• Such a trust may qualify for special income-tax treatment if it distributes 95% of its income to its shareholders. — Abbr. REIT. See investment company under COMPANY. Cf. REAL-ESTATE MORTGAGE TRUST. [Cases: Internal Revenue 3997. C.J.S. Internal Revenue § 420.]
real estate investment trust
A company that invests in and manages a portfolio of real estate, with the majority of the trust’s income distributed to its shareholders.