Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
QUAL vs VNQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QUAL returned +13.1% to VNQ's +4.8%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $48.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF, and $35.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Real Estate ETF.
Pair scorecard
VNQ costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.3 points; QUAL is 1.3 times larger.
| Measure | QUAL | VNQ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.1% | +4.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.3%, high on Jul 28, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index | MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.13% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $47.7bn | $35.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 44.5% | 55.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, QUAL and VNQ hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
QUAL and VNQ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
QUAL
QUAL tracks the MSCI USA Quality Factor. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.1% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 119 positions, with the top ten at 44.5%.
VNQ
VNQ tracks an index of US real estate. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +4.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.13% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 63% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 141 positions, with the top ten at 55.8%. It sat 8.3% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QUAL or VNQ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QUAL returned +13.1% and VNQ +4.8%.
- Which is cheaper, QUAL or VNQ?
- VNQ is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, QUAL against VNQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vnq
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). QUAL against VNQ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vnq
[QUAL against VNQ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vnq)
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