For clients who want steady income without buying properties outright, real estate investment trusts (REITs) can play a key role. They're required by law to pay out at least 90 percent of taxable income as dividends, which helps support higher yields than many common stocks.
But with more than 200 publicly traded REITs in the US, picking the right names takes more than chasing yield. This guide looks at 10 of the best REITs to invest in today, based on recent performance, dividend profile, and size.
All performance, yield, and pricing data in this guide comes from Dividend.com and is current as of March 26, 2026.
1-year return: 73.83%
Forward dividend yield: 4.43%
Stock price: $27.09
Market cap: $4.63 billion
Outfront Media is an out-of-home advertising REIT that focuses on billboards and transit displays in major North American markets. Its portfolio spans thousands of static and digital billboards and digital screens across transit systems, including a large contract with New York's MTA.
Recent results show strong growth driven by higher average revenue per display, especially from digital billboards and transit assets. For advisors, this scale and shift toward digital inventory help support cash flow and keep Outfront on many best REITs shortlists for income and growth.
Outfront also pairs its price performance with a regular cash dividend, currently $0.30 per share each quarter. Management has guided to double-digit adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) growth for 2026. Transit recovery, digital yield gains, and tighter cost control are driving this outlook.
The company reported rising AFFO and funds from operations (FFO) in 2025 while maintaining dividend payments, which matters for income-focused portfolios. For RIAs screening the best REITs, Outfront offers strong recent returns and a competitive yield. It also gives clients exposure to a different slice of real assets than typical equity or mortgage REITs.
1-year return: 34.59%
Forward dividend yield: 4.11%
Stock price: $19.48
Market cap: $12.79 billion
Host Hotels & Resorts is an S&P 500 lodging REIT that owns luxury and upper-upscale hotels. It holds interests in more than 80 properties with about 43,400 rooms across the US, Brazil, and Canada. Most are under brands like Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, and Hilton. All properties are managed by third-party operators under long-term agreements.
This scale gives advisors access to premier urban and resort assets through a single, liquid REIT. The mix of markets and brands smooths cash flows through cycles.
In 2025, comparable hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 4.6 percent year-over-year. Higher room rates and strong leisure demand drove this gain. It ended 2025 with roughly $2.4 billion in liquidity, while AFFO per share reached about $2.07. For 2026, guidance points to continued RevPAR and AFFO growth, even after HST sold two Four Seasons resorts for $1.1 billion.
For advisors and RIAs screening the best REITs, HST offers solid performance and a competitive yield. It also gives clients access to high-quality lodging assets that are hard to replicate in most portfolios.
1-year return: 35.06%
Forward dividend yield: 4.15%
Stock price: $37.59
Market cap: $8.06 billion
CareTrust REIT is a self-administered healthcare REIT that owns and leases skilled nursing facilities and senior housing communities. As of late 2025, it controlled 410 properties with around 37,900 beds and units across 32 US states and the UK. Most properties run on long-term triple-net leases, where tenants cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance. It also runs a senior housing platform under a RIDEA structure for direct exposure to property-level performance.
Its reach across two countries and the triple-net lease model give advisors a predictable income stream with limited operating risk. This makes CTRE one of the cleaner healthcare plays available.
In 2025, normalized FFO came in at $359.7 million, or $1.76 per share, up 17 percent year-over-year. The company collected 100 percent of contractual rent and ended the year with a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of just 0.7x.
For 2026, management guides to normalized FFO of $1.90 to $1.95 per share. The investment pipeline sits at about $500 million. The quarterly dividend holds at $0.335 per share. This combination makes CareTrust one of the more compelling healthcare REITs for income-focused portfolios.
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1-year return: 32.31%
Forward dividend yield: 1.50%
Stock price: $196.73
Market cap: $136.72 billion
Welltower is an S&P 500 REIT focused on rental housing for aging seniors across the US, UK, and Canada. Its over 2,500 senior and wellness housing communities run across three segments: Seniors Housing Operating, Triple-net, and Outpatient Medical.
At $136 billion, WELL is one of the largest REITs in the US. Its market cap means advisors can buy, sell, and size positions without liquidity concerns. Welltower has paid dividends for 50 consecutive years. Few names on any best REITs list can match that 50-year streak.
In 2025, full-year normalized FFO reached $5.29 per share, up 22.5 percent year-on-year. Same-store net operating income (NOI) grew 15 percent for the full year. Senior housing led that growth at 20.4 percent. The quarterly dividend holds at $0.74 per share, its 219th consecutive quarterly payment.
For 2026, management guides normalized FFO to $6.09 to $6.25 per share, up roughly 17 percent at the midpoint. WELL's yield is lower than most names on this best REITs list, but total return and senior housing growth make up for it.
1-year return: 26.02%
Forward dividend yield: 5.99%
Stock price: $44.73
Market cap: $13.24 billion
Omega Healthcare Investors is a REIT that owns and finances skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and senior housing communities. Its 1,024-facility portfolio spans 42 US states, Washington DC, and the UK, where 88 operators run assets under triple-net leases.
OHI is one of the larger pure-play healthcare REITs on the market. At 84 percent of AFFO, the dividend payout ratio leaves room for increases without stretching the balance sheet.
Full-year AFFO and funds available for distribution (FAD) growth exceeded 8 percent year-on-year, aided by $1.1 billion in capital deployment. The fixed charge coverage ratio came in at 5.8x, while leverage fell to 3.51x, the lowest in the company's history.
Management guides 2026 adjusted FFO to between $3.15 and $3.25 per diluted share. The 2026 pipeline splits roughly one-third each among skilled nursing, senior housing, and UK care homes. The quarterly dividend holds at $0.67 per share. OHI sits among the best REITs for high-yield, healthcare-focused income with a balance sheet that has room to grow.
If you have clients who want to learn more about how REIT investing works, this guide can help.
1-year return: 23.35%
Forward dividend yield: 3.77%
Stock price: $82.70
Market cap: $39.18 billion
Ventas is an S&P 500 healthcare REIT with about 1,400 properties across North America and the UK. It runs three segments: Senior Housing Operating (SHOP), Triple-net Leased, and Outpatient Medical and Research. Senior housing makes up more than half of total NOI.
Valued at $39 billion, VTR gives advisors scale and sector diversity across the healthcare real estate sector. The SHOP segment has posted four straight years of double-digit same-store cash NOI growth. For advisors adding healthcare REITs to client accounts, this track record carries weight.
In 2025, full-year normalized FFO reached $3.48 per share, up 9 percent year-over-year. Same-store SHOP cash NOI grew 15.4 percent and net debt-to-EBITDA ended the year at 5.2x.
For 2026, management guides to normalized FFO of $3.78 to $3.88 per share. The midpoint puts growth at roughly 8 percent over 2025. The board raised the quarterly dividend 8 percent to $0.52 per share. Wall Street's consensus on VTR is a moderate buy, which puts it among the more widely endorsed picks on this best REITs list.
1-year return: 22.30%
Forward dividend yield: 3.28%
Stock price: $130.36
Market cap: $119.33 billion
Prologis is an S&P 500 industrial REIT focused on logistics real estate in high-barrier, high-growth markets. As of December 31, 2025, its 1.3 billion square feet of properties spanned 20 countries and served 6,500 customers.
With a market cap of $119 billion, PLD is the largest industrial REIT in the US by a wide margin. US properties generate about 86 percent of NOI, with the rest spread across 19 countries. The dividend has grown at a 13 percent compound annual rate over the last five years. Few industrial REITs match PLD's dividend growth rate and global footprint.
In 2025, Prologis signed a record 228 million square feet of leases and posted Core FFO of $5.81 per share, up from $5.56. Debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ended the year at 5.3x.
For this year, management guides Core FFO to $6.00 to $6.20 per share. The board raised the annualized dividend 6 percent to $4.28 per share. Twenty-one research firms rate Prologis a consensus moderate buy. PLD's scale, global reach, and dividend growth history make it one of the stronger picks on any best REITs list.
1-year return: 20.93%
Forward dividend yield: 6.05%
Stock price: $19.84
Market cap: $4.94 billion
Sabra Health Care REIT is a self-managed REIT that owns healthcare properties across the US and Canada. Its 376-property portfolio includes skilled nursing and transitional care facilities, senior housing communities, behavioral health facilities, and specialty hospitals.
SBRA is a mid-size healthcare REIT, but its 6 percent-plus yield stands out on any income-focused best REITs list. The company targets 40 percent SHOP exposure and is shifting its portfolio toward managed senior housing.
Q4 2025 revenue came in at $211.9 million, up from $182.3 million a year earlier. Same-store managed senior housing NOI grew an average of 15 percent across all four quarters of 2025. Net debt to adjusted EBITDA ended the year at 5.0x. The company closed 2025 with $1.2 billion in liquidity.
For 2026, management guides normalized FFO to $1.49 to $1.53 per diluted share. The midpoint implies roughly 5 percent growth over 2025. The board maintained the $0.30 quarterly dividend, covered at 79 percent of Q4 normalized AFFO. This yield and its double-digit NOI growth put SBRA among the best REITs for income-focused advisor portfolios.
Find out the outlook for public REITs this year in this article.
1-year return: 16.07%
Forward dividend yield: 2.14%
Stock price: $965.95
Market cap: $94.24 billion
Equinix is a data center REIT that operates 280 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers in 33 countries. It offers colocation, interconnection, and connectivity services to enterprises, cloud providers, and network operators.
EQIX is the largest data center REIT globally and one of the biggest US REITs by market cap. The quarterly dividend has grown every year since the 2015 REIT conversion and now stands at $5.16 per share.
Full-year 2025 revenue came in at $9.22 billion, up 6 percent year-on-year. AFFO per share reached $38.33, up 9 percent. Equinix closed 2025 with $7.2 billion in liquidity and BBB+ ratings from S&P and Fitch.
For this year, Equinix guides revenue to $10.12 to $10.22 per share, up 10 to 11 percent year-over-year. AFFO per share guidance of $41.93 to $42.74 points to 9 to 12 percent growth. BofA Securities named EQIX its top data center pick for 2026. For advisors who want tech-sector REIT exposure with a dividend growth streak, EQIX earns a spot on any best REITs list.
1-year return: 14.66%
Forward dividend yield: 4.85%
Stock price: $181.57
Market cap: $59.96 billion
Simon Property Group is a self-managed retail REIT that owns malls, premium outlets, Mills centers, and mixed-use destinations across North America, Asia, and Europe. Its 254-property portfolio covers roughly 183 million square feet of gross leasable area.
At a $60 billion market cap, SPG is the largest retail REIT in the US and one of the biggest names on any best REITs list. Malls and premium outlets alone account for about 71 percent of NOI, with the rest split across Mills, international, and Taubman properties.
Full-year 2025 real estate FFO hit a record $12.73 per share, with malls and premium outlets at 96.4 percent occupancy. SPG signed over 4,600 leases for 17 million square feet and returned $3.5 billion to shareholders in 2025.
For 2026, SPG guides real estate FFO to $13.00 to $13.25 per share. The midpoint implies at least 3 percent domestic NOI growth year over year. The board raised the quarterly dividend to $2.20 and launched a $2 billion buyback in early 2026. SPG's income track record and capital return history put it among the best REITs for advisor portfolios.
Here's a side-by-side look at all 10 REITs covered in this guide. You can quickly compare 1-year returns and dividend yields to see where each one fits in a client portfolio. The figures below are sourced from publicly available market data and company filings. They are for informational purposes only and not intended as trading data.
| Company | Industry | 1-Year Return | Forward Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Outfront Media, Inc. (OUT) | Specialty — Outdoor/Transit Advertising | 73.83% | 4.43% |
| 2. CareTrust REIT, Inc. (CTRE) | Healthcare — Skilled Nursing/Senior Housing | 35.06% | 4.15% |
| 3. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST) | Lodging — Luxury/Upper-Upscale Hotels | 34.59% | 4.11% |
| 4. Welltower Inc. (WELL) | Healthcare — Senior Housing | 32.31% | 1.50% |
| 5. Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (OHI) | Healthcare — Skilled Nursing/Assisted Living | 26.02% | 5.99% |
| 6. Ventas, Inc. (VTR) | Healthcare — Senior Housing/Outpatient Medical | 23.35% | 3.77% |
| 7. Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | Industrial — Logistics | 22.30% | 3.28% |
| 8. Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (SBRA) | Healthcare — Skilled Nursing/Senior Housing | 20.93% | 6.05% |
| 9. Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) | Data Centers | 16.07% | 2.14% |
| 10. Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) | Retail — Malls/Premium Outlets | 14.66% | 4.85% |
Want to see which advisors are leading the pack in 2026? Check out this special report on how the top US financial advisors grew their AUM and expanded their client base in a tough market.
The timing could work in your favor in 2026. The Federal Reserve cut rates last year. It is also expected to continue easing monetary policy in 2026, which could lead to more favorable financing and refinancing conditions for REITs. This is a meaningful shift from the rate headwinds that weighed on the sector through 2024 and 2025.
Public REITs are heading into 2026 with healthy balance sheets, good underlying fundamentals, access to capital, and limited new supply. New supply in apartments, industrial, self-storage, and senior housing is expected to fall 20 percent to 70 percent, which should boost pricing power for existing owners. For advisors building income-focused portfolios, the best REITs right now offer both a rate tailwind and tightening supply on their side.
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