REITs are publicly traded stocks, offering investors a whole host of advantages over actual properties: - low initial investment amounts - easy to buy and sell anytime via the stock market (liquidity) - able to buy/sell small fractions (fractional  ownership) - no cluster risk (REITs often own 1,000s of properties) - access to potentially world-class investment-grade properties - passive income via distributions/dividends - no ongoing involvement is required - depending on your jurisdiction, potential tax advantages In most cases, buying a REIT at a good valuation and with a strong dividend offers investors a very good alternative to buying actual (physical) property.