More non-traditional Reits, but Asia lags in this trend

Singapore

THE "real estate" is being taken out of real estate investment trusts" or Reits, it would seem.

In more and more markets, the traditional definition of "real estate" in a Reit is taking on a new twist. In the US, for example, more non-traditional Reit assets are listing - and they have portfolios of infrastructure, ranging from fibre optic networks and mobile towers to assets such as aged homes and even prisons.