Mortgage REITs (mREITS) provide financing for income-producing real estate by purchasing or originating mortgages and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and earning income from the interest on these investments.
Who Invests in Mortgage REITs?
Nearly 170 million Americans live in households that invest in REITs. With their historically competitive total returns and comparatively low correlation with other assets make them an attractive addition and diversifier for many Americans’ portfolios.
How to invest in Mortgage REITs
There are currently 29 mortgage REITs listed on the FTSE Nareit US Real Estate Indexes that individuals can invest in directly with the help of a broker or by purchasing shares in a participating REIT mutual fund or REIT exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Overview
8/31/2026, Source: FTSE
Number of REITs
29
Dividend Yield
13.15%
YTD Total Return
1.58%
August Total Return
0.82%
2025 Total Return
16.02%
Quarterly Data
Source: Nareit REIT Industry Tracker
| Q2 2026 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| FFO ($M) | - | - |
| NOI ($M) | - | - |
| Dividends paid ($M) | $2,360 | $4,734 |
| SS NOI | - | |
| Occupancy Rate | - |
