How can I get the benefit of real estate investments without becoming a landlord? : But owning property can be a hassle. A huge amount of capital gets tied up in a handful of properties. And you have to deal with the logistics of holding and managing that home, office or condo. Investing in real estate is a great way to diversify a portfolio says Jeff Rose, a certified financial planner based in Nashville. "But you'll only want to have 5% of your portfolio in real estate," he says. "Up to 10%, that would be on the higher side."