W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC) stands out from its peers in a number of ways, but one of the most notable is its diversification. Being diversified is generally a good thing, but right now one of the more unique property types it owns is about to see big changes. These are company-specific issues, not industry-wide shifts, so shareholders need to dig in a little bit to understand what's going on.

Many net-lease real estate investment trusts (REITs) focus on just one or two broad property types. For example, industry giant Realty Income generates roughly 75% of its rent from retail assets. Peer National Retail Properties is focused 100% on this property type. W.P. Carey only generates around 17% of its rents from retail assets.

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Source Fool.com