REIT 101: What is a REIT? Why is it Important to CRE?

A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-producing real estate, created in 1960 to make real estate investment accessible to ordinary investors through diversified professionally managed property portfolios. REITs operate under structural rules requiring distribution of at least 90% of taxable income to shareholders, with assets and income primarily derived from real estate, and include equity REITs (owning properties), mortgage REITs (investing in real estate debt), and hybrid structures, with the U.S. REIT industry currently comprising 190 publicly traded REITs valued at $1.6 trillion in equity market value plus approximately $400 billion in non-traded REITs and an estimated $4.5 trillion in total real estate holdings across all REIT types.