A method for leveraging certain business entities as real estate investment trusts. Such a method may include creating at least one operating partnership associated with a REIT; placing at least one business entity into the at least one operating partnership; transferring a plurality of operating partnership units associated with the at least one operating partnership to the owner of the at least one business entity; engaging in a transaction whereby a plurality of operating partnership units associated with the at least one operating partnership are exchanged for a plurality of shares in the REIT; and selling a plurality of the exchanged plurality of the shares in the REIT to the public.