Do REITs have to pay dividends?
According to the SEC, to qualify as a REIT, a company must have the bulk of its assets and income connected to real estate investments. It must also distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders each year in the form of dividends.
As of April 8, 2024 publicly traded U.S. equity REITs posted a one-year average dividend yield of 4.35 percent. The health care REIT sector recorded the highest one-year average dividend yield among this group, at 4.90 percent, outperforming the broader Dow Jones Equity All REIT Index by 0.75 percentage points.
The FTSE Nareit All REITs index, which tracks the performance of all publicly traded REITs in the U.S., had an average annual total return (dividends included) of 3.58% during the five-year period that ended in August 2023. For the 10-year period between 2013 and 2022, the index averaged 7.48% per year.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are required to pay out at least 90% of income as shareholder dividends. Book value ratios are useless for REITs. Instead, calculations such as net asset value are better metrics. Top-down and bottom-up analyses should be used for REITs.
Generally, dividends from REITs are automatically exempt from being qualified dividends. Whether dividends are qualified depends on the nature of the investment that earned the money being passed along to shareholders.
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.
Company (ticker symbol) | Sector | Dividend yield |
---|---|---|
Chimera Investment (CIM) | Mortgage | 14.3% |
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) | Mortgage | 14.0% |
Two Harbors Investment (TWO) | Mortgage | 14.0% |
Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) | Mortgage | 13.8% |
1. ARMOUR Residential REIT – 20.7% ARMOUR Residential REIT Inc.
REIT SUBGROUP | AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN (1994-2023) |
---|---|
Retail | 11.2% |
Office | 10.1% |
Lodging/Resorts | 9.0% |
Diversified | 7.9% |
For investors seeking a steady stream of monthly income, real estate investment trusts (REITs) that pay dividends on a monthly basis emerge as a compelling financial strategy. In this article, we unravel two REITs that pay monthly dividends and have yields of 6% or more.
Can you become a millionaire from REITs?
So, are REITs the magic shortcut to becoming a millionaire? Not quite. But they can be a powerful tool to build your wealth over time, like a slow and steady rocket taking you towards financial freedom. Remember, the key is to invest wisely, do your research, and choose REITs that match your goals and risk tolerance.
A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.
Non-traded REITs have little liquidity, meaning it's difficult for investors to sell them. Publicly traded REITs have the risk of losing value as interest rates rise, which typically sends investment capital into bonds.
In most cases, REITs utilize a combination of debt and equity to purchase a property. As such, they are more sensitive than other asset classes to changes in interest rates., particularly those that use variable rate debt. When interest rates rise, REITs share prices can be prone to volatility.
Interest Rate Risk
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.
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.
REITs and REIT Funds
Real estate investment trusts are a poor fit for taxable accounts for the reason that I just mentioned. Their income tends to be high and often composes a big share of the returns that investors earn from them, as REITs must pay out a minimum of 90% of their taxable income in dividends each year.
Finally, a REIT is not a pass-through entity. This means that, unlike a partnership, a REIT cannot pass any tax losses through to its investors.
If you own REITs in an IRA, you won't have to worry about dividend taxes each year, nor will you have to pay taxes in the year in which you sell a REIT at a profit. In a traditional IRA, you won't owe any taxes until you withdraw money from the account.
Derive at least 75% of its gross income from rents from real property, interest on mortgages financing real property or from sales of real estate. Pay at least 90% of its taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year. Be an entity that is taxable as a corporation.
What is the difference between a REIT dividend and a stock dividend?
Frequency of payout.
Dividend stocks traditionally issue quarterly payouts, and REITs often do as well, but it's somewhat common to come across a REIT that actually pays its dividend monthly. This is advantageous for anyone who needs to supplement their monthly income.
AGNC Investment is currently earning a high enough return to maintain its dividend. That suggests the payout looks safe for the foreseeable future.
These companies typically generate stable rental income, enabling them to pay out attractive dividends. However, not all REIT stocks are safe investments. Many have had to reduce or suspend their dividend payments during market downturns because they didn't have enough financial flexibility to maintain them.
High dividend payments make sense, but how exactly can the yield be as high as 15%? Debt is the simplest answer. AGNC, for example, finances much of its business through debt. It also issues both common and preferred stock so it can acquire more mortgage assets that generate cash to satisfy the sky-high dividend.
Stock | Dividend yield | Dividend growth streak |
---|---|---|
Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 1.4% | 50 years |
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | 2.4% | 68 years |
3M Co. (MMM) | 6.5% | 65 years |
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | 3.3% | 61 years |