WSJ: After a sluggish end to 2018, real-estate investment trusts are showing promise again. According to the Wall Street Journal, Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ), which is a proxy for the REIT sector, is up 21%. Rising interest rates and a slowdown in global economic growth were poised to be headwinds for REITs, but the securities may have gotten a reprieve. The Federal Reserve’s decision to pause interest-rate increases is a tailwind for REITs, which typically do better in low-interest-rate environments. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. Executive Managing Director, John Creswell, says “generally speaking, REITs aren’t as economically sensitive as they have been in the past. The real estate industry has improved its corporate governance and is less dependent on leverage.” Mr. Creswell adds that the asset choices being made by REITs have improved as they focus more on opportunities that can weather the ups and downs of the economy. For example, single-family rental homes, self-storage units, data-center space, and cell towers are pillars in a broad economic slowdown.