Are REITs a good investment in 2023?
The ongoing higher interest rate environment will continue to create challenges for commercial real estate (CRE). However, our review of REIT balance sheets and debt suggests that REITs are well-positioned for economic uncertainty in 2023 because of their strong balance sheets.
With the Federal Reserve signaling the end of its tightening policy and teasing potential rate cuts in 2024, the Nareit All Equity REIT Index posted total returns of 8.9% in December and finished 2023 up 11.4%.
But despite that, most REITs have kept growing their dividend. Most of them hiked in 2022, 2023, and will hike again in 2024. This is the ultimate proof that REITs are doing better than what the market appears to believe.
Bottom line. Investors eyeing REITs may find a potential recovery ahead. With rate cuts on the horizon, many publicly traded REITs have rebounded, and the industry as a whole seems well-poised for a recovery in the coming year.
While real estate has never been a big part of Buffett's investing strategy, Berkshire Hathaway has owned shares of STORE Capital, a REIT focused on single-tenant operational real estate.
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.
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.
The value of a REIT is based on the real estate market, so if interest rates increase and the demand for properties goes down as a result, it could lead to lower property values, negatively impacting the value of your investment.
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.
REITs empower anyone to invest in wealth-creating, income-producing real estate. They've certainly done that over the years. Over the long term, our research found that REITs have outperformed stocks. Since 1994, three REIT subgroups stood out for their ability to beat the S&P 500.
What is the downside of REITs?
REITs don't have to pay a corporate tax, but the downside is that REIT dividends are typically taxed at a higher rate than other investments. Oftentimes, dividends are taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains, which for many people, is generally lower than the rate at which their regular income is taxed.
REITs have outperformed stocks on 20-to-50-year horizons. Most REITs are less volatile than the S&P 500, with some only half as volatile as the market at large. Several individual REITs delivered significantly higher returns than the S&P 500.
While they aren't listed on stock exchanges, non-traded REITs are required to register with the SEC and are subject to more oversight than private REITs. 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.
| Symbol | Fund name | 1-year return |
|---|---|---|
| BRIUX | Baron Real Estate Income R6 | 12.08% |
| JABIX | JHanco*ck Real Estate Securities R6 | 11.07% |
| RRRRX | DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Instil | 9.26% |
| CSRIX | Cohen & Steers Instl Realty Shares | 9.84% |
| Company (ticker symbol) | Sector | Dividend yield |
|---|---|---|
| KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) | Mortgage | 14.0% |
| Two Harbors Investment (TWO) | Mortgage | 14.0% |
| Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) | Mortgage | 13.8% |
| Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) | Office | 13.6% |
| # | Name | M. Cap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prologis 1PLD | $96.97 B |
| 2 | American Tower 2AMT | $81.33 B |
| 3 | Equinix 3EQIX | $72.30 B |
| 4 | Welltower 4WELL | $54.92 B |
Cons: No investment is without risk, and REITs can and do go bankrupt – so it's important to do your own research.
If you invested more money into REITs or those producing a higher average annual return, you could become a millionaire even faster. Here's a closer look at three wealth-creating REITs that could help make you a future millionaire.
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.
Is Five Years the Standard "Hold" Time for a Real Estate Investment? Real estate investment trusts (REITS) and other commercial property investment companies frequently target properties with a five-year outlook potential.
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.
The Cheapest Option: REITs—$1,000 to $25,000 or more
These are securities and are traded on major exchanges like stocks. They invest in real estate directly, either through property purchases or through mortgage investments. Many REITs specialize in a particular type of real estate or a specific region.
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.
REIT Stock Performance and the Interest Rate Environment
Over longer periods, there has generally been a positive association between periods of rising rates and REIT returns. This is because rising rates generally reflect improvement in the underlying fundamentals.
Two of the primary factors contributing to the recent underperformance of REITs are the rising interest rates and the recent bank failures. However, the fundamentals of many of these REITs remain strong. Their performance is tied more to stock market fears than the actual performance of the real estate market.
