REIT Industry’s Footprint in Non-Traditional Asset Classes Seen as Post-Crisis Advantage

The REIT industry’s “heavy footprint” in non-traditional asset classes gives it a clear advantage as the world adapts to new ways of living in response to the coronavirus crisis, said Scott Crowe, Chief Investment Strategist at CenterSquare Investment Management.Speaking April 30 on the Nareit REIT Report podcast, Crowe said the crisis “ushers in a whole new paradigm of what real estate really is,” especially the idea of core versus non-core real estate. “The reality is that the way we live our lives is going to evolve significantly,” he noted.One of the advantages that the REIT industry has is its “heavy footprint” in non-traditional asset classes, such as data centers and towers, Crowe said. He noted that the industry has “a much higher proportion of winners than losers as it relates to what the post-COVID-19 real estate new normal may look like.”