Fitch Analyst Says Stock Buybacks at Low Level Among REITs

Steven Marks, managing director with Fitch Ratings, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Marks has been monitoring REITs’ stock buybacks in the second half of the year, and he noted that activity has been limited. He attributed the lack of buybacks to the performance of REIT stocks in 2014, as most are trading at prices about their net asset values (NAV).

“Thus, [the stocks] are less economic from a buyback standpoint; they’re not as accretive,” Marks said.

Steven Marks

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INVESCO Fund Manager highlights broader acceptance of REIT investment

Paul Curbo, portfolio manager at INVESCO Realty Advisors, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Curbo highlighted the biggest changes he has seen in the real estate sector during the last two decades.

“Real estate has become an accepted investment class. Twenty years ago, we often had to explain the merits of investing in REITs,” he said.

The benefits of REIT income, diversification and total returns have now become apparent, Curbo noted.

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Goodwin Procter Lawyer Sees Heavy Cross-Border Investment in U.S. Real Estate

Ettore Santucci, partner and co-chair of the REIT group with Goodwin Procter, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Regarding overseas investment in U.S. real estate, Santucci described the amount of cross-border capital flowing into U.S. real estate as “enormous.” These non-U.S. investors are primarily “big game hunting,” according to Santucci: looking for trophy assets and portfolios.

Ettore Santucci

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REIT Trader Says 2015 Could Bring IPO Wave

David Auerbach, institutional trader with Esposito Securities, looked back at the REIT market in 2014 and ahead to 2015 on the latest edition of the NAREIT Podcast.

With the year coming to a close, Auerbach discussed some of the biggest developments in the REIT market in 2014. He described it as an “exciting year for REIT investors.” He said the moves made by The Blackstone Group, including taking multiple real estate portfolios public, took center stage throughout the year.

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BMO’s Decker Sees Room for Growth of U.S. REIT Market

Mark Decker Sr., vice chairman with BMO Capital Markets, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Decker rebuffed the suggestion that the U.S. REIT market is approaching the upper limit of its growth. The universe of REITs in the United States will continue to expand as more sectors are added, according to Decker. He pointed to sectors such as data centers and farmland as examples of how the REIT approach to real estate investment will continue to grow.

Mark Decker Sr.

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Preferred Apartment Communities Uses Loans to Stand Out

John Williams, co-founder and CEO of Preferred Apartment Communities (NYSE: APTS), joined REIT.com for a CEO Spotlight video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Williams described the current market for multifamily REITs as a “Goldilocks world” in light of the widespread demand for apartment housing. He singled out the southeast and southwest corners of the country as the two best geographic locales for apartment companies.

John Williams

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BMO Analyst Says Diminishing Interest Rate Concerns Boosted REITs in 2014

Paul Adornato, managing director with BMO Capital Markets, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

According to Adornato, the big story for REITs during 2014 was their “tremendous performance” compared with the overall market. Although concerns about interest rate increases did impact REITs earlier in the year, REITs “sailed away” once investors determined that those increases were not imminent, he said.

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Morgan Stanley Banker Says Property Values “Healthy”

Seth Weintrob, managing director at Morgan Stanley, joined REIT.com for a video interview at REITWorld 2014: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Weintrob commented on the current level of property valuations and the implications for deal-making.

“Property values are definitely healthy. The values of all assets these days are healthy, and in some sense, when you look at U.S. real estate, there’s a little bit of a Goldilocks environment from an investor standpoint,” Weintrob said.

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