Is putting $10k into real estate a reasonable move or am I overcomplicating this?

I have about $10k beyond my emergency fund and retirement contributions. I've been staring at my account for weeks like that will magically cause it to acrue interest without having to explore yet another investing channel. Most of my money is already in index funds, and real estate sounded interesting for diversification, especially at my age when I'm willing to take a little more of a risk.

Here's the kicker. We all know a rental obviously isnt happening with $10k, which sent me down the rabbit hole of real estate crowdfunding, fractional properties, and private real estate funds. The long holding periods are probably my biggest hesitation.

For people who went this route, how much did you start with and what did you learn?