REITS: [Real Estate Investment Trust ]REITs are securities linked to real
estate that can be traded on stock exchanges once they get listed. The structure
of REITs is similar to that of a mutual fund. Just like mutual funds, there are sponsors,
trustees, fund managers and unit holders in REITs. However, unlike mutual funds,
where the underlying asset is bonds, stocks and gold, REITs invest in physical real
estate. The money collected is deployed in income-generating real estate. This income gets distributed among the unit
holders. Besides regular income from rents and leases, gains from capital appreciation
of real estate also form an income for the unit holders.