From Calculated Risk:

Goldman Sachs tracks the rents at a large number of apartment REITs - and rents are now falling (excerpted from research report with permission):

REITs tend to adjust more rapidly to changing market conditions than the typical landlord, so changes in their behavior are useful signals of turns in the market ... Public REITs typically report the rent increases they have achieved on a year-over-year, comparable-unit basis with each quarterly filing. ... [the tracked] REITS managed 300,000 units that were comparable to the year-before period in the first quarter of 2009 ... In the first quarter of 2009, the major REITs collectively reported an outright decline in rents for the first time since 2004.

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A contrarian view on REITs:

Stansberry: Buy REITs now

And more posts on housing:

The best cities to buy and rent a home

Billionaire Paulson calls bottom in housing market