Seeking Advice: Qualified real estate professional in 2024. Take deductions or no?

[Pixel Rogue]

Qualified for the first time in 2024 as a real estate professional. Was excited to take deductions in the year incurred UNTIL learning that doing so would also change future years - so have questions....

Take 2024 losses for 2024 tax return.
As I understand, taking the losses in year losses were incurred turns passive income to active. While these are losses for 2024, future years would then require gains to be recorded as normal income and subject to personal employment tax....AND...future returns would need to do the same (unless a qualifying life event occurred.) What are scenarios in which this would be advantageous, as I understand real estate professionals actually do NOT file this way, opting to deduct losses at time of same rather than year incurred.

In my situation, there is a good chance I will no longer have W2 income and 1099's would be minimal.

One potential positive would be applying (this now) active income to retirement. There was zero 401k contribution in 2024 ~ selecting this option would offer the ability to put funds to Roth 401k (not interested in traditional 401k ftr.) Thinking out loud, if 2024 had a net loss, then does that mean nothing can be put towards Roth 401k? As an independent contractor back-in-the-day, income applied to 401k was capped at (maybe) 30% of reported income....and if that is still the case and this is a similar situation then I would need reportable income of about 95k to max out 2025 401k contribution - strike that .... think I could max out at 60k meaning reportable income would need to be 200k? If so this is too far out of reach and possibly the main motivation to take deductions in year incurred.

Interested in thoughts, and (OH) have 11 days if I'm chasing the 401k contribution for 2024.

NOTE: I do have a tax professional assisting, with expertise is current state tax recording/reporting, less so in the future impacts and decisions.