Real estate equities rose in March, with the FTSE Nareit Equity REITs Index advancing nearly 4.6 percent. The broader equity market also rose in March, with the S&P 500 Index returning 4.2 percent in the month.
While every property sector and subsector showed an increase in March, residential and industrial REITs were among the outperformers. The industrial sector rose 7.3 percent, while apartments advanced 7.4 percent. Single-family homes REITs did even better; the niche sector saw returns of nearly 9.0 percent in March.
Industrial property has been supported by the shift to ecommerce and other trends, while single-family rental has been emerging as an institutional asset class.
Year-to-date, the stronges