ANNAPOLIS, MD—During an era when information is king, there has been a gaping hole in data concerning the healthcare real estate (HRE) sector. For years, HRE professionals have been saying the sector lacks a complete listing of each and every medical office building (MOB) in the country. 

Some say that various real estate firms possess such lists but are not willing to share with anyone except their own employees and perhaps important clients.

A new firm based here is about to change the MOB data base landscape. The firm is Revista, composed of professionals formerly with the National Investment Center (NIC) for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry.

Elisa Infante Freeman, Mike Hargrave and Hilda Flower Martin recently launched the firm and its data base, which they say is the first of its kind offering a property-level database of all U.S. medical real estate. It will be provided free of charge to anyone who signs up for an account.

The principals say their database is coming at a crucial time, an era when hospitals, health systems and physician practices face more pressure than ever to deliver high-quality, efficient, cost-effective healthcare services. Facilities, the principals say, play a crucial role in achieving those goals.

As far as the Revista principals have determined, the healthcare industry's decision-makers have been hindered by a lack of comprehensive national data concerning medical real estate. Revista will provide such basics as a facility's location, size, hospital and/or health system affiliation, and proximity to a hospital.

In addition to comprehensive national MOB database, Revista will provide healthcare industry statistics and resources and break its information into metro and regional market reports. It will also offer a directory of industry product and service providers.

In launching its database and products, Revista has landed two major partners, both of which are publicly traded, healthcare-focused real estate investment trusts (REITs): Scottsdale, AZ-based Healthcare Trust of America Inc. (NYSE: HTA), a founding diamond partner, and Toledo, OH-based Health Care REIT (NYSE: HCN), a founding emerald partner.

Scott D. Peters, chairman, president and CEO of HTA, noted in a statement that medical office properties have become a desirable investment attracting the attention of a much wider range of capital sources than ever before.

“We believe that the increased transparency and analytical tools that Revista is building will provide specific insight into these powerful trends that will benefit both investors and providers,” Mr. Peters said.

Health Care REIT's Daniel M. Klein, senior VP, Medical Facilities Group, said his company shares Revista's goal of “improving the availability of medical real estate data and information to ultimately facilitate a better-equipped industry that is ready to meet the country's growing demand for healthcare real estate and, as a result, improve healthcare delivery.”

Revista is planning its first product launch in late May, when it will roll out its Northeast U.S. medical property database at a real estate conference. It will launch its nationwide database later in the year.