REITs are on pace to return about 3% in 2013, after posting returns of 20%, 7.3%, 27.6% and 27.5% in each of the last four years.
The asset class has taken a beating since May, when the Fed indicated it would begin the process of unwinding its quantitative easing initiatives. Through Dec. 20, the FTSE NAREIT Mortgage REIT index has returned -2.8%, while the FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT index has returned 2.6%.
