Stock market comparison.

What the comparison shows

3Y reports plot the modeled return of the analyzed property against a simplified broad-market buy-and-hold benchmark. The benchmark is meant to answer the question every individual investor eventually asks: “Would I do better just putting this money in the stock market?”

The comparison is not a guarantee. It is not an investment recommendation. It is not a prediction of future market performance. It is a plain-language reference based on the common long-term-investing assumption that broad U.S. equity returns have historically been near the high single digits annually over multi-decade windows.

The Rule of 72

The shorthand the comparison uses is the Rule of 72: divide 72 by an assumed annual return to estimate how many years it would take a balance to double. At an 8% return, money doubles roughly every 9 years. At a 12% return, every 6 years. At a 4% return, every 18 years.

This is a useful intuition pump, not a forecast. Real returns vary year to year, sometimes substantially, and sequence-of-returns risk affects how the doubling actually plays out. The Rule of 72 gives you a feel for the magnitude of compounding; it does not give you a guarantee about your specific outcome.

Why a comparison and not an answer

The right answer to “stocks vs. real estate” depends on factors 3Y can’t observe — your tax situation, your appetite for active management, your existing portfolio, your liquidity needs, your time horizon, and whether you actually enjoy operating rental property. The comparison surfaces the trade-off; it doesn’t resolve it. Investors should consult licensed financial professionals before making allocation decisions across asset classes.