Well, it depends on what you mean by safe. REITs have historically produced competitive average annual returns of 10.5% along with impressive dividend yields. As is typical of equities, however, you can lose money even with the best of REITs. It's important that you analyze your risk tolerance when deciding whether to invest in REITs and which ones best suit your portfolio. Now, you may occasionally run into shady websites offering non-traded REITs that are unregulated. Avoiding this is simple; just purchase REITs through a licensed and reputable brokerage. If you're ever uncertain, however, you can verify a REIT's legitimacy through the SEC's EDGAR tool.