ETFs

VNQ vs RWX: Cost, Performance, and Portfolio Comparison of Real Estate ETFs – News and Statistics

May 12, 2026

According to a recent analysis on Yahoo Finance, two real estate ETFs offer contrasting approaches for investors. The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:VNQ) targets the domestic property market at a low cost, while the State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWX) provides exposure to international real estate at a higher fee.

Both funds are built on real estate investment trusts (REITs), which can act as a diversifier by offering income and potential for long-term capital appreciation. The Vanguard fund follows a broad index of U.S. real estate companies, whereas the State Street fund focuses on international property markets outside the United States, a strategy that may help shield investors from domestic economic fluctuations.

Cost and Size Comparison

The Vanguard ETF has an expense ratio of 0.13%, significantly lower than the 0.59% fee for the State Street fund. Both ETFs currently offer an identical trailing-12-month distribution yield of 3.60%, but the total cost of ownership differs markedly. VNQ has $64.6 billion in assets under management, while RWX holds $276.9 million.

Performance and Risk

Over the trailing 12 months as of May 7, 2026, VNQ posted a total return of 13.44%, compared to RWX’s 12.40%. A $1,000 investment in VNQ over five years would have grown to $1,185 on a total return basis, while the same amount in RWX would have declined to $938. The five-year maximum drawdown for VNQ was 34.50%, slightly less severe than RWX’s 35.90%.

Beta, which measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500 using five-year monthly returns, stands at 1.00 for VNQ and 0.78 for RWX.

Portfolio Composition

The Vanguard Real Estate ETF holds 158 stocks, with 97% allocated to real estate. Its top holdings include Welltower at 8.96%, Prologis at 8.19%, and Equinix at 6.42%. Launched in 2004, it tracks the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index and paid $3.49 per share in dividends over the trailing 12 months.

The State Street fund, launched in 2006, provides exposure to 121 holdings across international property markets. Its portfolio is 60% invested in real estate, with 40% in cash and other assets. Largest positions include Mitsui Fudosan at 6.52%, Swiss Prime Site at 2.98%, and Scentre Group at 2.80%. It tracks the Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index and paid $1.02 per share over the trailing 12 months.

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

    1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
    2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
    3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    A Quick Overview of Market Performance

    1. KEY FINDINGS
    2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
  3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

    Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

    1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035
  4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

    Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

    1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
    2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
    3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
    4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT
  5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

    Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

    1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
    3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
    4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
  6. 6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

    Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

    1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
    3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
    4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
  7. 7. PRODUCTION

    The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

    1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  8. 8. IMPORTS

    The Largest Import Supplying Countries

    1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  9. 9. EXPORTS

    The Largest Destinations for Exports

    1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

  11. 11. COUNTRY PROFILES

    The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

    This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
    PRO

    1. 11.1

      United States

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    2. 11.2

      China

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    3. 11.3

      Japan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    4. 11.4

      Germany

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    5. 11.5

      United Kingdom

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    6. 11.6

      France

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    7. 11.7

      Brazil

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    8. 11.8

      Italy

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    9. 11.9

      Russian Federation

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    10. 11.10

      India

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    11. 11.11

      Canada

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    12. 11.12

      Australia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    13. 11.13

      Republic of Korea

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    14. 11.14

      Spain

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    15. 11.15

      Mexico

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    16. 11.16

      Indonesia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    17. 11.17

      Netherlands

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    18. 11.18

      Turkey

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    19. 11.19

      Saudi Arabia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    20. 11.20

      Switzerland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    21. 11.21

      Sweden

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    22. 11.22

      Nigeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    23. 11.23

      Poland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    24. 11.24

      Belgium

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    25. 11.25

      Argentina

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    26. 11.26

      Norway

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    27. 11.27

      Austria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    28. 11.28

      Thailand

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    29. 11.29

      United Arab Emirates

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    30. 11.30

      Colombia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    31. 11.31

      Denmark

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    32. 11.32

      South Africa

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    33. 11.33

      Malaysia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    34. 11.34

      Israel

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    35. 11.35

      Singapore

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    36. 11.36

      Egypt

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    37. 11.37

      Philippines

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    38. 11.38

      Finland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    39. 11.39

      Chile

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    40. 11.40

      Ireland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    41. 11.41

      Pakistan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    42. 11.42

      Greece

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    43. 11.43

      Portugal

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    44. 11.44

      Kazakhstan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    45. 11.45

      Algeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    46. 11.46

      Czech Republic

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    47. 11.47

      Qatar

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    48. 11.48

      Peru

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    49. 11.49

      Romania

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    50. 11.50

      Vietnam

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
  12. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2025
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    4. Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2025
    5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    8. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    11. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
  13. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Consumption, by Country, 2025
    4. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
    5. Market Value Forecast to 2035
    6. Market Size and Growth, By Product
    7. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
    8. Exports and Growth, By Product
    9. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
    10. Production Volume and Growth
    11. Exports and Growth
    12. Export Prices and Growth
    13. Market Size and Growth
    14. Per Capita Consumption
    15. Imports and Growth
    16. Import Prices
    17. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    18. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    19. Production, by Country, 2025
    20. Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    21. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    22. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    26. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    27. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    28. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    32. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)

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