Report|10 Aug 2026

Net Lease REITs: Ramping Development for Growth

Net lease real estate investment trusts (REIT) are increasingly incorporating development into their external growth strategies, complementing traditional acquisition activity with projects that can offer attractive economics and favorable credit characteristics.

Key Takeaways

  • Development is becoming a recurring source of external growth. The sector’s approximately $2.9 billion pipeline remains modest relative to acquisition activity, but remains well above 2021 levels and increasingly complements traditional acquisitions and sale-leaseback growth.
  • Development economics compare favorably with acquisitions. Build-to-suit (BTS) projects generally provide yields that are 25 basis points (bps)-50 bps above acquisition cap rates and can create additional net asset value (NAV) as completed properties stabilize at lower market cap rates.
  • Credit risk appears manageable. Development programs represent roughly 3% of enterprise value, are largely focused on fully…
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