Reits stands for Real Estate Investment Trust - is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate income taxes. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors.

Read more about Reits here: Wikipedia

List of Canadian and U.S.Reits

Canadian REITS – August 5, 2011

Diversified REITs
Artis REIT (TSX: AX.UN)
BTB REIT (TSX: BTB.UN)
Canadian REIT (TSX: REF.UN)
Cominar REIT (TSX: CUF.UN)
Dundee REIT (TSX: D.UN)
Homburg Canada REIT (TSX: HCR.UN)
H&R REIT (TSX: HR.UN)
Huntingdon REIT (TSX: HNT.UN)
Morguard REIT (TSX: MRT.UN)
Whiterock REIT (TSX: WRK.UN)

Hospitality REITs
Holloway Lodging REIT (TSX: HLR.UN)
InnVest REIT (TSX: INN.UN)
Lakeview Hotel REIT (TSX: LHR.UN)
Temple REIT (TSX: TR.UN)

Industrial REITs
Pure Industrial REIT (TSX: AAR.UN)

Multi-Residential REITs
Boardwalk REIT (TSX: BEI.UN)
CAP REIT (TSX: CAR.UN)
Centurion Apartment REIT (Private)
InterRent REIT (TSX: IIP.UN)
Lanesborough REIT (TSX: LRT.UN)
Northern Property REIT (TSX: NPR.UN)
Transglobe Apartment REIT (TSX: TGA.UN)

Office REITs
Allied Properties REIT (TSX: AP.UN)
NorthWest Healthcare REIT (TSX: NWH.UN)

Medical Office REITs
GT Canada Medical Properties REIT (TSX: MOB.UN)

Private REITs
Centurion Apartment REIT (Multi-Residential)
League Assets REIT

Retail REITs
Calloway REIT (TSX: CWT.UN)
Crombie REIT (TSX: CRR.UN)
Primaris Retail REIT (TSX: PMZ.UN)
Retrocom Mid-Market REIT (TSX: RMM.UN)
RioCan REIT (TSX: REI.UN)
Scott’s REIT (TSX: SRQ.UN)

Retirement REITs
Chartwell REIT (TSX: CSH.UN)
Extendicare REIT (TSX: EXE.UN)

S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index Fund (TSX: XRE)

US REITs – August 5, 2011

Industrial
AMB Property Corporation (NYSE: AMB)
DCT Industrial Trust (NYSE: DCT)
ProLogis (NYSE: PLD)
Ps Business Parks (NYSE: PSB)

Office
Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP)
Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN)
Brookfield Properties Corporation (NYSE: BPO)
Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC
Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LRY)
SL Green Realty Trust (NYSE: SLG)

Retail – Regional malls
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE: CBL)
General Growth Properties, Inc. (NYSE: GGP)
Glimcher Realty Trust (NYSE: GRT)
Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: PEI)
Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG)
Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE: TCO)
The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC)

Shopping centers
Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE: AKR)
Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc. (NYSE: CDR)
Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (NYSE: DDR)
Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM)
Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust (NYSE: RPT)
Regency Centers Corporation (NYSE: REG)
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT)

Free standing
Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O)

Residential – Apartments
American Campus Communities, Inc. (NYSE: ACC)
Apartment Investment & Management Company (NYSE: AIV)
Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT)
Colonial Properties Trust (NYSE: CLP)
Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR)
Home Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HME)
United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. (UDR) (NYSE: UDR)

Diversified
Colonial Properties Trust (NYSE: CLP)
Cousins Properties, Inc. (NYSE: CUZ)
Sun Communities, Inc. (NYSE: SUI)
Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO)

Lodging and resorts
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST)

Health care
Health Care Property Investors, Inc. (NYSE: HCP)

Self storage
Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR)
Public Storage (NYSE: PSA)
U-Store-It Trust (NYSE: YSI)

Specialty (timber)
Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. (NYSE: PCL)
Rayonier, Inc. (NYSE: RYN)
Potlatch Corp. (NYSE: PCH)
Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY)

Specialty (other)
American Campus Communities (NYSE: ACC)
Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR)