May be GenX were right while we Millennials or GenZ are dumb?

My parents have always believed in real estate, while I’ve placed my faith in the stock market. This difference in opinion has sparked countless discussions at home. I’ve always argued passionately that the stock market offers better returns over time.

During one of these debates, my mom brought up the example of our house in my hometown. We bought it in 2007 for ₹10 lakhs, including renovation costs. Today, it’s worth around ₹70 lakhs. She proudly cited this as proof that real estate delivers superior returns and claimed it was a clear win for her argument.

Confidently — and without actually checking the numbers — I dismissed her claim. I insisted that if we had invested that same ₹10 lakhs in the stock market back in 2007, we’d have earned significantly higher returns. I even ended the debate with a bold (and slightly rude) remark: “You don’t understand the world, and you definitely don’t understand stocks.”

But last night, out of curiosity — mostly to prove myself right — I decided to actually compare the returns. To my surprise, the house had a better CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) than what I had expected.

Now I’m in a bit of a dilemma. I really don’t want to admit this to my mom and end up looking like a fool. It’s humbling to realize that someone who didn’t even complete formal education made a smarter investment move than someone with a bachelor’s degree, working in a reputed MNC, and spending at least two hours a day analyzing the stock market.