Barclays Global Investors has five iShares exchange traded funds (ETFs) in registration right now.  These ETFs would follow indexes from the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. The proposed iShares would join a small number of ETFs that invest in REITs, the latest of which follows an international real estate index. David Hoffman of InvestmentNews reports financial advisers like most of the real estate ETFs in existence, especially the international SPDR Dow Jones Wilshire International Real Estate (RWX), out since December 14, 2006. These REITs give investors exposure to areas of the market that were inaccessible before to individual investors. However, there are many asking "Is their timing right?"

Tags: Real Estate, REITs