Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs IYR: how they differ
IEFA and IYR hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEFA returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and IYR hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IEFA | Only in IYR |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.23% | WELLTOWER INC. 10.88% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.25% | PROLOGIS, INC. 8.77% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.17% | SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC. 4.79% |
| Novartis AG 1.11% | EQUINIX, INC. 4.58% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.03% | DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC. 4.41% |
| SHELL PLC 1.03% | REALTY INCOME CORPORATION 4.29% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 0.90% | AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION 3.88% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.84% | 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.
| IEFA iShares Core 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 | Core MSCI EAFE | U.S. Real Estate |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +4.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | −12.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.37% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 80.4% |
| Holdings | 2632 | 61 |
IEFA in plain words
IEFA is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 2632 positions, with the top ten at 11.5%.
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, IEFA or IYR?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and IYR returned +4.7%, so IEFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or IYR?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and IYR charges 0.37%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and IYR overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA 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
Where to next
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, IEFA against IYR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IEFA-IYR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources