Singapore is a landlord country – almost everyone would say “if I have money I will buy properties and rent them out, so I can shake leg and collect rental income.”

Property prices have risen considerably over the past 55 years and with leverage, many Singaporeans have became wealthy through property ownership.

But properties require large capital outlay which not every investor would have the luxury to afford. Enter REITs, which could ‘fractionalise’ ownership into smaller amounts via units listed on the stock exchange. This enables investors with smaller capital to own a piece of real estate and not worry about maintaining properties and collecting rent. Also, some of the prized assets such as shopping malls are too expensive for an individual to own in entirety. Breaking down into REIT units makes it accessible even for a retail investor to invest in.

Singapore Exchange (SGX) sports one of the best