Time to buy real estate stocks as bargains abound, Barron’s says

The great debate in real estate is whether the vacant office buildings in many cities will ever refill. But offices are now just 3.4% of the $1 trillion public market for real estate investment trusts, or REITs, and the broader REIT space isn’t as troubled, Bill Alpert writes in this week’s edition of Barron’s. With valuations laid low, there are bargains amid the rubble. AvalonBay Communities (AVB), Equity Residential (EQR), Digital Realty Trust (DLR), Equinix (EQIX), First Industrial Realty First (FR), Simon Property Group (SPG), Healthpeak Properties (PEAK), Kimco Realty (KIM), Cousins Properties (CUZ), and Highwoods Properties (HIW) are weathering the downturn and could be winners as conditions improve, the author adds.