NAREIT's Investor Outreach team met with a diverse group of 33 global investment organizations in May that control more than $2.1 trillion in institutional investment assets.
The meetings were held with organizations across all targeted investment cohorts, including: nine with prominent domestic pension plans; two with investment consultants; nine with investment managers sponsoring global and domestic products for the institutional and retail investor markets; and 13 meetings with other organizations and associations active in the pension and retirement industry.
Pension plans and endowment funds comprise a large and highly concentrated segment of the $22.4 trillion U.S. pension, retirement and endowment market, with total assets of $7.8 trillion at year-end 2014. On average, more than one half of pension and endowment plan sponsors invested in real estate report exposure to listed REITs as part of their real estate allocation, on an asset weighted basis. The number of pension plans, endowments and foundations reporting REIT-based real estate investments increased 26 percent for the 12 months ended March 31, 2015.
As these investors contemplate adding or increasing exposure to commercial real estate, NAREIT’s message is that REIT-based real estate investment is an effective and low-cost approach for obtaining real estate exposure that provides many important benefits.
NAREIT has also been active on the academic and institutional investment conference circuit during May, attending one event, participating as an exhibitor at one event, and participating as a board member at one event.
Contact: Meredith Despins (mdespins@nareit.com)