Real Estate Investment Trust

(REIT) A business trust or corporation that pools the money of High Yield Investors for the benefit of investing in real estate. The REIT Company offers common shares to the public. In this way, a REIT stock is similar to any other stock that represents ownership in an operating business. However, a REIT has two unique features: its primary business is managing groups of income-producing properties and it must distribute most of its profits as dividends. Corporations and trusts that qualify for REIT status with the IRS generally do not pay corporate income taxes. Instead, they pay out all of their taxable income in the form of dividends.