Episode 443: Cohen & Steers’ Ji Zhang Sees Scope for REITs to Outperform Equities

Ji Zhang, portfolio manager for global real estate at Cohen & Steers, was a guest on the latest episode of Nareit’s REIT Report podcast. Zhang spoke about her firm’s recent entry into the active exchange traded fund space, including the Cohen & Steers Real Estate Active ETF.

Zhang explained that the ETF is designed specifically to invest in “high conviction ideas” in U.S. REITs, while opportunistically investing in international and other real estate-related securities. “The ultimate goal is to provide total return and portfolio diversification,” she said.

The backdrop for REIT fundamentals is “quite healthy,” supported by steady demand and meaningfully below-trend supply, Zhang said