I
nvesting in real estate can be a lucrative way to generate passive income, but it often requires more effort than other strategies. A simpler approach is to invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs), which own portfolios of income-producing rental properties and distribute most of the rental income to investors via dividends.

    Here are three top REITs to consider for effortless passive income:

    Agree Realty focuses on acquiring high-quality retail properties that are net leased to financially strong retailers. This provides stable cash flow, as tenants cover all property operating costs. The company has a low dividend payout ratio and a fortress balance sheet, giving it flexibility to buy more properties. Agree Realty's current retail partners own over 169,000 properties, providing ample opportunities for the REIT to complete additional sale-leaseback transactions.

    Prologis is one of the world's largest REITs, with a leading global portfolio of logistics properties leased to high-quality tenants under long-term contracts. The company has a strong balance sheet and expects healthy net operating income growth from its existing portfolio over the next several years. Prologis also plans to develop warehouses and data centers using its vast land bank.

    Mid-America Apartment Communities is one of the U.S.'s largest apartment landlords, owning over 104,000 apartment homes across 16 states. The REIT has a nearly 4%-yielding dividend and a more than 30-year record of dividend stability and growth. MAA plans to continue increasing its dividend by investing in new properties and upgrading existing ones.

    These top REITs offer easy ways to cash in on real estate, with high-quality portfolios and strong financial profiles enabling them to pay lucrative and growing dividends. With more income growth likely in the future, they are great options to consider for effortless passive income this June.