Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust

Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust was formed in 2014 as a public spin-off from Wheeler Interests, a Virginia Beach-based commercial real estate firm founded by Jon Wheeler. The REIT holds a portfolio of roughly 100 properties totaling over 1 million square feet, predominantly located in secondary and tertiary markets across the Southeast. Wheeler REIT focuses on necessity-based retail assets, including grocery-anchored centers and single-tenant net-lease properties leased to investment-grade and national tenants. The firm's investment strategy targets properties with long-term leases and essential service tenants such as Grocery Outlet, Dollar General, and Food Lion. Wheeler REIT operates as a net-lease REIT, passing most property-level operating expenses to tenants. The portfolio is concentrated in the Southeast, with assets in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. As a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: WHLR), Wheeler REIT offers liquidity not available in most family office real estate portfolios. The firm has a market capitalization of roughly $1 million as of 2026. In May 2024, the REIT executed a 1-for-20 reverse stock split to maintain Nasdaq listing compliance (per SEC filing). Jon Wheeler continues to serve as Chairman, maintaining the founding family's governance role. The key structural differentiator is the public REIT status itself — Wheeler REIT provides daily liquidity and transparent quarterly financial reporting, unlike the private real estate vehicles typical for family offices. The necessity-based tenant focus aims for cash flow stability through economic cycles.