Is Real Estate Equity Worth the Investment These Days?

I'm really curious about real estate equity and whether it's a smart move right now. With all the market fluctuations and talk about interest rates, I'm wondering if it's still a solid investment strategy. Have any of you been exploring this lately? I'm particularly interested in how you evaluate a property's potential for equity growth. Do you think it's more about location, or are there other factors to consider? Also, have any of you had experiences where things didn’t go as planned? I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights!