Would you recommend REITs over other kinds of investment instruments? If so, what are the reasons that REITs are "better" than the other investment instruments?

Everyone's risk profile is different. Reits may be suitable for someone but not for another who may be more risk adverse. A reit is still a stock and there is the very possible scenario where the price drops after you invest into it resulting in losses.

And frankly, single digit or low double digit dividend returns are nothing to shout about. There are way better instruments out there with possible high double digit returns per year, albeit with higher risks involved.