As an investor in a REIT or real estate fund, you wouldn't deal with all that. Rather, your tax involvement would look similar to that with other stocks or mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, in that you would faces taxes on dividends plus gains if you sell at a profit. One notable feature of REITs is that they're required to pay out nearly all of their net income to shareholders. Dividends thus tend to be hefty, which can be welcome, especially if you're in a low tax bracket.
With REITs and even real estate funds, the cash needs are much different. Stakes in these investments typically cost a few thousand dollars, possibly less, and there’s no requirement to ante up additional money. In fact, you can often purchase shares in REITs or real estate funds through a workplace 401 retirement plan, in small increments that might feature company-matching funds.