IS HOUSING A REAL INVESTMENT

The question is is building a real investment,?, housing is investment but it not all that a real investment because of the capital involved in the construction is much when we take about a standard housing, people do invested, thinking that when it leans out to people,the rent will be accrue annual.
This is what I experience from the building construction that my brother handled a mighty building construction,the total cost of the construction was not as estimated, and the cost of renting the the apartment will not give the total cost of money in the next 30 years because even though it will be,the maintenance will still reduce its interest rate.

As I go around checking this structure,the materials used are not inferior ones rather costly, but I think if that estimated cost of constructing this building was used to acquire land it would have paid more than because land do accrue annual and overtime. So I prefer investing in landed property than go for building structures for rentage.