12 Best REIT Stocks to Buy Now

Page 2 of 11

10. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) focuses on the acquisition, development, and management of residential properties. The firm owns or has investments in 312 properties comprising 84,018 apartment units, with a strong presence in major cities including Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, and Southern California, and a growing presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin.

EQR began in 1993 as a portfolio of about 20,000 apartment units positioned primarily in garden-style properties in the Midwest and South. The firm’s high-quality, well-located apartment properties continue to capture a strong demand. The firm has positioned this portfolio of urban and suburban properties in places that attract a resident demographic that chooses to rent for lifestyle reasons and due to less housing affordability.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) benefits from a general undersupply of housing for both renting and owning. Its markets have a high cost of single-family housing which creates a robust demand to rent. The firm’s apartment business also benefits from its prime demographic, which chooses to marry later and have children later than previous generations. High employment levels among its well-earning resident base and wage growth across the economy deem the firm’s apartment properties an appealing choice and position EQR well to continue to grow cash flows.

Page 2 of 11