REITs make key contributions the U.S. Economy, according to EY:

• U.S. REITs contributed the equivalent of an estimated 2.4 million full-time jobs to the economy in 2018 generating $148.2 billion of labor income.
• REIT activities resulted in the distribution of $128.9 billion of dividend income in 2018.
• REITs invested $60.9 billion in new construction and routine capital expenditures to maintain existing property in 2018.

Public REITs own more than 516,000 properties across the U.S. as of year-end 2019. Equity and mortgage REITs combined own roughly $2.5 trillion in gross real estate assets. Private REITs own an additional $1 trillion in gross assets bringing the total REIT ownership value to $3.5 trillion in the U.S. as of year-end 2019.

Listed REITs have year-end 2019 equity market capitalization around $1.4 trillion.