Nicole Funari

REITs supported an estimated 3.2 million fulltime equivalent (FTE) jobs in the U.S. in 2021, producing $229 billion in labor income, according to EY’s latest Economic Contribution of REITs report, commissioned by Nareit.

A preview of the institutional investor survey by Wealth Management’s Real Estate division (WMRE) showed institutional investors are looking to newer property types, such as data centers, life sciences, and medical offices to drive returns in their portfolios.

REITs have seen a large increase in investor interest in ESG with greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate change top of mind.

At year-end 2021, 89 REITs representing 91% of market cap in the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index were rated debt issuers.

REITs are making great strides in ESG by working to enhance ESG data and disclosure.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the June 2022 Consumer Price Index (CPI) data showing continued high inflation at 9.1% annually.

According to data from Google on all workers and Kastle on office workers, workers in gateway cities are more likely to work from home.

Evidence is emerging that hybrid or remote work is becoming a permanent feature for many office workers.

Charting the change in REIT earnings, represented as funds from operations over the course of the pandemic.

REIT earnings, as measured by funds from operations, increased 30.9% from the previous year to a record high of over $18 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Nareit T-Tracker®.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April 2022 Consumer Price Index data showing a much smaller monthly increase in prices in April than in March.

March marked 23 straight months with hires greater than separations and the March JOLTs report showed private job openings are in excess of 10.5 million, the highest level ever recorded.