Is investing in ETFs today the “property play” our parents had?

I’m 23 and been looking at UK house prices from the 70s–2000s and how much they’ve grown. It made me wonder if what property was for previous generations is now basically index funds/ETFs for ours.

If you just consistently invest in a global ETF over decades, are you not getting roughly similar long-term % growth to property anyway?

ETFs seem to have some obvious upsides
Easy to sell and access cash quickly
No repairs, tenants, maintenance, or surprise costs
You can start with small amounts instead of needing a huge deposit

Property still has its strengths
Leverage via mortgages
Rental income potential
It’s a real asset everyone needs

But it’s also expensive to get into, harder to sell, and comes with ongoing hassle.

Genuinely curious where people land on this. Is this a fair comparison or am I missing something key?