Investors Real Estate Trust IRET recently disclosed the sale of Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, a healthcare facility in Omaha, NE for $24.3 million. The move allows the company to reap capital for investments in premium multifamily assets in its core geographical areas.The healthcare property, which contains 61,758 rentable square feet, was sold to the in-place tenant, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, LLC. The acquisition was made through the exercise of the tenant’s option under the lease agreement to acquire the property at the appraised value.As a matter of fact, with a focus on income-producing properties mainly in the upper Midwest, Investors Real Estate is presently looking for accretive acquisitions. Late in March, the company revealed the acquisition of a 393-unit luxury multifamily portfolio in Rochester, MN for $72.5 million. The acquisition boosts the company’s presence as the largest apartment owner and operator in the market.This acquisition should be a strategic fit for the company as the Rochester market is growing fast at the moment backed by strong fundamentals. In fact, given its population of around 212,000, Rochester is the second-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, with Mayo Clinic and IBM as the largest private employers.Moreover, the company’s focus on multifamily properties is expected to help it ride high as the multi-family residential sector has traditionally been more of a stable product type and there is an overall rise in demand for apartments driven by ‘echo boomers’ – children of the baby boomer generation.Investors Real Estate currently holds for investment a portfolio of 173 properties with a total of 4.5 million square feet of leasable space. These properties include multifamily properties, healthcare properties including senior housing, industrial properties and other commercial properties.Investors Real Estate currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors interested in the REIT industry may consider stocks like Prologis, Inc. PLD, Public Storage PSA and PS Business Parks Inc. PSB. Each of the three stocks holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PROLOGIS INC (PLD): Free Stock Analysis Report PUBLIC STORAGE (PSA): Free Stock Analysis Report PS BUSINESS PKS (PSB): Free Stock Analysis Report INVESTORS RL ES (IRET): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research