What is the primary purpose of a REIT?

The primary purpose of a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is to provide a way for individuals to invest in large-scale, income-producing real estate. This framework allows individual investors to pool their money to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate assets, such as office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and apartments.

This structure democratizes real estate investing, as it provides access to opportunities that might otherwise be available only to wealthy individuals or institutional investors. By investing in a REIT, individuals can gain exposure to real estate and the potential income it generates through rents or property appreciation without having to directly purchase and manage properties themselves.

The result is that REITs can offer a steady income stream through dividends, which are typically seen as more stable investments compared to other types of stocks that may be more volatile. Overall, the key function of a REIT is to provide a mechanism for collective investment in income-generating real estate, making it the most fitting choice for this question.