Investment

Investments are another way for Sims to earn money over the course of The Sims 3. It is comprised of Partnerships and Ownership of community lots. Both of which will put big holes in a Sim's wallet but, over time, will pay for themselves.

Once a Sim has partnered (Become a Partner) or become an owner (Buy out Property) a Partner's Deed or Owner's Deed will be moved into the Sims inventory. In version 1.3, deeds will form a stack in the inventory, which will have a "Collect All" interaction. Deeds can be transferred between Sims of the same family at anytime (by dragging them out of a Sim's backpack into another Sim), and are automatically transferred to a relative when a Sim dies. In the updated The Sims 3, deeds are no longer used, instead the Sim will have to collect the profits through the Real Estate option on their phone or computer.

Sims must invest in Partnership first before they are eligible for Ownership. So, Total Cost of Ownership includes both Cost of Partnership and Cost of Ownership.

Profits earned through investment become available at 9:00am each Monday and are not automatically paid. They have to be collected from their respective locations hence traveling will be needed. Although a Sim may own the building in which they work the deed will have no effect on the Sim's career.

Strangely, even when a Sim is the owner of a business they cannot use its products or services for free. (With the release of Patch 6, food and drink at owned restaurants are free). When a Sim is the owner of a business, the player may rename the business or fire employees. Firing workers, however, is at the expense of the relationship between the owner and that employee. They cannot fire the owner (which would be themselves), or the last employee of a business.

Also when a sim becomes owner of a business, if they are married or dating a sim that works at the venue some romantic options will be rejected. The receiving sim will also get a "creeped out" moodlet and the relationship will suffer.

The real estate system, introduced in Patch 12, allows Sims to use the computer or the phone to purchase the whole community lot. The player can then upgrade it and with the upgrades receive more profits.