As I progressed into the 12th year of investment since my first REIT, I decided to pen a post on the 5 common mistakes REIT investors may make. But instead of a theoretical piece (DO’s vs DON’Ts), I will pepper this post with personal examples of my Hits (gems) and Misses (painful lessons) drawing from the 20+ REITs I have invested in. Mistake #1: Chasing Highest Dividend Yield One of the biggest mistakes REIT investors make is focusing solely on headline dividend yield. Mistake #1: Chasing Highest Dividend Yield One of the biggest mistakes REIT investors make is focusing solely on headline dividend yield. A high yield may look attractive today, but it does not guarantee strong long-term returns. Likewise, a lower-yielding REIT should not automatically be dismissed. Let’s look at two personal examples.

1. IREIT Global

I bought IREIT Global at IPO in 2014 for the projected 8% yield, with 4 freehold office buildings at strategic locations in Germany (Europe’s largest economy), with...