Episode 273: SPECIAL EPISODE: Pension Consultant Sees Growing Interest in Portfolio Completion Strategies Using REITs

Matt Ritter, senior research consultant for NEPC, joined guest host Meredith Despins, Nareit senior vice president, investment affairs, for a special edition of The REIT Report podcast to discuss how REIT-based investment can deliver access to a 21st century real estate portfolio.NEPC is an independent investment consultant and private wealth advisor. Its clients—including public pensions, corporate pensions, endowments, foundations, health care groups, and private wealth—collectively represent approximately $1.1 trillion in total assets. Ritter is a member of NEPC’s Real Assets Research Group and the Portfolio Construction Lead for the Real Assets Beta Group.Speaking to the challenges clients are facing in their real estate portfolios today, Ritter noted that many clients—particularly those with net outflows—are seeking durable income and are asking “what’s the future of my existing portfolio going to look like?”Historically, many institutional investors have accessed real estate through private markets, which focuses on the four main property types: Office, Apartments, Retail, and Industrial. “We’re seeing a pretty wide range of returns and expectation by property type. This was a trend that was evident prior to the pandemic, but has really accelerated over the past year,” he observed.