Is it better to buy real estate or invest in REITs?
Key Takeaways. REITs allow individual investors to make money on real estate without having to own or manage physical properties. Direct real estate offers more tax breaks than REIT investments, and gives investors more control over decision making.
Investing in REITs
Investors provide capital by buying shares and receive regular dividends in exchange. Investing in REITs may be less stressful and less time-consuming than owning and managing an investment property. However, REITs aren't without their downsides.
REITs can be a good choice because: Buying and selling REIT shares is easier than it is with a physical property. They obviate the need for market-specific knowledge and property management while making it easier to diversify your real estate portfolio.
Here are some of the main disadvantages of investing in a REIT. Market volatility: Value can fluctuate based on economic and market conditions. Interest rate risk: Changes in interest rates can affect the value of a REIT.
The targeted returns vary greatly between direct investments and real estate investment trusts. Of course, the economy and market play a significant role in your returns, but typically, the REIT average return is 8 - 10%, and direct real estate investing has an average 9.6% targeted return.
Publicly traded REITs have the particular risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
REITs' average return
Return a minimum of 90% of taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year. This is a big draw for investor interest in REITs. Invest at least 75% of total assets in real estate or cash.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Bonds.
- Funds.
- Stocks.
- Alternative investments and cryptocurrencies.
- Real estate.
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. They are entering the new year with leverage near historical lows, and well-termed, mostly fixed-rate debt and very low current interest expense.
The lack of government regulation makes it difficult for investors to evaluate them since little to no information is available publicly. Also, they are not required to prepare audited financial statements.
Do REITs go down in a recession?
REITs historically perform well during and after recessions | Pensions & Investments.
When rates rise, REITs fall. At least that's the conventional wisdom. In recessions, interest rates fall. Normally bullish for REITs—consider them a “second-level” bet on a bond bounce.
REITs, landlord companies that own and lease out various types of property, started 2023 strong but were soon pummeled by a one-two punch. First, rising interest rates pushed up the costs of financing property purchases.
Direct real estate offers more tax breaks than REIT investments, and gives investors more control over decision making. Many REITs are publicly traded on exchanges, so they're easier to buy and sell than traditional real estate.
“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.
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).
This is the biggest and most important mistake that REIT investors keep on making. They see REITs as "income vehicles" and therefore, they will select their investments based on their dividend yield. In their mind, the higher the better. But in reality, the dividend is just a capital allocation decision.
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.
Investors can benefit from allocating as little as 5% to REITs. Investor confidence in real estate reached unprecedented levels in 2022, owing to home price appreciation and higher yields for other asset classes, such as REITs, in low-rate environments.
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 much of my retirement should be in REITs?
With respect to financial advisors, the just completed Chatham Partners survey found that 83% of financial advisors invest their clients in REITs and the most frequently referenced attribute they cite is “portfolio diversification.” As exhibited below, advisors recommend allocations to REITs in the range of 4% to 12% ...
2% Rule. The 2% rule is the same as the 1% rule – it just uses a different number. The 2% rule states that the monthly rent for an investment property should be equal to or no less than 2% of the purchase price. Here's an example of the 2% rule for a home with the purchase price of $150,000: $150,000 x 0.02 = $3,000.
- Invest in your 401(k) and get the matching dollars. ...
- Use a robo-advisor. ...
- Open or contribute to an IRA. ...
- Buy commission-free ETFs. ...
- Trade stocks.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Certificates of deposit (CDs) and share certificates.
- Money market accounts.
- Treasury securities.
- Series I bonds.
- Municipal bonds.
- Corporate bonds.
- Money market funds.
How can I get 10% interest on my money? The best way to get 10% returns is to invest – you won't find 10% APY on any bank account in the U.S. The S&P 500 is a good place to start, but you should also consider real estate and other alternative investments, like art and wine.
