REIT - Specialty
This category covers trusts that own unique, non-traditional real estate assets that don't fit other molds, such as farmland, data centers, timberlands, or outdoor advertising sites.
Why it exists
Specialty REITs own niche property types that don’t fit traditional categories.
Why it’s necessary
The economy creates asset classes faster than standard real estate classification systems.
Key components
Data centers
Cell towers
Storage units
Farmland, timberland, billboards
How to evaluate businesses
Mission-criticality, pricing power, tenant concentration, and technological obsolescence risks matter most. Data centers and towers sit at the intersection of real estate and infrastructure.
How the industry could be improved
Energy-efficient operations, modular capacity expansion, AI-based capacity planning, and better regulatory coordination for infrastructure-style assets.