Do REITs pay dividends?
So even though a REIT may pay more than 90% of its taxable income in dividends, the typical REIT will pay out only 65% to 90% of the cash it generates (after paying expenses), or Funds From Operations (FFO).
REITs are well suited to income-oriented investors, due to their historically high and reliable dividend payouts that have generally increased over time and have often grown faster that the rate of inflation.
The beauty of REITs for income investors is that they are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends. In return, REITs typically do not pay corporate taxes. As a result, many of the 200+ REITs we track offer high dividend yields of 5%+.
REIT dividends are not qualified because the IRS considers them as pass-through income. These are profits that get distributed to investors without the entity paying taxes first. REIT dividends pass to investors as ordinary income. The IRS taxes the dividends according to the individual investor's income tax rate.
By design, REITs must distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders as dividends. As a result, dividends are an important component of REIT total returns. For investors seeking income, REITs can deliver.
REITs historically perform well during and after recessions | Pensions & Investments.
Here are some of the main disadvantages of investing in a REIT. Market volatility: Value can fluctuate based on economic and market conditions. Interest rate risk: Changes in interest rates can affect the value of a REIT.
The value of a REIT is based on the real estate market, so if interest rates increase and the demand for properties goes down as a result, it could lead to lower property values, negatively impacting the value of your investment.
- What dividends and REITs are.
- ARMOUR Residential REIT – 20.7%
- Orchid Island Capital – 17.8%
- AGNC Investment – 14.8%
- Oxford Square Capital – 13.7%
- Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT – 13.2%
- SLR Investment – 11.5%
- PennantPark Floating Rate Capital – 10%
| Stock | Implied upside from Jan. 3 close | Forward dividend yield |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Residential (EQR) | 43.4% | 4.4% |
| Invitation Homes Inc. (INVH) | 20.3% | 3.3% |
| Ventas Inc. (VTR) | 45% | 3.6% |
| Essex Property Trust Inc. (ESS) | 25.6% | 3.8% |
Are REIT dividends tax free?
The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income. Taxpayers may also generally deduct 20% of the combined qualified business income amount which includes Qualified REIT Dividends through Dec.
While a steady flow of payments may sound enticing, REIT dividends come with unique tax consequences for investors. These payments can constitute ordinary income, capital gains, or a return of capital—each of which receives different tax treatment.
Overview. A REIT is taxable as a regular corporation, but is entitled to the dividends paid deduction. Therefore, a REIT does not pay federal income tax on net taxable income distributed as deductible dividends to shareholders. Net income from foreclosure property is taxed at 35 percent.
However, those starting on their investing journey do have alternative options. Investing in real estate investment trusts (REITs) can be a great way to collect passive income from real estate. Two excellent options for beginners to consider are Realty Income (O -1.79%) and Stag Industrial (STAG -1.73%).
| NAME | SYMBOL | 2023 TOTAL RETURN % |
|---|---|---|
| Vornado Realty Trust | VNO | 41.54 |
| EPR Properties | EPR | 41.09 |
| Welltower Inc. | WELL | 39.64 |
| Lument Finance Trust Inc. | LFT | 39.36 |
REITs' average return
Return a minimum of 90% of taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year. This is a big draw for investor interest in REITs. Invest at least 75% of total assets in real estate or cash.
REIT Stock Performance and the Interest Rate Environment
Over longer periods, there has generally been a positive association between periods of rising rates and REIT returns.
REITs. When interest rates are falling, dependable, regular income investments become harder to find. This benefits high-quality real estate investment trusts, or REITs. Strictly speaking, REITs are not fixed-income securities; their dividends are not predetermined but are based on income generated from real estate.
Data source: Nareit and YCharts (2022). As you can see, REITs have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 20-, 25-, and 50-year periods. REITs also outperformed stocks in the most recent full year of available data (2021).
Any increase in the short-term interest rate eats into the profit—so if it doubled in our example above, there'd be no profit left. And if it goes up even higher, the REIT loses money. All of that makes mortgage REITs extremely volatile, and their dividends are also extremely unpredictable.
Are REITs a good investment in 2023?
However, our review of REIT balance sheets and debt suggests that REITs are well-positioned for economic uncertainty in 2023 because of their strong balance sheets. They are entering the new year with leverage near historical lows, and well-termed, mostly fixed-rate debt and very low current interest expense.
While both REITs and bonds have enjoyed lower volatility compared to stocks, bonds are the lower volatility asset class due to their much lower correlation with stocks. Meanwhile, REITs can experience significant share price volatility, especially over short periods of time.
This is the biggest and most important mistake that REIT investors keep on making. They see REITs as "income vehicles" and therefore, they will select their investments based on their dividend yield. In their mind, the higher the better. But in reality, the dividend is just a capital allocation decision.
But from a REIT-wide perspective, one of the biggest problems has been rising interest rates. Rising interest rates impact REITs in a number of ways. Directly, interest expenses can go up as the interest rates on variable-coupon debt increase and as fixed-rate debt rolls over.
Bottom line. Investors eyeing REITs may find a potential recovery ahead. With rate cuts on the horizon, many publicly traded REITs have rebounded, and the industry as a whole seems well-poised for a recovery in the coming year.
