Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs IYR: how they differ
EFA and IYR hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and IYR hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in IYR |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | WELLTOWER INC. 10.88% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | PROLOGIS, INC. 8.77% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC. 4.79% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | EQUINIX, INC. 4.58% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC. 4.41% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | REALTY INCOME CORPORATION 4.29% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION 3.88% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | PUBLIC STORAGE. 3.74% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | IYR iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | U.S. Real Estate |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +4.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | −12.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.37% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 80.4% |
| Holdings | 705 | 61 |
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 705 positions, with the top ten at 13.4%.
IYR in plain words
IYR is an index equity fund tracking the U.S. Real Estate. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +4.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.37% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 80% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 61 positions, with the top ten at 51.5%. It sat 6.1% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or IYR?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and IYR returned +4.7%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or IYR?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and IYR charges 0.37%, so EFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and IYR overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 80% of IYR by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, EFA against IYR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-IYR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources