Core Viewpoint - The article suggests that adding real estate investment trusts (REITs) to an investment portfolio can help mitigate volatility while potentially enhancing long-term growth and net gains [2][4]. REIT Overview - REITs are traded like stocks but focus on revenue-generating real estate, including various property types such as apartments, hotels, and office buildings [3]. - They are capital-intensive but are well-suited for reliable dividend payments, as they must distribute at least 90% of net profits to shareholders, avoiding corporate-level taxation on this income [4]. Performance Comparison - Over the past 10 years, the S&P 500 has averaged an annual net gain of 11.1%, while the FTSE Nareit All Equity REIT Index has only achieved 7.2% [6]. - In the last five years, the S&P 500's average total return is 15.3%, significantly outperforming the FTSE Nareit's 5.5% [6]. - However, over periods exceeding 20 years, the FTSE Nareit All Equity REIT Index has historically outperformed the S&P 500 [7]. Recommended REITs Realty Income - Realty Income owns over 15,500 retail properties with a market-leading occupancy rate of 98.7% and has paid monthly dividends for 55 years, increasing its quarterly payout for 28 consecutive years [9][11]. - Current market cap is $54 billion, with a dividend yield of 5.54% [10]. American Tower - American Tower operates approximately 42,000 tower sites in the U.S. and generated $2.7 billion in revenue during Q3 2025, marking a 7.7% year-over-year increase [13]. - The market cap is $79 billion, with a dividend yield of 4.04% [14]. Digital Realty Trust - Digital Realty Trust focuses on data centers, including those for artificial intelligence, and reported a 10% revenue increase to $1.6 billion in Q3 [17]. - The company is projected to grow significantly, with the data center infrastructure industry expected to expand at an average annual rate of 13.4% through 2034 [18]. - Current market cap is $54 billion, with a dividend yield of 3.08% [19].