<PAGE>   1
                                                    Registration No. 333-_______

    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 30, 1998
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ----------------------

                        RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      MARYLAND                                                   13-6908486
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

 27600 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 200                             48034
       SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN                                      (Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

  RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST 1997 NON-EMPLOYEE TRUSTEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                              DENNIS E. GERSHENSON
                                    PRESIDENT
                        RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST
                      27600 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 200
                              SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (248) 350-9900
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       Title of                                        Proposed                 Proposed
      securities                 Amount                 maximum                  maximum              Amount of
         to be                    to be             offering price              aggregate           registration
      registered               registered             per share              offering price              fee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>                          <C>                      <C>                   <C>      
Common Shares (1)        100,000 shares (2)           $  15.72 (3)             $  1,572,000(3)       $ 437.02 

(1)  Common shares of beneficial interest of the Registrant, $0.01 par value per
     share ("Common Shares").

(2)  This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional Common Shares
     which become available for grant under the Plan by reason of any stock
     dividend, stock split, recapitalization or similar transaction effected
     without receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number
     of outstanding Common Shares.

(3)  Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) under the Securities Act,
     solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee and, based on the
     average of the high and low prices of the Common Shares as traded on The
     New York Stock Exchange on October 27, 1998.
</TABLE>


<PAGE>   2
                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The documents listed below are incorporated by reference in this
registration statement:

         1. Annual Report of Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust (the
         "Registrant") on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997,
         filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on
         March 31, 1998, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
         amended (the "Exchange Act").

         2. Quarterly Report of the Registrant on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
         quarter ended March 31, 1998, filed with the Commission on May 14,
         1998, pursuant to the Exchange Act.

         3. Quarterly Report of the Registrant on Form 10-Q for the fiscal 
         quarter ended June 30, 1998, filed with the Commission on August 13,
         1998, pursuant to the Exchange Act.

         4. The Current Report of the Registrant on Form 8-K dated October 30,
         1997, filed with the Commission on November 14, 1997, as amended by a
         Form 8-K/A filed by the Registrant on January 13, 1998, pursuant to the
         Exchange Act.

         5. The description of the Registrant's Common Shares contained in Item
         1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the
         Commission on November 1, 1988, pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange
         Act, as updated by the description of the Registrant's Common Shares
         contained in that Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with
         the Commission on November 17, 1997.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

         Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein by reference modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.


                                        2

<PAGE>   3

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         The legality of the securities offered hereby has been passed upon by
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, Detroit, Michigan, general counsel to the
Registrant. Attorneys with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn may be deemed to
beneficially own 55,440 Common Shares as of October 23, 1998.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

          Under Maryland law, a real estate investment trust formed in Maryland
is permitted to eliminate, by provision in its declaration of trust, the
liability of its trustees and officers to the trust and shareholders for money
damages except for (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money,
property or services or (ii) acts or omissions involving active and deliberate
dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of
action. The Trust's Declaration of Trust contains such a provision which
eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

         Under the Declaration of Trust and Bylaws of the Trust, the Trust is
required to indemnify any trustee or officer (a) against reasonable expenses
incurred by him in the successful defense (on the merits or otherwise) of any
proceeding to which he is made a party by reason of such status or (b) against
any claim or liability to which he may become subject to by reason of such
status unless it is established that (i) the act or omission giving rise to the
claim was committed in bad faith or was the result of the active and deliberate
dishonesty, (ii) he actually received an improper personal benefit in money,
property or services, or (iii) in the case of a criminal proceeding, he had
reasonable cause to believe that his act or omission was unlawful. The Trust is
also required by its Bylaws to pay or reimburse, in advance of a final
disposition, reasonable expenses of a trustee or officer made a party to a
proceeding by reason of his status as such upon receipt of a written affirmation
by the trustee or officer of his good faith belief that he has met the
applicable standard for indemnification under such Bylaws and a written
undertaking to repay such expenses if it shall ultimately be determined that the
applicable standard was not met.

         The Registrant has obtained Directors' and Officers' liability
insurance. The policy provides for $10 million in coverage including prior acts
dating to the Registrant's inception and liabilities under the Securities Act.

ITEM 7.           EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.           EXHIBITS.

         4.1      Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant,
                  dated October 2, 1997, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
                  3.1 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
                  fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

         4.2      Bylaws of the Registrant, adopted October 2, 1997,
                  incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant's
                  Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the fiscal year ended December
                  31, 1997

         4.3      Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust 1997 Non-Employee Trustee 
                  Stock Option Plan

                                        3

<PAGE>   4


         5        Opinion of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn

         23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP


         23.2     Consent of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn (included in the
                  opinion filed as Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement)

         24       Power of Attorney (included after the signature of the 
                  Registrant contained on page 6 of this Registration Statement)


ITEM 9.           UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                           (1) To file, during any period in which offers or
                  sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this
                  Registration Statement;

                                    (i)     To include any prospectus required 
                           by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                                    (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts
                           or events arising after the effective date of the
                           Registration Statement (or the most recent
                           post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
                           or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
                           in the information set forth in the Registration
                           Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
                           increase or decrease in volume of securities offered
                           (if the total dollar value of securities offered
                           would not exceed that which was registered) and any
                           deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
                           maximum offering range may be reflected in the form
                           of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to
                           Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in
                           volume and price represent no more than a 20% change
                           in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in
                           the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                           effective Registration Statement;

                                    (iii) To include any material information
                           with respect to the plan of distribution not
                           previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
                           any material change to such information in the
                           Registration Statement;

                           Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and
                  (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the Registration Statement is on
                  Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required to be
                  included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
                  contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant
                  to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
                  of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration
                  Statement.

                           (2) That, for the purpose of determining any
                  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such
                  post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
                  registration

                                        4

<PAGE>   5

                  statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
                  offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
                  the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                           (3) To remove from registration by means of a
                  post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                  registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                  offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.





                                        5

<PAGE>   6

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Southfield, State of Michigan, on October 30, 1998.


                                       RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST



                                       By: /s/ Dennis E. Gershenson
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Dennis E. Gershenson
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned officers
and directors of RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST, a Maryland real estate
investment trust (the "Trust"), hereby constitutes and appoints Joel D.
Gershenson and Dennis E. Gershenson, and each of them, the true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents of the undersigned, each with the power of
substitution for him in any and all capacities, with full power and authority in
said attorneys-in-fact and agents and in any one or more of them, to sign,
execute and affix his seal thereto and file the proposed registration statement
on Form S-8 to be filed by the Trust under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, which registration statement relates to the registration and issuance
of the Trust's Common Shares, pursuant to the Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
1997 Non-Employee Trustee Stock Option Plan and any of the documents relating to
such registration statement, any and all amendments to such registration
statement, including any amendment thereto changing the amount of securities for
which registration is being sought, and any post-effective amendment, with all
exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto
with any regulatory authority; granting unto said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises in order to
effectuate the same as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do
if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.



                                        6

<PAGE>   7
         
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

               Signature                                  Title                                 Date
               ---------                                  -----                                 ----
<S>                                           <C>                                          <C>

   /s/ Joel D. Gershenson                       Chairman of the Board                       October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Joel D. Gershenson


   /s/ Dennis E. Gershenson                     President, Chief Executive                  October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------           Officer and Trustee           
   Dennis E. Gershenson                            (Principal Executive Officer)   
                                                                                 


   /s/ Richard J. Smith                          Chief Financial Officer                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------           (Principal Financial Officer and   
   Richard J. Smith                                Principal Accounting Officer)      
                                                                                      


   /s/ Stephen R. Blank                          Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Stephen R. Blank


                                                 Trustee                                     
----------------------------------------
   Arthur H. Goldberg


   /s/ Selwyn Isakow                             Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Selwyn Isakow


   /s/ Herbert Liechtung                         Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Herbert Liechtung


  /s/ Robert A. Meister                          Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Robert A. Meister


   /s/ Joel M. Pashcow                           Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Joel M. Pashcow


   /s/ Mark K. Rosenfeld                         Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Mark K. Rosenfeld
</TABLE>


                                        7

<PAGE>   8
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit
Number                              Exhibit
------                              -------


4.1  Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant, dated October
     2, 1997, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's
     Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

4.2  Bylaws of the Registrant, adopted October 2, 1997, incorporated by
     reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K,
     for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

4.3  Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust 1997 Non-Employee Trustee Stock Option
     Plan

5    Opinion of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn

23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP

23.2 Consent of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn (included in the opinion filed
     as Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement)

24   Powers of Attorney (included after the signature of the Registrant
     contained on page 6 of this Registration Statement)




                                        8
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 21780}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RAMCO GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST", "cik": "0000842183", "assigned-sic": "6798", "irs-number": "136908486", "state-of-incorporation": "MA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-66409", "film-number": "98734308"}, "business-address": {"street1": "27600 NORTHWESTERN HWY", "street2": "SUITE 200", "city": "SOUTHFIELD", "state": "MI", "zip": "48034", "phone": "2483509900"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "27600 NORTHWESTERN HWY", "street2": "SUITE 200", "city": "SOUTHFIELD", "state": "MI", "zip": "48034"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "RPS REALTY TRUST", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
1
                                                    Registration No. 333-_______

    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 30, 1998
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ----------------------

                        RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      MARYLAND                                                   13-6908486
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

 27600 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 200                             48034
       SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN                                      (Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

  RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST 1997 NON-EMPLOYEE TRUSTEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                              DENNIS E. GERSHENSON
                                    PRESIDENT
                        RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST
                      27600 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 200
                              SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (248) 350-9900
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
Title of                                        Proposed                 Proposed
      securities                 Amount                 maximum                  maximum              Amount of
         to be                    to be             offering price              aggregate           registration
      registered               registered             per share              offering price              fee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Shares (1)        100,000 shares (2)           $  15.72 (3)             $  1,572,000(3)       $ 437.02 

(1)  Common shares of beneficial interest of the Registrant, $0.01 par value per
     share ("Common Shares").

(2)  This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional Common Shares
     which become available for grant under the Plan by reason of any stock
     dividend, stock split, recapitalization or similar transaction effected
     without receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number
     of outstanding Common Shares.

(3)  Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) under the Securities Act,
     solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee and, based on the
     average of the high and low prices of the Common Shares as traded on The
     New York Stock Exchange on October 27, 1998.
2
                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The documents listed below are incorporated by reference in this
registration statement:

         1. Annual Report of Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust (the
         "Registrant") on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997,
         filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on
         March 31, 1998, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
         amended (the "Exchange Act").

         2. Quarterly Report of the Registrant on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
         quarter ended March 31, 1998, filed with the Commission on May 14,
         1998, pursuant to the Exchange Act.

         3. Quarterly Report of the Registrant on Form 10-Q for the fiscal 
         quarter ended June 30, 1998, filed with the Commission on August 13,
         1998, pursuant to the Exchange Act.

         4. The Current Report of the Registrant on Form 8-K dated October 30,
         1997, filed with the Commission on November 14, 1997, as amended by a
         Form 8-K/A filed by the Registrant on January 13, 1998, pursuant to the
         Exchange Act.

         5. The description of the Registrant's Common Shares contained in Item
         1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the
         Commission on November 1, 1988, pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange
         Act, as updated by the description of the Registrant's Common Shares
         contained in that Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with
         the Commission on November 17, 1997.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

         Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein by reference modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

                                        2
3

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         The legality of the securities offered hereby has been passed upon by
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, Detroit, Michigan, general counsel to the
Registrant. Attorneys with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn may be deemed to
beneficially own 55,440 Common Shares as of October 23, 1998.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

          Under Maryland law, a real estate investment trust formed in Maryland
is permitted to eliminate, by provision in its declaration of trust, the
liability of its trustees and officers to the trust and shareholders for money
damages except for (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money,
property or services or (ii) acts or omissions involving active and deliberate
dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of
action. The Trust's Declaration of Trust contains such a provision which
eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

         Under the Declaration of Trust and Bylaws of the Trust, the Trust is
required to indemnify any trustee or officer (a) against reasonable expenses
incurred by him in the successful defense (on the merits or otherwise) of any
proceeding to which he is made a party by reason of such status or (b) against
any claim or liability to which he may become subject to by reason of such
status unless it is established that (i) the act or omission giving rise to the
claim was committed in bad faith or was the result of the active and deliberate
dishonesty, (ii) he actually received an improper personal benefit in money,
property or services, or (iii) in the case of a criminal proceeding, he had
reasonable cause to believe that his act or omission was unlawful. The Trust is
also required by its Bylaws to pay or reimburse, in advance of a final
disposition, reasonable expenses of a trustee or officer made a party to a
proceeding by reason of his status as such upon receipt of a written affirmation
by the trustee or officer of his good faith belief that he has met the
applicable standard for indemnification under such Bylaws and a written
undertaking to repay such expenses if it shall ultimately be determined that the
applicable standard was not met.

         The Registrant has obtained Directors' and Officers' liability
insurance. The policy provides for $10 million in coverage including prior acts
dating to the Registrant's inception and liabilities under the Securities Act.

ITEM 7.           EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.           EXHIBITS.

         4.1      Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant,
                  dated October 2, 1997, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
                  3.1 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
                  fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

         4.2      Bylaws of the Registrant, adopted October 2, 1997,
                  incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant's
                  Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the fiscal year ended December
                  31, 1997

         4.3      Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust 1997 Non-Employee Trustee 
                  Stock Option Plan

                                        3
4

         5        Opinion of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn

         23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP

         23.2     Consent of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn (included in the
                  opinion filed as Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement)

         24       Power of Attorney (included after the signature of the 
                  Registrant contained on page 6 of this Registration Statement)

ITEM 9.           UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                           (1) To file, during any period in which offers or
                  sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this
                  Registration Statement;

                                    (i)     To include any prospectus required 
                           by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                                    (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts
                           or events arising after the effective date of the
                           Registration Statement (or the most recent
                           post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
                           or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
                           in the information set forth in the Registration
                           Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
                           increase or decrease in volume of securities offered
                           (if the total dollar value of securities offered
                           would not exceed that which was registered) and any
                           deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
                           maximum offering range may be reflected in the form
                           of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to
                           Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in
                           volume and price represent no more than a 20% change
                           in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in
                           the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                           effective Registration Statement;

                                    (iii) To include any material information
                           with respect to the plan of distribution not
                           previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or
                           any material change to such information in the
                           Registration Statement;

                           Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and
                  (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the Registration Statement is on
                  Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required to be
                  included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
                  contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant
                  to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
                  of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration
                  Statement.

                           (2) That, for the purpose of determining any
                  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such
                  post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
                  registration

                                        4
5

                  statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
                  offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
                  the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                           (3) To remove from registration by means of a
                  post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                  registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                  offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                        5
6

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Southfield, State of Michigan, on October 30, 1998.

                                       RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST

                                       By: /s/ Dennis E. Gershenson
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Dennis E. Gershenson
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned officers
and directors of RAMCO-GERSHENSON PROPERTIES TRUST, a Maryland real estate
investment trust (the "Trust"), hereby constitutes and appoints Joel D.
Gershenson and Dennis E. Gershenson, and each of them, the true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents of the undersigned, each with the power of
substitution for him in any and all capacities, with full power and authority in
said attorneys-in-fact and agents and in any one or more of them, to sign,
execute and affix his seal thereto and file the proposed registration statement
on Form S-8 to be filed by the Trust under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, which registration statement relates to the registration and issuance
of the Trust's Common Shares, pursuant to the Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
1997 Non-Employee Trustee Stock Option Plan and any of the documents relating to
such registration statement, any and all amendments to such registration
statement, including any amendment thereto changing the amount of securities for
which registration is being sought, and any post-effective amendment, with all
exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto
with any regulatory authority; granting unto said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises in order to
effectuate the same as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do
if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.

                                        6
7
         
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature                                  Title                                 Date
               ---------                                  -----                                 ----
/s/ Joel D. Gershenson                       Chairman of the Board                       October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Joel D. Gershenson

   /s/ Dennis E. Gershenson                     President, Chief Executive                  October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------           Officer and Trustee           
   Dennis E. Gershenson                            (Principal Executive Officer)   
                                                                                 

   /s/ Richard J. Smith                          Chief Financial Officer                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------           (Principal Financial Officer and   
   Richard J. Smith                                Principal Accounting Officer)      
                                                                                      

   /s/ Stephen R. Blank                          Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Stephen R. Blank

                                                 Trustee                                     
----------------------------------------
   Arthur H. Goldberg

   /s/ Selwyn Isakow                             Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Selwyn Isakow

   /s/ Herbert Liechtung                         Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Herbert Liechtung

  /s/ Robert A. Meister                          Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Robert A. Meister

   /s/ Joel M. Pashcow                           Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Joel M. Pashcow

   /s/ Mark K. Rosenfeld                         Trustee                                     October 30, 1998
----------------------------------------
   Mark K. Rosenfeld
7
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                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number                              Exhibit
------                              -------

4.1  Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant, dated October
     2, 1997, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's
     Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

4.2  Bylaws of the Registrant, adopted October 2, 1997, incorporated by
     reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K,
     for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

4.3  Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust 1997 Non-Employee Trustee Stock Option
     Plan

5    Opinion of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn

23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP

23.2 Consent of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn (included in the opinion filed
     as Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement)

24   Powers of Attorney (included after the signature of the Registrant
     contained on page 6 of this Registration Statement)

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