Despite the uncertainty around property prices, some funds — both ASX listed and private funds — are sitting on positive returns in 2020.

Among the ASX’s Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or property investment stocks, the average loss this year is nearly 20 per cent.

But a handful, including Rural Funds (ASX:RFF) and Vitalharvest (ASX:VTH), have bucked the trend.

Both of these stocks are focused on the agricultural property sector and have climbed despite the impact the summer’s bushfires had on the sector.

The sector’s biggest winner is also one of the ASX’s biggest listed players — +$30bn giant Goodman Group (ASX:GMG). Goodman owns and manages industrial properties including warehouses and logistics facilities.

Here’s a list of all ASX-listed REITs and their performance in 2020:

Code Name Price YTD % Return Market Cap
GMG GOODMAN GROUP 18.23 39.07 33.66B
RFF RURAL FUNDS GROUP 2.16 16.76 737.62M
VTH VITALHARVEST FREEHOLD TRUST 0.79 13.2 147.08M
AQR APN CONVENIENCE RETAIL REIT 3.71 8.96 414.97M
BWP BWP TRUST 3.99 5.27 2.59B
CHC CHARTER HALL GROUP 11.17 2.67 5.20B
NSR NATIONAL STORAGE REIT 1.83 2.12 1.87B
WPR WAYPOINT REIT 2.61 0.46 2.03B
CIP CENTURIA INDUSTRIAL REIT 3.21 -0.05 1.28B
HPI HOTEL PROPERTY INVESTMENTS 2.99 -3.55 463.29M
INA INGENIA COMMUNITIES GROUP 4.64 -4.01 1.53B
BWR BLACKWALL PROPERTY TRUST 1.31 -6.58 194.56M
CLW CHARTER HALL LONG WALE REIT 4.76 -10.35 2.34B
LEP ALE PROPERTY GROUP 4.9 -10.79 959.27M
TOT 360 CAPITAL REIT 0.88 -11.63 122.14M
ARF ARENA REIT 2.43 -12.15 827.15M
APW AIMS PROPERTY SECURITIES FUN 1.27 -12.23 56.98M
APZ ASPEN GROUP 1 -12.59 116.34M
ADI APN INDUSTRIA REIT 2.43 -12.83 481.96M
ECF ELANOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY F 1.01 -15.59 203.38M
QPR QUATTRO PLUS REAL ESTATE -16.07 75.52M
IAP INVESTEC AUSTRALIA PROPERTY 1.15 -17.03 721.33M
CQE CHARTER HALL SOCIAL INFRASTR 2.57 -17.5 926.15M
SCP SHOPPING CENTRES AUSTRALASIA 2.09 -18.03 2.29B
GOZ GROWTHPOINT PROPERTIES AUSTR 3.18 -19.78 2.49B
CMW CROMWELL PROPERTY GROUP 0.88 -20.4 2.34B
HMC HOME CONSORTIUM 3.05 -20.63 765.86M
CQR CHARTER HALL RETAIL REIT 3.29 -21.62 1.86B
ABP ABACUS PROPERTY GROUP 2.63 -21.98 1.78B
SGP STOCKLAND 3.46 -22.06 8.32B
AOF AUSTRALIAN UNITY OFFICE FUND 2.15 -22.46 350.09M
GDF GARDA PROPERTY GROUP 1.01 -23.64 193.70M
TGP 360 CAPITAL GROUP LTD 0.81 -25.25 187.01M
DXS DEXUS 8.37 -25.88 9.23B
GDI GDI PROPERTY GROUP 1.05 -25.94 570.05M
AVN AVENTUS GROUP 2.05 -26.36 1.15B
COF CENTURIA OFFICE REIT 1.92 -29.34 1.00B
GPT GPT GROUP 3.73 -30.5 7.40B
MGR MIRVAC GROUP 2.08 -33.05 8.26B
ERF ELANOR RETAIL PROPERTY FUND 0.81 -36.11 103.63M
SCG SCENTRE GROUP 2.06 -44.07 10.80B
VCX VICINITY CENTRES 1.35 -45.18 6.21B
CDP CARINDALE PROPERTY TRUST 2.9 -50.86 199.50M
BWF BLACKWALL LTD 0.38 -57.45 23.68M
URF US MASTERS RESIDENTIAL PROPE 0.25 -71.26 95.27M
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Non-listed funds equally hit, but not all

Non-listed funds have taken a near 20 per cent hit too, according to CF Property Capital.

But CF says one of its funds, the Chiodo Diversified Property Fund (CDPF), has dipped just 1.4 per cent in 2020 and is up 4.4 per cent on a 12-month basis.

The CDPF focuses on unlisted property schemes, mostly in low-risk high-growth residential developments.

CF says being unlisted has its advantages.

“Because we’re an unlisted property fund, our projects are re-valued at certain milestones of their construction phase as an unlisted portfolio, whereas shares of listed property funds are revalued daily,” executive director Ilya Frolov said

“This means our investors are less exposed to the impacts of the share market and COVID-19 even after we’ve imposed a 5 percent decrease in our asset portfolio.”

 

Market fall an opportunity

Plunging property prices, however, can present lucrative opportunities, according to CF.

This is because funds can buy land on the cheap, construction can begin faster and the sale in the future is likely to return a higher yield than if investors waited for market sentiment to recover.

“When there is a crisis, there is that opportunity for cheaper acquisitions which means potentially higher returns when we get out of the crisis,” Frolov said.