Green Street’s Michael Knott Says REITs Faring Well in 2026 Amid Market Cross Currents

Michael Knott, head of U.S. REIT research at Green Street, told the REIT Report podcast that REITs have enjoyed a number of tailwinds so far this year, including an AI-driven selloff across broader markets, lower interest rates, and strong access to debt capital. He described it as “a little bit of a nice comeback for the industry on a relative basis.”At the same time, Knott notes that these positive tailwinds are set against a cross current of a weaker outlook on the employment side.During the interview, Knott also commented that one of the newer trends that many larger REITs are gravitating to is fund management and gathering private pools of capital as an alternative to public equity to fund their business.