Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs VNQ: how they differ
EFA and VNQ hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and VNQ hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in VNQ |
|---|---|
| ASML HOLDING 3.01% | Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund 14.67% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.61% | Welltower Inc 7.86% |
| ROCHE PS PAR AG 1.36% | Prologis Inc 7.02% |
| SHELL PLC 1.25% | Equinix Inc 5.66% |
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 1.15% | American Tower Corp 4.55% |
| NOVARTIS AG 1.15% | Digital Realty Trust Inc 3.67% |
| NESTLE SA 1.12% | Simon Property Group Inc 3.54% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.09% | Realty Income Corp 3.12% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | VNQ Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | US real estate |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +5.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | −11.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.13% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 63.3% |
| Holdings | 670 | 146 |
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 Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 670 positions, with the top ten at 13.8%.
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%. 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 VNQ?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and VNQ returned +5.6%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or VNQ?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and VNQ charges 0.13%, so VNQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and VNQ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 63% of VNQ 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 VNQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-vnq Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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