How Blackstone Created a $50 Billion Non-Traded REIT Behemoth

Private real estate investing has long been the playground of the ultra-rich. For years, they were the only ones with access to this market. Many private real estate deals are only open to accredited investors, those with a high income or net worth. They also typically have high minimum investment requirements. Because of that, most individual investors couldn't access a market that has historically produced higher income yields and better risk-adjusted returns than other asset classes.

However, Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) has changed this game. It created Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) about five years ago to target individual investors. The non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT) has grown into one of Blackstone's biggest funds, raising more than $50 billion.

Here's a closer look at how Blackstone created a non-traded REIT behemoth.

Source Fool.com