Susan Persin

Senior director of research at Trepp.

Returns on real estate investment trusts (REITs) turned slightly negative in November following a strong performance in October. The FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT average declined by 0.17 percent, and total year-to-date REIT returns at the end of November measured 1.50 percent. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
At the recent REIT World Conference in Las Vegas, industry experts said they are looking forward to 2016, when REITs will be separated from financial services and elevated into a new Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sector. Self-storage and apartments are attractive due to favorable demographic trends. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
Health care has been one of the worst-performing sectors for real estate investment trusts this year, with a total year-to-date return of –17.60 percent. This performance has been surprising, since the sector has been a model for growth in prior years. So what has pulled the sector down during 2015? Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
U.S. markets rebounded in October, posting their best monthly performance in four years. Real estate investment trusts also posted strong returns that offset losses from earlier in the year, with the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT average gaining 6.47 percent. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
It has been reported by the Wall Street Journaland others that Hyatt is in talks to buy hotel operator Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. While neither company is a real estate investment trust, the potential transaction is emblematic of what is happening in the sector, where hotel REITs that are trading below the value of their underlying assets are creating an opportunity for mergers, acquisitions, and buybacks. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
Despite healthy real estate market conditions, investors are pricing an anticipated market slowdown into REIT share values. This situation generally occurs late in the real estate cycle and is spurring REIT privatizations and share buybacks. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
Most industries are embracing technology, which is getting better, faster, and more affordable and is profoundly affecting all types of real estate. In the real estate industry itself, one way that technology is being used is to more fully utilize properties, which in turn can enhance property values. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
With the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Francis, and President Obama converging on New York City, booking a hotel room there has become next to impossible. Room prices have spiked—at least temporarily—throughout much of the city. Yet, it is at odds with a real estate investment trust (REIT) sector where total returns are down 16.41 percent year-to-date in 2015. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
Last week, the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee opted to not raise its benchmark interest rate, which has been near zero since late 2008. The lack of an interest rate increase was positive news for real estate and real estate investment trusts, which gained 1.10 percent for the day. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.
Macy’s and Best Buy have announced plans to open 300-square-foot (28 sq m) consumer electronics departments in ten Macy’s stores in early November. The announcement seems innocuous, since the store-within-a-store concept is not new, but it is important to these retailers, both of which have struggled as consumers increasingly shop online and at discount retailers.
Members Sign In
Don’t have an account yet? Sign up for a ULI guest account.