DJ Busch, president and CEO of InvenTrust Properties Corp. (NYSE: IVT), sat down for a video interview during Nareit’s REITworld: 2025 Annual Conference in Dallas, Dec. 8–11.
Busch described 2025 as a “transformational year,” highlighting the REIT’s decision to exit the California market by selling a five-property portfolio at the start of the year. The move allowed InvenTrust to redeploy capital in an accretive manner in other markets it is “more excited about,” he added.
InvenTrust is expected to grow its portfolio in a “meaningful manner” in 2026, Busch said, thanks to balance sheet positioning. The transaction market continues to be competitive, he pointed out, but the company has still been able to find opportunities.
While there has been some consumer softness, the good news, Busch said, is that strong demand drivers persist in InvenTrust’s Sunbelt markets. At the same time, most of the REIT’s centers are grocery-anchored, or have an essential retail component. This allows InvenTrust to be competitive through different parts of the economic cycle, he said.