How the Wealthiest Have Programmed Their Portfolios This Year

In This Article

Despite stock markets hovering around record highs, investors are feeling jittery. You can see it in consumer confidence collapsing to its lowest level since 2014, as well as in the mass flight into precious metals as a safe haven, with gold up 74% over the last year and silver up 139%. On the other “side of the coin,” high-risk investments like Bitcoin are crashing, with Bitcoin down 46% from its all-time high. 

Meanwhile, recession and inflation risk both remain higher than usual, due to softening labor markets, trade wars, and heightened geopolitical risk. 

Where Billionaires Are Investing

So what are the wealthiest, best-informed investors in the world doing with their money in 2026?

Every year, UBS conducts a survey of billionaires and asks about their investing plans for the coming year. Here’s how billionaires said they plan to shift their investments in 2026:

At first glance, real estate looks like it falls in the middle of the list for increased exposure. But that’s only direct ownership—which is often not how billionaires invest. 

I invest in real estate in many different ways, as do billionaires. Here are the many ways you can invest in real estate over the coming year and beyond, most of them passive, like billionaires do. 

Private Equity Real Estate

Private equity includes privately owned businesses, of course—but it also includes real estate syndications. 

The UBS survey says half (49%) of billionaires plan to increase their exposure to private equity this year, for the largest investment jump. Only one in five plans to decrease exposure. 

“We’re seeing the wealthiest investors shift toward hard assets and income-producing assets that hedge against volatility,” notes Lesley Hurst, president of Penn Charter Abstract, in a conversation with BiggerPockets. “In uncertain cycles, wealth tends to consolidate around tangible assets with long-term utility.”

I myself invest in real estate syndications with relatively small amounts ($5,000) through a co-investing club. I get the cash flow, appreciation, and tax benefits of real estate ownership without the constant wrangling of property managers, contractors, and tenants. 

Because really, do you think billionaires mess around with that? They invest passively and let other people manage assets and properties. 

Equities: REITs

I still own shares in a few REITs, although I no longer invest in the space. 

Sure, they’re liquid and easy to buy and sell in small amounts. But they don’t do what I need my real estate investments to do: provide diversification from the broader stock market. Read more about the uncomfortably close correlation if you don’t believe me. 

Real Estate Funds

You can, of course, also invest in private equity real estate funds. On the plus side, they offer diversification. You get exposure to several properties with a single investment. 

But they often come with high fees, and most only allow accredited investors to participate. You don’t have to be a billionaire—but you do need to be a millionaire. 

I’ve invested a few times in passive real estate funds, such as a land fund that pays 16% in distributions. But in my co-investing club, we prioritize investments that allow middle-class investors, not just millionaires. 

You might also like

Secured Private Debt

As much as I love owning a big piece of real estate pies, debt investments come with their own advantages. That starts with a steady income, often at a high yield. Our co-investing club has lent notes at 15% interest, secured with a first-lien position at a low LTV ratio.

These often come with a shorter timeline, and one that you know in advance. Sometimes they’re even flexible: I’ve invested in a rolling six-month note that I can exit at any time with six months’ notice. 

Real Estate: Solo or JV Ownership

You can, of course, buy properties directly and make a side hustle (or a full-time business) out of it. I used to do that myself. 

Today, I only invest passively. We often form joint venture (JV) partnerships with active investors, such as partnering on house flips, land flips, or construction projects. 

We provide the money as silent partners and get a cut of the returns. In some cases, we’ve even negotiated a guaranteed floor return. 

“The savviest investors aren’t chasing hype in 2026; they’re positioning for resilience,” observes professional investor Erik Drentlaw of Sell My Dallas House Fast when talking to BiggerPockets. “We’ve seen a shift favoring cash-flowing assets and strategic private investments over frothy public markets.”

Investing in 2026: Risk and Strategy

I don’t chase trends. But I do find it reassuring to see the wealthiest, best-informed investors in the world looking to move more money into the same types of investments that I make every single month. 

And I do mean every month. I practice dollar-cost averaging with my real estate investments, putting relatively small amounts in new investments each month. I no longer play the fool’s game of trying to time the market. I just keep putting one step in front of the other, regardless of whether everyone else is panicking or hoovering up investments. 

I have tried to keep one eye on recession-resilient investments to help protect against downside risk. Nothing’s foolproof, but some investments do protect better than others. 

As for inflation risk, real estate hedges against it better than most investments. Likewise, real estate withstands geopolitical risks better than most as well. 

Some new crisis will come along, whether in five months or five years. It’ll feel scary in the moment, and some investments will likely suffer. But I’d rather keep stacking up small, diverse real estate investments over time and letting them form a bell curve of returns, rather than making a few huge, isolated investments.