Its difficult to spell out everything here. But yes, u can make money from shares, in fact everyone can. Of course to make money from shares CONSISTENTLY is another story altogether.
Anyway, if the sound of rental yield sounds good to u, then there are options for people to invest in divident yielding plays, where the price movement is more stable with decent dividend payout ranging from 5-10% per annum.
Example, ST Engr, Singpost, Starhub etc. Not a lot of returns, but at least better than fixed deposit. And it is not as capital intensive as buying property. Majority of the investors/punters/speculators, whatever u call them, are usually in for capital appreciation in price. U be amazed by the returns, but of course higher gain = higher risk too.
Investing in shares and property can be considered asset building, provided done in the correct manner. Shares allow the smaller player to join the fray. If u have a few $k onwards, u can start investing in shares already, unlike property which require a lump sum + years of commitment. So it really depends on your risk appetite, capital amount, and investment horizon to see what is actually more suitable for u.