An investment property is a piece of real estate acquired to generate a return on investment through rental income, eventual sales of the property, or both. An individual investor, a group of investors, or a business may own the property. An investment property might be a long-term or short-term enterprise. With the latter, investors will frequently participate in flipping, which is the process of purchasing real estate, remodeling or renovating it, and then selling it for a profit in a short time. The word investment property can also refer to other assets purchased by an investor for future gains, such as art, stocks, land, or other collectibles.