Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IYR vs VNQ: how they differ
IYR and VNQ hold 73% of their weight in the same names, and VNQ returned more over the year.
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF and Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IYR and VNQ hold 73% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IYR | VNQ |
|---|---|---|
| WELLTOWER INC. | 10.88% | 7.86% |
| PROLOGIS, INC. | 8.77% | 7.02% |
| EQUINIX, INC. | 4.58% | 5.66% |
| AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION | 3.88% | 4.55% |
| DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC. | 4.41% | 3.67% |
| SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC. | 4.79% | 3.54% |
| REALTY INCOME CORPORATION | 4.29% | 3.12% |
| PUBLIC STORAGE. | 3.74% | 2.54% |
| CBRE GROUP, INC. | 2.93% | 2.26% |
| VENTAS, INC. | 3.21% | 2.20% |
| CROWN CASTLE INC. | 2.46% | 2.06% |
| IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED | 2.79% | 1.98% |
| Only in IYR | Only in VNQ |
|---|---|
| ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. 1.22% | Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund 14.67% |
| AGNC INVESTMENT CORP. 0.93% | American Healthcare REIT Inc 0.48% |
| STARWOOD PROPERTY TRUST, INC. 0.42% | CareTrust REIT Inc 0.47% |
| RITHM CAPITAL CORP. 0.39% | Terreno Realty Corp 0.36% |
| Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc 0.34% | |
| Essential Properties Realty Trust Inc 0.33% | |
| Rayonier Inc 0.32% | |
| Kite Realty Group Trust 0.30% |
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.
| IYR iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF | VNQ Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | U.S. Real Estate | US real estate |
| Total return, 1 year | +4.7% | +5.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −12.8 pts | −11.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.13% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 80.4% | 63.3% |
| Holdings | 61 | 146 |
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.
VNQ in plain words
VNQ is an index equity fund tracking the US real estate. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +5.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.13% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 63% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 146 positions, with the top ten at 54.9%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IYR or VNQ?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IYR returned +4.7% and VNQ returned +5.6%, so VNQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IYR or VNQ?
- IYR charges 0.37% a year and VNQ charges 0.13%, so VNQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IYR and VNQ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 80% of IYR and 63% of VNQ by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 73% 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, IYR against VNQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IYR-VNQ Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources