Last Update
August 21, 2025
REITs make key contributions the U.S. Economy, according to EY:
- U.S. REITs contributed the equivalent of an estimated 3.5 million full-time jobs to the economy in 2023 generating $278 billion of labor income.
- REIT activities resulted in the distribution of $110.8 billion of dividend income in 2023.
- REITs invested $120.9 billion in routine capital expenditures to maintain existing property and new construction in 2023.
Public REITs own 570,000 properties across the U.S. as of year-end 2024. Equity and mortgage REITs combined own roughly $2.5 trillion in gross real estate assets. Private REITs own an additional $2 trillion in gross assets bringing the total REIT ownership value to more than $4.5 trillion in the U.S. as of year-end 2024.
Listed REITs have year-end 2024 equity market capitalization around $1.4 trillion.
Learn more about the types of real estate that REITs own