Yes, you can buy an ETF or mutual fund that focuses on real estate investments as well. There are plenty of REIT ETFs out there. Some REIT ETFs cater to a large basket of different types of properties, while other REIT ETFs focus on a smaller niche.  As with investing in any fund or ETF, however, you won’t have the power to pick the specific positions that may be best for you. You’ll be stuck with whatever the portfolio manager decides to buy, and may end up with some poorly-performing equity REITs as a result. And the expense ratio of these funds can be quite high.