Size isn't always a good thing in the business world, but in some industries it can lead to important advantages. For net lease real estate investment trusts (REITs), being big gives companies a leg up on the competition.

Using its size to get a leg up on the competition is one of the main reasons to like Realty Income (NYSE: O). It's also why Realty Income should have little trouble continuing to increase its dividend for years to come. Here's what you need to know.

Realty Income bills itself as "The Monthly Dividend Company," a phrase it has trademarked. It's a fitting moniker given that the REIT pays a monthly dividend and, perhaps more important, it has increased its dividend annually for 27 consecutive years. That makes it a Dividend Aristocrat. When you go beyond that top-level view, you see there are more impressive numbers to account for, including 100 consecutive quarterly dividend increases. 

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Source Fool.com