Oct 30 (Reuters) - Federal Realty Investment Trust ( FRT )

beat third-quarter revenue estimates on Wednesday,

driven by resilient leasing demand for small shops and higher

rentals for its commercial real estate properties.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) have been seeing an

increase in demand for their rental spaces from tenants,

including retailers and apparel makers, who are benefiting from

persistent consumer spending on trendy items.

Federal Realty Investment Trust ( FRT ), which leases properties to

companies such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart ( WMT )

, has seen stable footfall, as customers have been

actively shopping during the back-to-school season.

The company posted revenue of $303.6 million in the quarter

ended Sept. 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of

$300.6 million, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Visits to fitness chains jumped 6.6% year-over-year from

July to September, while visits to superstores rose 2% during

the same period, according to Placer.ai data.

However, its funds from operations (FFO), a key REIT metric,

came in at $1.71 per share, missing analysts' estimates of $1.72

per share.

Federal Realty expects annual FFO per share to be in the

range of $6.76 to $6.86, compared with its prior FFO forecast of

$6.70 to $6.88 per share.

FRT's portfolio was 94% occupied and 95.9% leased, as of

Sept. 30.

The company owns and operates a portfolio of over 100

diverse properties, including shopping centers leased to

retailers such as Target ( TGT ), Best Buy ( BBY ) and Ulta

Beauty ( ULTA ), as well as dining, entertainment and office

spaces located in densely populated areas.