Should I be a real estate professional status for tax purposes?

[Kip Cline]

What are the downsides of electing to be treated as a real estate professional for taxes? Would this make my real estate rental income become active income instead of passive? Is this taxed differently? I do not have high income from other areas of work and my rentals all cash flow positively even after depreciation so I do not show any real estate losses that would offset income from other areas.

I am also a real estate agent, but only do half a dozen deals a year. Would this automatically make me have to be treated as a real estate professional?