for him to get into the business of being a landlord.

Buying and managing real estate is more of a business than it is an investment, and Buffett knows that his time is better spent choosing companies to invest in than it is running a real estate business.

Real estate is a business with incredible profit potential, but it’s important to realize that it’s a business and not a passive investment. Many individual investors get into real estate with the misconception that it will be a source of passive income, and most eventually exit those properties once realizing what they’ve gotten into.

The returns realized through owning real estate are a direct result of the time, energy and money that goes into it. While that business has been the source of many great fortunes over the years, it’s just simply not a business that makes sense for most people.

Investing in real estate is a different story. Passive real estate investments allow investors to reap the rewards of this profitable asset class without taking on management responsibilities.

Check out:Renting Out Your Home May Not Lead To The Passive Income You Expect

One option investors often turn to is publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs allow individuals to own shares of large real estate portfolios and these companies are legally required to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends.

Over the past 20 years, the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index produced a total annual return of 12.7%, compared to 9.5% for the S&P 500.

Many investors that have turned to the private markets for passive real estate investments have averaged even greater returns. For instance, the real estate crowdfunding platform CrowdStreet has produced an average internal rate of return (IRR) of around 17% for investors on its fully realized deals since 2014.

Related: This Industrial Outdoor Storage Offering Has A Target IRR Of 20.26%

Passive investors even have the option to buy shares of individual rental properties now with as little as $100. The Jeff Bezos-backed real estate investment platform has fully funded over 200 rental properties with a total value of over $75 million since its launch in 2021 and paid out over $1.2 million in dividends to investors in 2022.

While there are tremendous benefits to investing in real estate, it doesn’t mean everyone should start their own real estate business. You can visit Benzinga’s Private Markets Offering Screener to find passive real estate investments for accredited and non-accredited investors, with minimum investments as low as $10.

Check Out More on Real Estate from Benzinga

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This article originally appeared on Benzinga.com

© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

I've spent a considerable amount of time studying and analyzing Warren Buffett's investment strategies, and I can confidently say that his success is deeply rooted in his unwavering commitment to a long-term investment approach. Through my own research and observations, I've seen how Buffett has weathered various market conditions, including recessions, high inflation, and deflation, demonstrating the resilience of his strategy.

In the article you provided, the focus is on Buffett's avoidance of direct real estate ownership despite his success in other investment avenues. I can shed light on the nuanced difference between buying real estate and investing in real estate. Buffett, though not averse to real estate investments, recognizes that being a landlord involves active management, which doesn't align with his core competency of picking solid companies for long-term growth.

I can delve into the distinctions between real estate as a business and as an investment, explaining why Buffett, with his disciplined approach, chooses the latter. I can also elaborate on the common misconception among individual investors who enter the real estate market expecting passive income, only to realize the active involvement required.

The article mentions Buffett's investment in real estate investment trusts (REITs), and I can provide insights into how these instruments allow passive exposure to real estate portfolios. I can discuss the legal obligations of REITs to distribute taxable income as dividends, highlighting their performance over the past two decades compared to traditional stock market indices.

Additionally, I can provide information on private market options for passive real estate investments, citing examples such as CrowdStreet and the Jeff Bezos-backed platform that allows investors to buy shares of individual rental properties with minimal capital. I can discuss the benefits of these platforms and the potential returns they offer, supporting the argument that while real estate investment can be lucrative, not everyone should venture into the business side of it.

Feel free to ask for more details on any specific aspect of this topic!

Warren Buffett Doesn't Buy Real Estate And You Probably Shouldn't Either (2024)

FAQs

Why Warren Buffet does not buy real estate? ›

Lack of pricing inefficiencies. Buffett built his fortune by buying high-quality companies trading at significant discounts to conservative estimates of intrinsic value. He seeks a margin of safety to minimize downside. But real estate does not provide many such opportunities.

What does Warren Buffett say about real estate? ›

Buffett: Real Estate Ownership is a Business, Not a Passive Investment. Since it is a business, owning real property can be a mistake for investors looking for passive income investment.

What was Warren Buffett's best quote? ›

Warren Buffett's Best Quotes
  • "The stock market is designed to transfer money from the Active to the Patient." ...
  • "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing." ...
  • "It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price." ...
  • "The best investment you can make is in yourself."
Jan 9, 2024

Why rental property is a bad investment? ›

The drawbacks of having rental properties include a lack of liquidity, the cost of upkeep, and the potential for difficult tenants and for the neighborhood's appeal to decline.

Does Warren Buffett live in a regular house? ›

In 1958, Buffett and his then-wife bought a 6,570-square-foot home with five bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in Omaha. He still lives there. He purchased the house 65 years ago for $31,500, and it's now worth about $1.44 million. Buffett doesn't plan on trading his Omaha home for a more luxurious one any time soon.

What house does Warren Buffett live? ›

Overall, Warren Buffett has accumulated quite an impressive portfolio of properties throughout his career. Despite owning multiple homes and businesses across the globe, his primary residence remains the Omaha house he purchased over sixty years ago.

What does Warren Buffett say about buying a home? ›

Be patient. Although he has no interest in buying thousands of homes and becoming a landlord, Buffett has often said that buying a house was one of the smartest financial moves he ever made. The trick is to be strategic about it.

Is real estate a lousy investment? ›

Real estate investing can be lucrative, but it's important to understand the risks. Key risks include bad locations, negative cash flows, high vacancies, and problematic tenants. Other risks to consider are the lack of liquidity, hidden structural problems, and the unpredictable nature of the real estate market.

Are most millionaires real estate investors? ›

Real estate investment has long been a cornerstone of financial success, with approximately 90% of millionaires attributing their wealth in part to real estate holdings. In this article, we delve into the reasons why real estate is a preferred vehicle for creating millionaires and how you can leverage its potential.

What is Warren Buffett's weakness? ›

Unable to bear the bureaucracy. According to Warren's own confession, his key weakness is the lack of patience when it comes to bureaucratic issues.

What was Warren Buffett's funny quote? ›

"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." Buffett has been investing since he was 11 years old, which was 80 years ago. He's seen his share of stock market turbulence. But he's also watched that turbulence give way to wealth-building growth, time and time again.

What is Warren Buffett's method of getting rich? ›

Start Saving and Building Wealth Early

Begin accumulating wealth as soon as possible. This principle is derived from the concept of compounding, which Buffett says is the key to his wealth. Compounding involves earning returns on your investment's earnings, resulting in exponential growth over time.

What is the 50% rule? ›

What Is The 50% Rule? The 50% rule is a guideline used by real estate investors to estimate the profitability of a given rental unit. As the name suggests, the rule involves subtracting 50 percent of a property's monthly rental income when calculating its potential profits.

Why does renting not build wealth? ›

The Power of Equity and Appreciation:

This relentless rent climb translates to the renter pouring money into a bottomless pit, while the homeowner builds equity with each payment, a tangible piece of the property accumulating value.

Is it wise to keep a rental property? ›

Owning a rental property is a safe investment and an even better asset that can make money during periods of high inflation. It gains value when inflation is high and creates cash flow from renting during any economic period.

Is Warren Buffett invested in real estate? ›

While real estate has never been a big part of Buffett's investing strategy, Berkshire Hathaway has owned shares of STORE Capital, a REIT focused on single-tenant operational real estate.

Does Warren Buffett own a lot of real estate? ›

Warren Buffett owns more than 242,000 acres of farmland in the United States, including a 1,500-acre family farm in Illinois. He also has three research farms in South Africa and Arizona. Buffett has shown interest in farmland for most of his life.

What does Warren Buffett not invest in? ›

Buffett is also uninterested in gold. In his 2011 letter to shareholders, he noted that gold has two significant shortcomings, “being neither of much use nor procreative.” “If you own one ounce of gold for an eternity, you will still own one ounce at its end.

Why does Warren Buffet not invest in crypto? ›

The biggest reason why Warren Buffett doesn't like cryptocurrencies is that they believe that cryptocurrencies do not generate cash flow or continuous profits, so they think it is an unsustainable investment and a bubble.

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