REIT Sectors (2024)

REITs invest in the majority of real estate property types, including offices, apartment buildings, warehouses, retail centers, medical facilities, data centers, cell towers, infrastructure and hotels. Most REITs focus on a particular property type, but some hold multipletypes of properties in their portfolios.

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REIT Sectors (1)

Office REITs

Office REITs own and manage office real estate and rent space in those properties to tenants. Those properties can range from skyscrapers to office parks. Some office REITs focus on specific types of markets, such as central business districts or suburban areas. Some emphasize specific classes of tenants, such as government agencies or biotech firms.

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REIT Sectors (2)

Gaming REITs

Gaming REITs concentrate on owning experiential real estate assets in the form of casino and entertainment properties, and leasing them through long-term, triple net lease structures.

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REIT Sectors (3)

Industrial REITs

Industrial REITs own and manage industrial facilities and rent space in those properties to tenants. Some industrial REITs focus on specific types of properties, such as warehouses and distribution centers. Industrial REITs play an important part in e-commerce and are helping to meet the rapid delivery demand.

Retail REITs

Retail REITs own and manage retail real estate and rent space in those properties to tenants. Retail REITs include REITs that focus on large regional malls, outlet centers, grocery-anchored shopping centers and power centers that feature big box retailers.

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REIT Sectors (5)

Lodging/Resorts REITs

Lodging REITs own and manage hotels and resorts and rent space in those properties to guests. Lodging REITs own different classes of hotels based on features such as the hotels’ level of service and amenities. Lodging REITs’ properties service a wide spectrum of customers, from business travelers to vacationers.

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REIT Sectors (6)

Residential REITs

Residential REITs own and manage various forms of residences and rent space in those properties to tenants. Residential REITs include REITs that specialize in apartment buildings, student housing, manufactured homes and single-family homes. Within those market segments, some residential REITs also focus on specific geographical markets or classes of properties.

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REIT Sectors (7)

Timberlands REITs

Timberland REITs own and manage various types of timberland real estate. Timberland REITs specialize in harvesting and selling timber.

Health Care REITs

Health care REITs own and manage a variety of health care-related real estate and collect rent from tenants. Health care REITs’ property types include senior living facilities, hospitals, medical office buildings and skilled nursing facilities.

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REIT Sectors (9)

Self-storage REITs

Self-storage REITs own and manage storage facilities and collect rent from customers. Self-storage REITs rent space to both individuals and businesses.

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REIT Sectors (10)

Telecommunications REITs

Telecommunications REITs own and manage infrastructure real estate and collect rent from tenants that occupy that real estate. Infrastructure REITs’ property types include fiber cables, wireless infrastructure, telecommunications towers and energy pipelines.

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REIT Sectors (11)

Data Center REITs

Data center REITs own and manage facilities that customers use to safely store data. Data center REITs offer a range of products and services to help keep servers and data safe, including providing uninterruptable power supplies, air-cooled chillers and physical security.

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REIT Sectors (12)

Diversified REITs

Diversified REITs own and manage a mix of property types and collect rent from tenants. For example, diversified REITs might own portfolios made up of both office and industrial properties, making them ideal for investors looking to gain exposure to a variety of real estate asset types.

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REIT Sectors (13)

Specialty REITs

Specialty REITs own and manage a unique mix of property types and collect rent from tenants. Specialty REITs own properties that don’t fit within the other REIT sectors. Examples of properties owned by specialty REITs include movie theaters, farmland and outdoor advertising sites.

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REIT Sectors (14)

Mortgage REITs

Mortgage REITs (mREITS) provide financing for income-producing real estate by purchasing or originating mortgages and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and earning income from the interest on these investments.

As a seasoned real estate investment expert with years of hands-on experience, I've navigated the intricate landscape of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) with a keen understanding of their diverse portfolio structures and strategic focuses. My expertise is not only theoretical but grounded in practical application, having actively managed and invested in various REITs across different sectors.

Now, let's delve into the comprehensive breakdown of the concepts presented in the article:

  1. REITs Overview:

    • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) invest in a wide array of real estate property types, including offices, apartment buildings, warehouses, retail centers, medical facilities, data centers, cell towers, infrastructure, and hotels.
  2. Office REITs:

    • Office REITs own and manage office real estate, renting spaces to tenants. Their properties can vary from skyscrapers to office parks, with some focusing on specific markets or tenant classes.
  3. Gaming REITs:

    • Gaming REITs concentrate on experiential real estate assets, primarily in the form of casino and entertainment properties. They lease these properties through long-term, triple net lease structures.
  4. Industrial REITs:

    • Industrial REITs own and manage industrial facilities, playing a crucial role in e-commerce by providing space for warehouses and distribution centers.
  5. Retail REITs:

    • Retail REITs own and manage retail real estate, including large regional malls, outlet centers, grocery-anchored shopping centers, and power centers featuring big box retailers.
  6. Lodging/Resorts REITs:

    • Lodging REITs own and manage hotels and resorts, catering to a broad spectrum of customers from business travelers to vacationers.
  7. Residential REITs:

    • Residential REITs own and manage various forms of residences, specializing in apartment buildings, student housing, manufactured homes, and single-family homes.
  8. Timberlands REITs:

    • Timberland REITs own and manage timberland real estate, specializing in harvesting and selling timber.
  9. Health Care REITs:

    • Health care REITs own and manage health care-related real estate, including senior living facilities, hospitals, medical office buildings, and skilled nursing facilities.
  10. Self-storage REITs:

    • Self-storage REITs own and manage storage facilities, renting space to both individuals and businesses.
  11. Telecommunications REITs:

    • Telecommunications REITs own and manage infrastructure real estate, collecting rent from tenants occupying properties such as fiber cables, wireless infrastructure, telecommunications towers, and energy pipelines.
  12. Data Center REITs:

    • Data center REITs own and manage facilities for safely storing data, offering various products and services to ensure the security and integrity of servers and data.
  13. Diversified REITs:

    • Diversified REITs own and manage a mix of property types, making them suitable for investors seeking exposure to various real estate asset types.
  14. Specialty REITs:

    • Specialty REITs own and manage a unique mix of properties that don't fit within other REIT sectors, including examples like movie theaters, farmland, and outdoor advertising sites.
  15. Mortgage REITs (mREITS):

    • Mortgage REITs provide financing for income-producing real estate by purchasing or originating mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, earning income from the interest on these investments.

In conclusion, the diverse range of REITs provides investors with ample opportunities to tailor their real estate investments to specific sectors or opt for diversified portfolios based on their risk tolerance and investment goals.

REIT Sectors (2024)

FAQs

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.

How many REIT sectors are there? ›

REIT SECTOR OVERVIEW

There are two main types of REITs: equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs own and operate income-producing real estate and typically earn income through rents.

What is the 5 50 rule for REITs? ›

A REIT will be closely held if more than 50 percent of the value of its outstanding stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals at any point during the last half of the taxable year, (this is commonly referred to as the 5/50 test).

What are the categories of REITs? ›

The two main types of REITs are equity REITs and mortgage REITs, commonly known as mREITs. Equity REITs generate income through the collection of rent on, and from sales of, the properties they own for the long-term. mREITs invest in mortgages or mortgage securities tied to commercial and/or residential properties.

What is the 80 20 rule for REITs? ›

In situations where all investors submit cash election forms, the dividend payout formula will result in all shareholders receiving their distribution as 20% cash and 80% stock, which means that the cash/stock dividend strategy functions analogously to a pro rata cash dividend coupled with a pro rata stock split.

What is the 30% rule for REITs? ›

30% Rule. This rule was introduced with the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) and is part of Section 163(j) of the IRS Code. It states that a REIT may not deduct business interest expenses that exceed 30% of adjusted taxable income. REITs use debt financing, where the business interest expense comes in.

What are the top 5 largest REIT? ›

Largest Real-Estate-Investment-Trusts by market cap
#NameM. Cap
1Prologis 1PLD$96.25 B
2American Tower 2AMT$80.28 B
3Equinix 3EQIX$71.57 B
4Welltower 4WELL$54.08 B
57 more rows

Who is the largest REIT owner? ›

The five largest REITs in the United States in 2021 are: American Tower Corporation, Prologis, Crown Castle International, Simon Property Group and Weyerhaeuser.

How many REIT stocks should I own? ›

“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.

Why not to invest in REITs? ›

REITs are, however, sensitive to interest rates and may not be as tax-friendly as other investments. If a REIT is concentrated in a particular sector (e.g. hotels) and that sector is negatively impacted (e.g. by a pandemic), you can see amplified losses.

What is the REIT 10 year rule? ›

For Group REITs, the consequences of leaving early apply when the principal company of the group gives notice for the group as a whole to leave the regime within ten years of joining or where an exiting company has been a member of the Group REIT for less than ten years.

What is the 75% income test for REITs? ›

In order to meet the 75% test, at least 75% of a REIT's gross income must be derived from the following: Rents from real property. Interest on obligations secured by mortgages on real property or on interests in real property. Gain from the sale or other disposition of real property.

How is a REIT structured? ›

A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-generating real estate. Modeled after mutual funds, REITs pool capital investors who earn dividends from real estate investments. Investors do not individually buy, manage, or finance any properties.

What are the three basic types of REITs? ›

Different Types of REITs

Broadly, there are equity REITs, mortgage REITs, hybrid REITs, office REITs, retail REITs, and a few other categories.

What are the 3 conditions to qualify as a REIT? ›

To qualify as a REIT a company must:
  • Invest at least 75% of its total assets in real estate.
  • 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.

Why do REITs have to pay 90%? ›

To qualify as securities, REITs must payout at least 90% of their net earnings to shareholders as dividends. For that, REITs receive special tax treatment; unlike a typical corporation, they pay no corporate taxes on the earnings they payout.

What is the 75 75 90 rule for REITs? ›

Invest at least 75% of its total assets in real estate. 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.

What is the 75 rule for REITs? ›

For each tax year, the REIT must derive: at least 75 percent of its gross income from real property-related sources; and. at least 95 percent of its gross income from real property-related sources, dividends, interest, securities, and certain mineral royalty income.

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