Real estate is one of the world’s most popular investments, but buying and managing a rental property is simply not for everyone, especially if you’re interested in owning commercial properties. Fortunately, there are real estate investment trusts (REITs) that can give you the benefits of owning commercial properties without the hassles that come with purchasing a property or being a landlord.
REITs are also very attractive ways to invest in real estate because you can invest as little or as much as you want, and it maintains your liquidity since you can sell a stock in a few seconds compared with a property that could take weeks, months, or even years to sell.
With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at two commercial REITs with high and safe yields of 5-9% that you could buy right now.
1. Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust
Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: CRR.UN) owns and manages a portfolio of 284 retail, mixed-use, and office properties, comprising of approximately 19.3 million square feet located across 36 major markets in all 10 provinces.
It pays a monthly distribution of $0.07417 per share, representing $0.89 per share on an annualized basis, and this gives its stock a very high yield of about 5.8% at today’s levels. This yield is also very safe when you consider that its adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) totaled $0.48 per share and its distributions totaled $0.45 per share in the first half of 2016, resulting in a sound 94.3% payout ratio.
It’s also important to make the following two notes about Crombie’s distribution.
First, it has maintained its current annual distribution rate since 2009.
Second, its consistent AFFO generation, including $0.96 per share in fiscal 2015 and the aforementioned $0.48 per share in the first half of 2016, its growing portfolio, including its addition of 24 properties so far in 2016, and its very high occupancy rate, including 94.1% as of June 30, could allow it to continue to maintain its current annual distribution rate for the foreseeable future.
2. Slate Office REIT
Slate Office REIT (TSX:SOT.UN) owns and manages a portfolio of 34 office properties, comprising of approximately 4.7 million square feet located across major population centres in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.
It pays a monthly distribution of $0.0625 per share, representing $0.75 per share on an annualized basis, and this gives its stock a very nice yield of about 8.9% at today’s levels. This yield is also very safe when you consider that its AFFO totaled $0.44 per share and its distributions totaled just $0.375 per share in the first half of 2016, resulting in a solid 85.2% payout ratio.
It’s also important to make the following two notes about Slate’s distribution.
First, it has maintained its current annual distribution rate since 2012.
Second, its very strong AFFO growth, including its 60.8% year-over-year increase to $0.82 per share in fiscal 2015 and its 25.7% year-over-year increase to $0.44 in the first half of 2016, and its high occupancy rate, including 85.8% as of June 30, could allow it to continue to maintain its current annual distribution rate going forward or allow it to announce a hike in the very near future.
