Recently heard an original and fantastic explanation for the plight of public REITs from a friend at a major index shop:
After the GFC, REITs could not escape their max drawdown numbers, which put them into a risk bucket they don't belong. REIT managers kept hearing from allocators that their max drawdowns were too high, thus they were deemed too risky for allocation.
So REIT managers set out to prove themselves low-risk, and systematically lowered their leverage accordingly... At the exact moment that investor risk appetites exploded and they should have been taking on more leverage.
🤔🤔🤔
Real estate broker: I’m bullish
Investors: ofc you’re bullish you’re a broker, and the outcome doesn’t matter you still get paid
Syndicator: I’m bullish
Investors: omg
If that multifamily guy with the beard getting skewered online got a clean shave, bought a Patagonia vest, and 20x’d the amount of capital he lost, consultants would recommend a nine figure allocation in his next fund to their pension and endowment clients
Breaking: The Illinois House votes 78-32 to approve a megaprojects bill that could clear the way for the Chicago Bears to build a new domed stadium in Arlington Heights. A major sign of progress, but hurdles remain. The bill goes to the Senate, where it will likely be amended.
This one is so funny for the firefighters/police/taxpayers of Iowa
You see “Contrarian Distressed Real Estate Debt Fund III” in 2015 was so good at 1.2% IRR that they reupped in 2019 and stuck a -5.4% IRR, but at least the expense ratio was reduced from <checks notes> 5% to 2%