Reassessing Residential REITs: Performance and Resilience After COVID-19

Authors

• Donna Seapoe
• Anne Keenaghan
• Davinder Malhotra, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-26-2026

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Journal of Risk and Financial Management, Volume 19, Issue 3, 2026, Article number 165.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm19030165. Copyright © 2026 by the authors.

Abstract

This study analyzes the monthly returns of residential real estate investment trusts (REITs) from 2010 through 2025, assessing how these investments performed both during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Sharpe, Sortino, and Omega ratios and multi-factor asset pricing models, the study finds that residential REITs delivered stable risk-adjusted returns and improved downside protection relative to broad indices. Value-at-risk metrics confirmed their defensive nature, and portfolio optimization demonstrated diversification and volatility reduction when including residential REITs. Overall, residential REITs were shown to preserve capital and improve portfolio efficiency during market disruptions

Recommended Citation

Seapoe, Donna; Keenaghan, Anne; and Malhotra, Davinder, "Reassessing Residential REITs: Performance and Resilience After COVID-19" (2026). School of Business Faculty Papers. Paper 21.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/sbfp/21

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Language

English