Many investors have sustained substantial losses investing in Retail Properties of America (NYSE: RPAI). Prior to its IPO, Retail Properties of America, Inc. was known as Inland Western. RPAI ultimately went public at $8.00 per share, but that's factoring in a 10 to 1 reverse stock split. The net effect to original investors, was a loss of approximately 70%.
REITs such as RPAI contain substantial risks, which many investors are unaware of. Under FINRA rules and regulations, Broker-Dealers have a responsibility to disclose all risks related to the investments they recommend to their clients, or they may be held liable for client losses.
Upon information and belief, many Brokerage Firms recommend Non-Traded REITs to their clients as conservative investments or as an alternative to the risks of the stock market.
According to The Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A., many investors have sustained losses in Non-Traded REITs with claims including: Over-Concentration, Misrepresentation, Suitability and Negligence.
The Firm goes on to say, that the vast majority of investors they've spoken with all have a pretty common theme, the Broker and or Firm led them to believe they would get a fixed rate of return each month and would receive their entire principal investment back in approximately six years.