Crashes are terrifying. Markets tank, portfolios shrivel, and news anchors do their best chicken-little impressions. But for seasoned investors—or just those who don’t fling their phones into the ocean at the first red candle—a crash is also a massive opportunity.
Let’s talk about Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs. These often-overlooked income-producing powerhouses get hammered like everything else during a crash—but the right ones bounce back like a yoga ball on espresso. With the real estate sector pummeled and dividend yields juiced up from falling prices, this is the time to go shopping for top-tier REITs.
After digging through the wreckage, here are the 3 best REITs to buy after the crash—because smart investors don’t run from the rubble. They renovate it.
1. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) – The Monthly Money Machine
What It Is:
Realty Income is basically the dividend aristocrat of REITs. If REITs were Pokémon, this one would be Charizard. It's dubbed “The Monthly Dividend Company,” and for good reason: it pays out dividends every month—yes, like clockwork, even when everything else is burning.
It owns over 13,000 commercial properties under long-term net lease agreements. This means the tenants pay most of the operating costs. Realty Income just sits back and collects the rent like your lazy but rich landlord.
Why It’s a Buy After the Crash:
During downturns, Realty Income’s portfolio shines because it’s loaded with defensive tenants—think Walgreens, Dollar General, and FedEx—not shaky tech startups or mall food courts.
After the recent crash, the stock dropped from the $70s to the low $50s, pushing its dividend yield to near 6%. That’s like earning an MBA-level income just for holding a stable, inflation-resistant REIT.
And this isn’t some speculative penny REIT. Realty Income has raised its dividend for over 100 consecutive quarters. It’s like a utility stock wearing a real estate costume, with a nose for long-term leases that weather all seasons.
Bonus:
O just completed a merger with Spirit Realty Capital, expanding its scale and diversification. That gives it even more rental income consistency and resilience.
Bottom Line:
If you want monthly income, rock-solid tenants, and a company that doesn’t flinch during a downturn, Realty Income is the REIT for you. It’s not sexy—but it’s dependable, and right now, it’s on sale.
2. Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD) – King of the Warehouses
What It Is:
Prologis is the Amazon of industrial REITs, minus the drama. It owns high-end logistics and warehouse space all over the globe—crucial real estate in a world that can’t stop buying things online.
E-commerce, supply chain efficiency, same-day delivery? All roads lead to warehouses, and Prologis owns the highways, the exits, and the toll booths.
Why It’s a Buy After the Crash:
Like everything else, PLD got caught in the crossfire during the crash—despite sitting in one of the most recession-resistant niches out there.
While retail REITs are panhandling and office REITs are begging workers to come back, industrial REITs like Prologis are booming. The demand for logistics centers is still intense—and it’s only growing.
Here’s the kicker: Prologis isn’t just sitting on old sheds. Its warehouses are high-tech distribution centers near major urban centers—irreplaceable infrastructure in the e-commerce age.
And despite the crash, the company’s fundamentals remain pristine. Occupancy rates above 97%, rental growth in the double digits, and a tenant list that includes Amazon, FedEx, and Home Depot? Yes, please.
Post-Crash Tailwinds:
As supply chains reconfigure for resilience and not just cost-cutting, proximity to customers matters more than ever. Prologis stands to benefit from this “localization of logistics” trend.
Bottom Line:
Prologis is a bet on the future of how the world moves goods. The crash knocked its price down—but demand for what it offers has never been higher. Buy the dip, then watch it ship.
3. Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) – The Silver Tsunami Play
What It Is:
Welltower is a healthcare REIT that specializes in senior housing, skilled nursing, and outpatient medical centers. Think of it as the landlord for Baby Boomers aging like wine and needing more checkups, assisted living, and care homes.
And spoiler alert: Boomers aren’t getting any younger.
Why It’s a Buy After the Crash:
The senior housing industry took a hit during the pandemic and the crash just added insult to injury—but that’s exactly why now is the time to pounce.
Welltower has been aggressively repositioning its portfolio with new operating partners and redevelopments, focusing on high-quality assets in high-income urban areas. It’s not just biding time—it's preparing for a demand wave the size of Florida.
By 2030, all Boomers will be age 65 or older. That’s about 75 million people heading straight into the core demographic that Welltower serves.
This isn’t theoretical. In 2024, Welltower reported one of its strongest NOI (net operating income) growth years in history, and occupancy rates are climbing like grandma at Silver Sneakers.
Dividend Comeback Story:
Welltower trimmed its dividend in 2020 (understandable), but it’s been gradually climbing back and is expected to boost payouts again as profitability surges.
Bonus Trend:
Welltower is also leaning into outpatient care facilities, which are exploding in demand as more procedures shift out of hospitals. That means additional, diversified revenue streams beyond senior housing.
Bottom Line:
This is the ultimate demographic megatrend REIT. If you believe Boomers will age, get sick, and need housing—and they will—then Welltower is a must-own, especially while it’s still cheap.
Why REITs After a Crash?
Let’s pause and ask the big question: Why REITs now, of all things?
Because crashes create bargains. REITs often drop harder than the broader market due to their interest rate sensitivity and reliance on capital. But the best REITs bounce back—and pay you while you wait.
Post-crash, you often see:
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Sky-high dividend yields (due to lower prices)
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Strong NAV (Net Asset Value) discounts
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Tenant demand remaining stable or increasing
So while growth bros are out there chasing the next Tesla, REIT investors are quietly raking in 5-7% yields, watching their asset prices recover, and sleeping just fine at night.
A Quick Word on REIT Risks (Because We’re Not Maniacs)
Of course, not every REIT is a golden goose.
Avoid office REITs unless you want to bet on a time machine bringing back 2019. Be careful with retail REITs unless they’re heavily grocery-anchored. And don’t touch mortgage REITs with a 10-foot pole unless you know what a convexity hedge is (and if you do, why are you reading this blog?).
Stick to equity REITs in resilient sectors like the ones we’ve covered here: net lease retail, industrial, and healthcare.
Also, keep an eye on interest rates. High rates pressure REIT prices in the short term but create long-term buying opportunities if the underlying businesses are solid.
REITs vs. Other Post-Crash Plays
Let’s be honest, when the market crashes, everyone’s looking at tech, crypto, or meme stocks like it’s 2021 all over again.
But while those may offer moonshot upside, they come with mood swings that would make a hormonal teenager blush.
REITs, in contrast, offer:
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Stability – backed by real estate, not vibes
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Income – cash in your pocket every month or quarter
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Tax advantages – especially in retirement accounts
And if you reinvest dividends? Your compounding engine goes into overdrive.
Final Thoughts: The Rubble Is Fertile Ground
Market crashes suck, but they also shake loose some of the best deals you’ll ever get.
If you want to add reliable, cash-flowing real estate to your portfolio without having to unclog a tenant’s toilet, REITs are the play.
And among REITs, these three rise to the top:
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Realty Income for steady monthly income and defensive tenants
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Prologis for exposure to the backbone of e-commerce
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Welltower for long-term demographic tailwinds and healthcare resilience
Buy them while they’re down. Hold them while they pay you. And smile when they rise again.
Because after the crash, the rebuilding starts—and these REITs are bringing the bricks, the mortar, and the mailbox with the dividend check.
What do you think? Are you buying REITs or running for cover? Drop a comment, share this post with your investing group chat, and let’s talk strategy in the ashes. 💸🏗️📈