The Next Phase of Real Estate Might Be About Financing, Not Owning

Traditional models shifting toward platform-based strategies

Artis Real Estate Investment Trust was once the kind of diversified property owner that embodied the Canadian REIT model. Its portfolio spans more than nine million square feet across industrial, retail, and office assets, split between Canada and the United States. With a market capitalization of around $650 million, Artis isn’t one of the giants, but it has long been seen as a steady, asset-heavy operation focused on rent collection and incremental growth. That makes its decision to merge with RFA Capital Holdings all the more notable.

The merger will see Artis absorbed into RFA’s banking and mortgage business, effectively transforming a traditional property owner into part of a financial platform. This is more than a structural reshuffling, it’s a signal that the future of real estate might be found on the balance sheet rather than in the skyline. By swapping physical assets for a share of a mortgage origination platform, Artis is betting that returns will come faster and more predictably from financing deals than from collecting rent on office or retail space in a slow-growth environment...

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RSK: Artis merging is very interesting but it seems to be the trend these days. I`ll have to find out more.....spoke with Kyle at Artis and they will remain the property management arm.