The Free Standing Retail category led the Equity REIT market in the first seven months of the year with a 40.36 percent total return. Free Standing Retail REITs lease single-tenant properties to tenants such as convenience stores and restaurants, often on a triple net-lease basis, and are known for their ability to deliver steady income.
Industrial REITs provided a total return of 33.18 percent in the year through July. Industrial REIT properties are a critical link in the e-commerce supply chain, making rapid delivery of internet purchases possible. Data Centers were up 33.17 percent, fueled by increased demand for Cloud data storage. In an environment in which single-family home purchases remain challenging for many consumers, the Single Family Home segment of the REIT market was up 32.99 percent through July.