Real estate investment trusts (REITs) own a basket of properties, ranging from malls to movie theaters, apartment buildings to office parks, hotels to hospitals. A REIT may specialize in a certain real estate sector, or it may diversify into a variety of property types. Investing in REITs is appealing for several reasons, especially for income-oriented investors. And while there are current risks for the REIT market as a whole, over the long term, REITs have proven to be winners.
What to Look for in a REIT
For retail investors, REITs hold several advantages over investing in real estate itself. First of all,your investment is liquid. You can buy and sell shares of REITs, which trade like stocks on an exchange. Shares of REITs have low investment minimums, as well; investing directly in an actual property often requires a much more sizable commitment.
REITs generate income from the rents and leases of the properties they own. The majority (90%) of a REIT’s taxable income must be returned to shareholders in the form of dividends. As a result, investors often rely on REITs as providers of a steady cash flow, though the shares can also appreciate in value if the real estate holdings do.
When you’re ready to invest in a REIT, look for growth in earnings, which stems from higher revenues (higher occupancy rates and increasing rents), lower costs, and new business opportunities. It’s also imperative that you research the management team that oversees the REIT's properties. A good management team will have the ability to upgrade the facilities and enhancethe services of an underutilized building, increasing demand.
REIT Caveats
It’s important that you don’t think of REITs as an investment asset in themselves. You need to look at industry trends prior to determining what type of REIT is best for your portfolio.
For instance, mall traffic has been declining due to the increased popularity of online shopping and the decline of suburban neighborhoods (this is the first time since the 1920s that urban growth has outpaced suburban growth). So, REITs that are exposed strictly or heavily to malls will present more risk than those investing in other sorts of real estate.
Or take hotels. To invest in a REIT that focuses on them is to invest in the travel industry. While the industry may be doing well at a given moment, hotels have the potential to be hit by reduced business travel as companies look for ways to cut costs, and web conferencing becomes more common.
In terms of general economic trends, low inflation and lack of wage growth – such as the U.S. has experienced in the 2000s – often limits growth potential for REITs, since they put a damper on rent increases. Even so, REITs have been performing well in the face of these headwinds.
A Far-Thinking REIT
The key is to be forward-looking. For example, millennialsfavor urban living to suburban living, a trend that has led to the aforementioned decline in suburban mall traffic and an increase in street retail (urban shopping strips anchored by a grocery or other major retailer). One REIT spotted the trend early and has set itself up accordingly.
Acadia Realty Trust (AKR) focuses on urban areas with high barriers to entry that aresupply-constrained and highly populated. It also takes the approach of not falling in love with one particular retailer, because a popular retailer today might not be a popular retailer tomorrow. Instead, it invests in a street, block, or building, allowing it always to make adjustments so hot retailers are in place. But what’s most important here is that by investing heavily in street retail, Acadia Realty Trust has looked down the road, literally, more than its peers. With a market cap of $1.37 billion, the REIT has 84 properties in its core portfolio, totaling 4.2 million square feet; as of October 2018, it had a dividend yield of 3.6%.
The Bottom Line
Despite the advantages, nobody should invest solely in REITs. As with any asset class, these should always be a portion of a diversified portfolio.
Dan Moskowitz does not have any positions in AKR.
FAQs
REITs must prioritize short-term income for investors
In exchange for more ongoing income, REITs have less to invest for future returns than a growth mutual fund or stock. “REITs are better for short-term cash flow and income versus long-term upside,” says Stivers.
What to know when investing in REITs? ›
When you're ready to invest in a REIT, look for growth in earnings, which stems from higher revenues (higher occupancy rates and increasing rents), lower costs, and new business opportunities. It's also imperative that you research the management team that oversees the REIT's properties.
What are the factors to consider when investing in REITs? ›
Compared to other investments such as stocks and bonds, REITs are subject to various risk factors that affect the investor's returns. Some of the main risk factors associated with REITs include leverage risk, liquidity risk, and market risk.
What is the 90% rule for REITs? ›
How to Qualify as a REIT? To qualify as a REIT, a company must have the bulk of its assets and income connected to real estate investment and must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends.
What is the downside of REITs? ›
Non-traded REITs have little liquidity, meaning it's difficult for investors to sell them. Publicly traded REITs have the risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
What is the best time to buy REITs? ›
Historically, REITs tend to deliver their highest returns during early stages of the real estate recovery cycle, according to research from Nareit, an association representing the REIT industry. That could spell a strong performance for REITs moving forward.
Do REITs pay monthly? ›
For investors seeking a steady stream of monthly income, real estate investment trusts (REITs) that pay dividends on a monthly basis emerge as a compelling financial strategy. In this article, we unravel two REITs that pay monthly dividends and have yields up to 8%.
Can you pull money out of a REIT? ›
Their dividend rate is higher than most equities or other fixed-income investments. REITs have a low correlation with other assets, which makes them an excellent choice for portfolio diversification. REITs are highly liquid; if you need to pull your money out, you simply sell your shares on a stock exchange.
How long should you hold a REIT? ›
REITs should generally be considered long-term investments
This is especially true if you're planning to invest in non-traded REITs since you won't be able to easily access your money until the REIT lists its shares on a public exchange or liquidates its assets. In many cases, this can take around 10 years to occur.
What are the pros and cons to REITs? ›
Real estate investment trusts reduce the barrier to entry for investors in the real estate market and provide liquidity, regular income and other perks. However, you'll be exposed to risks that aren't inherent in the stock market and dividends are subject to ordinary income tax.
Derive at least 75% of its gross income from rents from real property, interest on mortgages financing real property or from sales of real estate. Pay at least 90% of its taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year. Be an entity that is taxable as a corporation.
What is the average return on a REIT? ›
The FTSE Nareit All REITs index, which tracks the performance of all publicly traded REITs in the U.S., had an average annual total return (dividends included) of 3.58% during the five-year period that ended in August 2023. For the 10-year period between 2013 and 2022, the index averaged 7.48% per year.
How does a reit lose money? ›
Can You Lose Money on a REIT? As with any investment, there is always a risk of loss. Publicly traded REITs have the particular risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
How do REITs pay out? ›
The common denominator among all REITs is that they pay dividends consisting of rental income and capital gains. To qualify as securities, REITs must payout at least 90% of their net earnings to shareholders as dividends.
How much of my portfolio should be in REITs? ›
“I recommend REITs within a managed portfolio,” Devine said, noting that most investors should limit their REIT exposure to between 2 percent and 5 percent of their overall portfolio. Here again, a financial professional can help you determine what percentage of your portfolio you should allocate toward REITs, if any.
Is investing in REITs a good idea? ›
Are REITs Good Investments? Investing in REITs is a great way to diversify your portfolio outside of traditional stocks and bonds and can be attractive for their strong dividends and long-term capital appreciation.
How much should I start investing in REIT? ›
According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit), non-traded REITs typically require a minimum investment of $1,000 to $2,500.
