REIT's continue to attact investment with stable dividends. The equity market cap of the REIT industry was just $1.5 billion in 1971. It rose to 9.9 billion in 1986. The market cap climbed to $330 billion in 2005 and the number of REIT's grew from 34 to 197. This represents a major investment market shift since 1986. Value is perceived where return is real.