The REIT sector is facing the prospects of “higher for longer” interest rates as the US Federal Reserve kept rates at a 23-year high during its recent meeting. Hence, REIT managers have to deal with higher finance costs while grappling with increased expenses arising from inflation. Income investors are justifiably worried about whether distributions are under pressure. Despite these headwinds, several REITs have defied the odds and posted a higher distribution per unit (DPU). We single out three of them that income investors may wish to add to their buy watchlists. Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust (SGX: N2IU) Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust, or MPACT, has a portfolio of 18 commercial properties across five cities in Asia – Singapore (5), Hong Kong (1), China (2), Japan (9), and South Korea (1). These properties have a total lettable area of 11.2 million square feet and the portfolio’s assets under management (AUM) stood at S$16.5 billion as of 31 March 2024. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 (4Q FY2024)...