And recent data indicates that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Renter households continue to grow faster than homeowner households. According to Barron’s:

“With house prices still high, mortgage rates stuck just under 7%, and plenty of economic uncertainty, consumers are once again seeing the virtues of renting. Over a third of respondents, 35%, told Fannie Mae in April that they would rent instead of buy if they had to move, the highest share since October and more than the long-term average of three in 10.”

Residential REITs aren’t going to beat the growth opportunities that growth investors can get from stocks that are part of the artificial intelligence (AI) trade. However, they can be a solid choice for income-oriented investors, particularly at at a time when interest rates are coming down, which makes short-term Treasury bills less appealing.

In fact, REITs are required to pay a healthy percentage of their earnings to shareholders. That means the certainty of regular dividends. If you think that real estate investment trusts (REITs) may be right for you, here are three names to consider.

Residential REITS #1: Mid-America Apartment Communities

With a yield of just over 4.54%, Mid-America Apartment Communities (NYSE: MAA) is an attractive, oversold opportunity.  The REIT focuses on apartment communities in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S.

MAA stock is down 13.5% in 2025. However, the stock has risen approximately 5% since its earnings report on October 30. At that time, the company reported strong operating results with 95.6% physical occupancy, a 4.5% increase in renewals, and net delinquency at just 0.3%, indicating resilient demand and collections.

MAA also paid a dividend of $1.515 per share on October 31, July 31, April 30, and January 31. Its next dividend payment should come at the end of January 2026.

Residential REITs #2: Camden Property Trust

With a yield of about 4%, Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT) is one of the largest publicly traded multifamily companies in the United States. The company is primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. It also owns and operates 177 properties.

CPT stock is down about 9.8% in 2025. However, it’s up about 7% since October 31. Part of those gains is due to the company’s strong earnings report.

In its most recent earnings report, the company’s funds from operations of $1.67 was in-line. Revenue of $395.68 million, up 2.2% year over year, missed by $2.86 million.

Camden Propery Trust has a high-yield dividend of 4.02%. It pays out $4.20 per share on an annual basis. The most recent dividend payment of $1.05 per share came on October 17, 2025.

Residential REITs #3: AvalonBay Communities

With a yield of 3.87%, AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) invests in apartments. It just declared a dividend of $1.75 per share, which will be paid on January 15 to shareholders of record as of December 31.

AVB stock is down about 18% in 2025, but has climbed about 3% since November 1. That corresponds to its earnings report on October 30. At that time, the company lowered its full‑year core FFO guidance by $0.14 to $11.25, reflecting weaker same‑store NOI and implied year‑over‑year earnings growth of about 2.2%.

Most recently, analysts at Barclays, Scotiabank, and Morgan Stanley raised their price targets on the AVB stock. Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $228 with an equal-weight rating on the stock. Scotibank raised its price target from $241 to $251. 

The reason is that more Americans are renting again.

In fact, as noted by Fortune.com, “For the first time since 2016, America’s homeownership rate has tipped into negative territory, signaling a subtle but profound shift in the nation’s housing dynamics, Redfin reports in its new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. In the second quarter of 2025, the number of U.S. homeowner households fell ever so slightly, by 0.1% year over year to 86.2 million, while renter households surged by 2.6% to 46.4 million—one of the largest increases in recent memory.”

That tells us the percentage of people owning a home isn’t growing much, if at all. 

By now, the reasons for the housing slowdown have become obvious: rising home prices, high mortgage rates, and economic uncertainty. But as investors, we can profit from stock appreciation and dividends from those higher rent numbers with real estate investment trusts (REITs).

REITs have been poor investments for the better part of two years But that may be about to change, and here are three names that belong on a list of dividend stocks to own.

Dividend Stocks to Own: AvalonBay Communities

With a yield of 4.02%, AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) is an attractive first choice for income investors. But AVB stock is also starting to look like a compelling growth play as well. Analysts give the stock a consensus price target of $209.35, which is 17% above the stock price as of this writing. It’s worth noting that recent price targets have been moving higher. 

AvalonBay is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California.

The company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 3,315 apartment communities containing 97,212 apartment homes in 11 states and the District of Columbia, of which 20 communities were under development.

One benefit of owning a REIT stock is that they are required to pay out a high percentage of its earnings as dividends. To that end, AvalonBay just paid a dividend of $1.75 a share on October 15.

Dividend Stocks to Own: Equity Residential

Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) is the next REIT on this list of dividend stocks to own. The company’s dividend has a yield of 4.72% as of this writing. Analysts also have price targets that suggest that EQR stock is undervalued.

Equity Residential is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around cities that attract affluent long-term renters. It owns or has investments in 317 properties consisting of 85,936 apartment units, in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin.

Equity Residential paid a dividend of just over 69 cents on October 10. That dividend payout has increased for four consecutive years.

Dividend Stocks to Own: UMH Properties

UMH Properties Inc. (NYSE: UMH) is an intriguing choice for investors who are tracking trends.

UMH Properties owns and operates a portfolio of 144 manufactured home communities with approximately 26,900 developed homesites, of which 10,800 contain rental homes, and over 1,000 self-storage units. These communities are located in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, and Alabama.

Manufactured homes are becoming a popular choice for first-time homeowners who are looking for options beyond an apartment complex. And demand for self-storage units has been growing since the “great relocation” started in 2020.

UMH stock has a dividend yield of 6.17% and will pay a dividend of just over 22 cents per share on December 15 to shareholders of record as of November 17.