Guide to Private REIT Investing (2024)

FAQs

Is a private REIT a good investment? ›

Moreover, private REITs are generally riskier investments compared to their publicly traded counterparts. They also may lack the same level of transparency, making it harder for investors to assess the underlying assets and the performance of the REIT.

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.

Private REITs are not traded on an exchange, which means that there are more restriction in who can invest in them. As such, they tend to be less liquid than public REITs since it can be difficult for investors to find buyers for their shares should they decide to sell.

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.

High minimum investments -- Private REITs typically have minimum investments that range from $1,000 to $25,000 (or more in some cases). On the other hand, you can invest in a publicly-traded REIT for the cost of one share, and many public non-listed REITs also have relatively low minimums.

According to IRS requirements, your company must have at least 100 shareholders by its second tax year to qualify as a REIT. This means you can start your operations with two or more shareholders if you reach the requirement a year later.

The final regulations (i) provide a 10-year “transition rule” that grandfathers current structures, subject to certain requirements, and thus allows certain entities to continue to be treated as D-REITs for ten years and (ii) narrow the scope of the “look through” rule, pursuant to which REIT stock owned by certain ...

"Both public and non-public REIT investments should be considered long-term, and that could mean different things to different folks, but in general, investors who typically invest in REITs look to hold them for a minimum of three years, and some of them could hold them for 10+ years," Jhangiani explained.

“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.

BREIT is by far the largest private REIT, with a net asset value of $68 billion as of Nov. 30, 2022. Its biggest rival is Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, or SREIT, with a net asset value of $14 billion as of Nov. 30, 2022.

Why don t more people invest in REITs? ›

In most cases, REITs utilize a combination of debt and equity to purchase a property. As such, they are more sensitive than other asset classes to changes in interest rates., particularly those that use variable rate debt. When interest rates rise, REITs share prices can be prone to volatility.

Non-traded REITs have little liquidity, meaning it's difficult for investors to sell them. Publicly traded REITs have the risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.

REITs historically rebound when interest rates pivot and have the potential for rent growth. Realty Income, Agree Realty, VICI Properties, Essential Properties Trust, and American Tower are strong picks for long-term growth and income.

As referenced earlier, you can purchase shares in a REIT that's listed on major stock exchanges. You can also buy shares in a REIT mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF). To do so, you must open a brokerage account. Or, if your workplace retirement plan offers REIT investments, you might invest with that option.

And 2023 exposed the extreme vulnerabilities of these Private REITs, also called nontraded REITs. Private REITs, unlike their publicly traded counterparts, do not offer the same level of transparency and liquidity. Their prices are not updated daily on public exchanges but are instead reported quarterly or yearly.

While a public REIT that's sold like a stock on the broader exchanges can be bought or sold with relative ease, a private REIT is a limited partnership business. That means that capital invested in the private REIT needs to be non-essential since a redemption can be challenging – if allowed at all.

Private REITs generally can be sold only to institutional investors, such as large pension funds, and/or to “Accredited Investors” generally defined as individuals with a net worth of at least $1 million (excluding primary residence) or with income exceeding $200,000 over two prior two years ($300,000 with a spouse).

Unlike many companies however, REIT incomes are not taxed at the corporate level. That means REITs avoid the dreaded “double-taxation” of corporate tax and personal income tax. Instead, REITs are sheltered from corporate taxes, so their investors are only taxed once.