Have you considered buying real estate investment trusts (REITs) to add to your portfolio? They can be powerful additions to both growth and income-seeking alike. Given the opportunity to buy and hold a single REIT, here’s where I would invest.
Image source: Getty Images
First, let’s talk about REITs
For those who are unaware of what they are, REITs are a unique type of company that allows investors to invest in real estate properties, much like a landlord.
Where REITs differ is that they come without the downpayment, mortgage, taxes, and tenants that rental properties require.
Additionally, REITs are required to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income as distributions. In other words, REITs can offer juicy dividends for investors.
So, given the chance, if I could buy and hold a single REIT, what would it be?
Meet RioCan
That single REIT I would buy and hold on to is RioCan Real Estate (TSX:REI.UN). RioCan is one of the larger REITs in Canada, boasting a portfolio of over 180 properties located across the country.
Historically, RioCan’s portfolio leaned more towards investing in commercial and retail properties. This led RioCan to have some of the largest names in business and finance as its tenants.
Not only does this provide an element of stability, but it has also helped the REIT maintain a stellar occupancy rate north of 98%.
More recently, RioCan has shifted its investment mix to include mixed-use residential properties. This is where a significant opportunity for investors exists over the longer term.
Rising interest rates and a lack of housing have pushed home prices well into the stratosphere. As a result, the average price of a home in Canada’s metro markets is well over a million dollars. This has effectively priced out most would-be landlords as well as first-time homebuyers entirely.
RioCan’s growing mixed-use segments are focused on developing properties along transit corridors in Canada’s metro markets. In other words, they are in high-demand areas where commute times will be minimal.
The properties themselves comprise residential towers sitting atop several floors of retail. This caters to both retail and residential segments, providing an additional diversification element.
What a RioCan investment means for your portfolio
For prospective investors, the advantages of investing in RioCan are numerous when compared to owning a rental property.
Apart from the diversification of investing in hundreds of units rather than a single property, investing in RioCan also requires significantly less upfront capital.
A traditional downpayment on a million-dollar home is $200,000. And if you’re lucky enough to have that amount of capital ready, there are still taxes, repairs, and your mortgage to pay.
In the case of RioCan, an investment that is one-tenth of that traditional downpayment can still generate a healthy income. And that income-earning potential comes without chasing down tenants or paying a mortgage.
As of the time of writing, RioCan’s distribution carries a juicy 6.77%. This means that a $20,000 investment will generate a monthly income of just over $110.
Keep in mind that’s without paying property taxes, maintenance or a mortgage.
Perhaps best of all, prospective investors not ready to draw on that income can reinvest that monthly income, generating an additional six shares each month.
That’s a game-changer for income-seekers. For would-be landlords, RioCan is the single REIT to buy and hold right now.
RioCan: The single REIT your portfolio needs
No stock is without risk, and that includes RioCan. Fortunately, RioCan’s portfolio is huge and well-diversified. The company also pays out a handsome monthly distribution that makes it one of the most sought-after monthly income stocks on the market.
In my opinion, RioCan is a great option for any well-diversified portfolio.
Buy it, hold it, and watch your future income grow.
