What is the rule for REITs?
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.
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.
No more than: 5 percent of the value of the REIT's total assets may consist of securities of any one issuer, except with respect to a taxable REIT subsidiary. 10 percent of the outstanding vote or value of the securities of any one issuer may be held (again, a taxable REIT subsidiary is an exception to this requirement ...
Investors can buy and sell shares of public REITs at any time during trading hours. With private REITs, on the other hand, investors may have to wait for a redemption event, which can occur quarterly or annually, before they can cash out their investment. Additionally, private REITs may charge redemption fees.
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.
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.
- Invest at least 75% of total assets in real estate, cash, or U.S. Treasuries.
- Derive at least 75% of gross income from rents, interest on mortgages that finance real property, or real estate sales.
- Pay a minimum of 90% of taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year.
There is no minimum holding period on public REITs for retail investors. Probably some large ones have market makers that day trade. Large Caps REITs are the most likely to provide liquidity. Real Estate ETFs are likely to provide more.
Risks of REITs
REITs closely follow the overall real estate market and are subject to much of the same risks, including fluctuations in property value, leasing occupancy, and geographic demand. Real estate is typically very sensitive to changes in interest rates, which can affect property values and occupancy demand.
The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income. Taxpayers may also generally deduct 20% of the combined qualified business income amount which includes Qualified REIT Dividends through Dec.
Can I pull my money out of a REIT?
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.
What this means is that REITs are ideal borrowers for banks. They are exactly who they want to do business with because they know that the risk of a REIT bankruptcy is extremely low. Just look at the past. There have been very few REIT bankruptcies over the past 50+ years.
Publicly traded REITs have the particular risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
The REIT must have held the property for at least two years (IRC § 857(b)(6)(C)(i)). The total expenditures made by the REIT, or any of its partners, during the two years preceding the sale of the land may not exceed 30 percent of the net selling price of the property (IRC § 857(b)(6)(C)(ii)).
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.
“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.
A lot of REIT investors focus too way much on the dividend yield. They think that a high dividend yield implies that a REIT is cheap and a good investment opportunity. In reality, it is often the opposite, and the dividend does not say much, if anything, about the valuation of a REIT.
| REIT SUBGROUP | AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN (1994-2023) |
|---|---|
| Retail | 11.2% |
| Office | 10.1% |
| Lodging/Resorts | 9.0% |
| Diversified | 7.9% |
More than a year of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve pushed down returns on real estate investment trusts, or REITs. While higher rates negatively impacted nearly every sector of the economy in 2022 and most of 2023, real estate was hit especially hard.
REITs make their money through the mortgages underlying real estate development or on rental incomes once the property is developed. REITs provide shareholders with a steady income and, if held long-term, growth that reflects the appreciation of the property it owns.
How to buy REITs for beginners?
How do I Invest in a REIT? An individual may buy shares in a REIT, which is listed on major stock exchanges, just like any other public stock. Investors may also purchase shares in a REIT mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Since they aren't publicly available and don't register with the SEC, it's difficult to pinpoint specific investment minimums. However, investment firm Edward Jones says minimum investments for private REITs can range from $1,000 to $50,000.
Any increase in the short-term interest rate eats into the profit—so if it doubled in our example above, there'd be no profit left. And if it goes up even higher, the REIT loses money. All of that makes mortgage REITs extremely volatile, and their dividends are also extremely unpredictable.
Dividends are particularly valuable in retirement because they provide a consistent stream of income that can help cover living expenses. And, unlike bonds, dividend stocks offer the potential for capital gains as well as income. That means your portfolio can continue to grow even as you withdraw money from it.
REITs do not guarantee income or total performance. Diversification in REITs does not guard against loss of income nor loss of principal. REITs are subject to economic volatility.
