Non-Traded REIT Sales Drop 22% in May 2020

Non-Traded REITs:  a suitable investment for you?

According to a report in the DI Wire yesterday, the sale of non-traded REITs has dropped from $248 million in May 2020, to $319 million in April, a decrease of 22.4%. This is reportedly a reflection of uncertainty due the Covid-19 global pandemic after a stellar first quarter when sales soared to $5.6 billion, according to the DI Wire which cited investment bank Robert A. Stanger & Company as the source of the data.

A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a corporation, trust or association that owns and often manages income-producing real estate. REITs pool the capital of numerous investors to purchase a portfolio of properties such as hotels, shopping centers or apartments.

Shares of non-traded REITs do not trade on a national securities exchange which makes them illiquid, sometimes for periods of eight years or more. Early redemption of shares is usually limited, and fees associated with the sale of these products can be as high as 7%- 10% and lessen total return.

Non-traded REITs may seem attractive to some investors because of periodic distributions, and often their broker or financial advisor may tout the tax advantages. However, they are high-risk, complex investments and are not suitable for many investors.

Non-traded REITs are complex, high risk investments.

• Non-traded REITs are not traded on any exchange, meaning they are illiquid. Often when investors are looking to cash out of their non-traded REIT investment, the only option is to sell on a secondary market, often at a significant loss.
• Distributions are not guaranteed and may exceed operating cash flow.
• High fees and commissions to the broker and the sponsor can eat up investor’s profits.
• Distributions and REIT status can carry tax consequences. If a portion of your distribution constitutes a return of capital, that portion is not taxed until your investment is sold or liquidated, at which time you will be taxed at capital gains rates.

Non-traded REITs are rarely, if ever, suitable for short-term investors and even long-term investors must be willing to bear the risks of illiquidity. You should consider the front-end cost relative to the sales costs you would incur to buy and sell other securities during the same holding period as the life of the REIT. You may also want to consider how much share price appreciation and distributions you will need to receive to overcome these front-end charges.

Your financial advisor has a responsibility to perform due diligence on any investment before recommending it to you. If your advisor unsuitably recommended a non-traded REIT and you lost money, the securities attorneys at The White Law Group may be able to help you by filing a FINRA Arbitration claim against the brokerage firm that sold you the investment.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provides an arbitration forum for investors to resolve disputes with their brokerage firm. If a broker or brokerage firm makes an unsuitable investment recommendation or fails to adequately disclose the risks associated with an investment they may be found liable for investment losses in a FINRA arbitration claim.

If you are concerned about your investment in a non-traded REIT,  the securities attorneys at The White Law Group may be able to help you. Please contact the offices of The White Law Group at 1-888-637-5510 for a free consultation.

The White Law Group is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, and investor protection law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Franklin, Tennessee.

Visit the firm’s homepage to learn more about the firm’s representation of investors.