For the average investor, investing in real estate is difficult enough, let alone foreign real estate. The ING International Real Estate Fund is designed to make the process a little easier. This particular fund is meant to "round out" their other two real estate offerings, the ING Real Estate Fund and the ING Global Real Estate Fund. The new fund is a pure play on foreign real estate, while the ING Real Estate Fund invests in domestic real estate and the ING Global Real Estate Fund invests in both domestic and foreign real estate. All three funds will predominantly purchase Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which are shares of publicly traded stocks that own actual real estate properties. In recent years REITs have grown in popularity as domestic real estate has boomed. For investors looking to diversify their domestic real estate holdings, this represents a reasonable alternative. The fund will be sub-advised by ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P., an affiliate of ING's Real Estate Group, which is one of the largest real estate companies in the world. As usual, investors should consult with their financial advisors and read the prospectus, taking into consideration any charges and expenses, before making an investment in any mutual fund.