Health care REITs own a variety of health care-related real estate and collect rent from tenants. Health care REITs’ property types include senior living facilities, hospitals, medical office buildings and skilled nursing facilities.
Who Invests in Health Care REITs?
Many Americans may be unaware that they already have investments in REITs via their 401ks, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), or other investment vehicle geared towards retirement. Large institutional investors, including pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and bank departments, also invest in REITs as a cost effective and efficient way to gain exposure to the real estate asset class.
How to Invest in Health Care REITs
There are currently 17 health care REITs listed on the FTSE Nareit US Real Estate Indexes. Many investors acquire shares in these REITs via REIT mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but individuals can also invest directly in a REIT with the help of a broker.
Overview
5/29/2026, Source: FTSE
Number of REITs
17
Dividend Yield
2.70%
YTD Total Return
11.30%
May Total Return
-1.93%
2025 Total Return
28.45%
Quarterly Data
Source: Nareit REIT Industry Tracker
| Q1 2026 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| FFO ($M) | $3,398 | $9,283 |
| NOI ($M) | $4,040 | $15,010 |
| Dividends paid ($M) | $2,031 | $9,164 |
| SS NOI | 5.4% | |
| Occupancy Rate | - |
