The U.S. real estate market is more unaffordable than ever before, pushing more people to rent rather than buy. This trend makes residential real estate investment trusts (REITs) very interesting for investors. Residential REITs offer investors the benefits of owning rental properties without the hassles of purchasing a property or being a landlord. They also carry the benefit of being liquid, since you can sell a stock any time the market is open, compared with a property that could take months or years to sell.