Real estate investing happens for a variety of reasons. You can invest in real estate because you need a home of your own (that dream home you want so badly). You can use real estate as a means of supplementing your income by buying low and selling high, or renting out. Sometimes you may buy property for resale, but may want to wait a few years before actually selling. In this case, it makes sense to rent out the property and make some money until you actually decide to sell it.
Whatever the reason, renting out real estate requires real estate management, and real estate management is not an easy task for everyone. In fact, many people find it such a hassle that they prefer to keep their property vacant rather than letting it go. Real estate management takes time, and you will rarely have that time. Real estate management is not just about finding tenants and collecting rent from them. Real estate management is also about making sure you are doing all the duties required of a landlord/landlady. Real estate management is about verifying the qualifications of your tenants before you actually rent your property to them. Real estate management is about making sure that all paperwork is complete and correct, i.e. that lease agreements, etc. are correct. Real estate management also requires you to make repairs when needed. Real estate management activities also include repairing, painting, polishing, etc. before tenants move out and new tenants move in. Therefore, it is true that real estate management is not that easy of a job for those who work full time. However, there is a solution, and that is to hire a real estate management company to do all of these activities on your behalf. Yes, this means that you will earn less income by renting out the property (due to the commission/fee charged by the real estate management company). But this is a small price to pay for the convenience that a real estate management company gives you. However, it is important that you choose your real estate management company carefully. There are a variety of real estate management companies out there (both good and bad). Before you actually hire them for a job, you must check the references of the real estate management company. A good real estate management company will not only keep your property occupied, but will also ensure that you always receive your rent on time and without any hassles.