Retail Investors Can Get Reit Tips From Experts Under New Scheme

300 individuals will get to visit properties and understand the assets they invest in

- Sheila Chiang

Retail investors can get expert tips on real estate investment trusts as the market for Reits in Singapore heats up with falling interest rates and fresh listings on the horizon.

Research analysts, trading representatives and Reit managers will hold 10 sessions under a newly launched educational series on the asset class aimed at enabling retail investors to better understand and assess the risks involved before putting their money into Reits.

More than 300 investors, brokers and investment professionals will get to visit Reit properties and understand the assets that they invest in under the six-month programme, which is organised by the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), or Sias.

Sias president David Gerald said on May 24: "Going beyond reading annual reports or attending webinars, investors will now walk through the actual assets, engage the managers, ask questions and understand the fundamentals as part of investor education. Investors will need to understand and assess the risks involved as well when investing in Reits."

The programme is supported by SGX Group, the Reit Association of Singapore and the Securities Association of Singapore.

SGX Group head of equities Ng Yao Loong said the Singapore Exchange sees a healthy Reit initial public offering (IPO) pipeline, particularly in emerging sub-sectors like data centres, purpose-built living spaces and logistics assets.