Treasury Yields Are Tumbling: 5 High-Yield Dividend REITs Could Explode Higher

By Lee Jackson Published Apr 7, 2:12PM EDT

Quick Read

These REITs provide dependable passive income streams, some of them paying monthly.
The Federal Reserve will likely keep interest rates on hold in 2025.
Dependable passive income makes sense for all investors.

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Treasury Yields Are Tumbling: 5 High-Yield Dividend REITs Could Explode Higher — © TierneyMJ / Shutterstock.com

After an incredible run of 20%+ years for the S&P 500 in 2023 and 2024, many across Wall Street now know that the momentum has hit a wall. With the Nasdaq down 20% in 2025 and already in bear market territory as the Magnificent 7 tech stocks that led the rally for the last two and a half years get hammered, Treasury yields on the 10-year note have tumbled to the lowest levels since last October as investors seeking safe-havens try to gauge the impact that U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs will have on the U.S. economy. While some stock investors feared a market meltdown like we are seeing, real estate investors are cheering the lowest rate on the benchmark note in over 6 months.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) own, operate, or finance income-producing real estate. They enable individuals to invest in real estate without owning properties directly. REITs pool funds from investors to purchase and manage a diversified portfolio of real estate assets, including office buildings, apartments, shopping malls, hotels, and warehouses.

We screened our 24/7 Wall Street REIT research database to identify companies that offer the highest yields and exhibit solid growth potential. We purposely avoided the mortgage REIT segment, as it tends to be more volatile and sensitive to interest rates. Five top companies are our top investment ideas, and all are Buy-rated by top firms on Wall Street. Several companies also pay their shareholders monthly.

Why do we cover real estate investment trusts?

An adage on Wall Street referring to real estate attributed to Mark Twain says, “Buy land; they’re not making it anymore.” While somewhat simplistic, it is true. Real estate has long been a staple investment for some of the wealthiest and brightest investors in history.

Apple Hospitality REIT

Apple Hospitality REIT Inc. (NYSE: APLE | APLE Price Prediction) owns one of the largest portfolios of upscale, select-service hotels in the United States. It is a publicly traded REIT that offers a solid dividend and distinguishes itself in the market with its unique offerings.

Despite its name, it is not affiliated with the technology giant. However, it offers a solid total return potential, owning one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, room-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitality’s portfolio comprises 220 hotels with over 28,900 guest rooms in 87 markets across 37 states, as well as one property leased to third parties.

Concentrated on industry-leading brands, the company’s hotel portfolio comprises:

100 Marriott-branded hotels
120 Hilton-branded hotels
Five Hyatt-branded hotels

EPR Properties

EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) is a specialty REIT that invests in properties in select market segments that require unique industry knowledge. This REIT invests in some of the most popular entertainment companies and pays a dependable dividend. It is a leading experiential net-lease REIT specializing in select, enduring experiential properties within the real estate industry.

The company focuses on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out-of-home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers spend their time and money.

EPR Properties has nearly $6.7 billion in total investments across 44 states. It adheres to rigorous underwriting and investing criteria centered on key industry, property, and tenant-level cash flow standards. Senior management believes its focused approach provides a competitive advantage and the potential for stable and attractive returns.

Realty Income

Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O) is a REIT that invests in free-standing, single-tenant commercial properties. This is an ideal stock for growth and income investors seeking a safer, contrarian investment for the remainder of 2025. It is an S&P 500 company that provides stockholders with dependable monthly income.

The company is structured as a REIT, and its monthly dividends are supported by the cash flow from over 15,540 real estate properties, including those acquired in the Spirit merger in January 2024, which are owned under long-term lease agreements with commercial tenants.

Realty Income has declared 656 consecutive monthly ordinary stock dividends throughout its 55-year operating history and has increased the dividend 123 times since its public listing in 1994. For its 30 straight years of dividend growth, it is a top real estate member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index.

Starwood Property Trust

Starwood Capital is a well-established global investor with international investments spanning over 30 countries. This high-yielding company, run by real estate legend Barry Sternlicht, offers big-time total return potential. Starwood Property Trust Inc. (NYSE: STWD) operates as a REIT in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

It operates through four segments:

Commercial and Residential Lending
Infrastructure Lending
Property
Investing and Servicing segments

The Commercial and Residential Lending segment:

Originates, acquires, finances, and manages commercial first mortgages
Non-agency residential mortgages
Subordinated mortgages
Mezzanine loans
Preferred Equity
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS)
Residential mortgage-backed securities

The Infrastructure lending segment originates, acquires, finances, and manages infrastructure debt investments.

The Property segment primarily develops and manages equity interests in stabilized commercial real estate properties, including multifamily properties and commercial properties subject to net leases, which are held for investment purposes.

The Investing and Servicing segment:

Manages and works out problem assets
Acquires and contains unrated, investment grade, and non-investment grade rated CMBS comprising subordinated interests of securitization and re-securitization transactions
Originates conduit loans to sell these loans into securitization transactions and acquire commercial real estate assets, including properties from CMBS trusts

VICI Properties

Vici Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) is a REIT based in New York City specializing in casino and entertainment properties. This is one of the top picks among Wall Street’s net lease group and is ideal for more conservative investors seeking gaming exposure. It is an S&P 500 experiential REIT with one of the largest portfolios of market-leading gaming, hospitality, and entertainment destinations, including three iconic entertainment facilities on the Las Vegas Strip:

Caesars Palace Las Vegas
MGM Grand
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

VICI Properties owns 93 experiential assets across a geographically diverse portfolio of 54 gaming properties and 39 other experiential properties across the United States and Canada. The portfolio comprises approximately 127 million square feet and features approximately 60,300 hotel rooms, as well as over 500 restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and sportsbooks.

Its properties are occupied by industry-leading gaming, leisure, and hospitality operators under long-term, triple-net lease agreements. VICI Properties has a growing array of real estate and financing partnerships with leading operators in other experiential sectors, including:

Bowlero
Cabot
Canyon Ranch
Chelsea Piers
Great Wolf Resorts
Homefield
Kalahari Resorts

VICI Properties also owns four championship golf courses and 33 acres of undeveloped and underdeveloped land adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip.

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About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.