How do you get rental income without buying real estate? You have to invest before you can reap rewards.
The percentages are the same for everyone, of course a higher investment results in a more comfortable income.
The 1M+ steem on the curangel account are delegations from people who already use the service for their investment, the individual amounts differ widely from person to person.

Which asset class you trust more in terms of appreciation, and how your tax man handles them, is not part of this post. And you won't get into the realms of 8%+ p.a. with real estate, especially after substracting costs and time (because, as stated, it's not passive).