10 Best Performing REITs & REIT ETFs over the last 10 Years

We used the YCharts Fund Screener to identify the best performing real estate investment trusts (REITs) and REIT exchange-traded funds across key lookback periods, including year-to-date, 1, 3, 5, and 10 years.

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What is a REIT?

A Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT, is a company that owns, operates, and/or finances income-producing real estate. It offers individual investors income potential (in the form of dividends) from real estate without buying the properties directly. 

REITs function similarly to mutual funds in how they pool and disperse capital across various investments. However, they focus exclusively on real estate assets, such as office buildings, shopping malls, apartments, and warehouses. REITs can specialize in specific types of real estate or have a broader real estate portfolio.

Established in the US by Congress in 1960 via the Cigar Excise Tax Extension, REITs must adhere to regulatory requirements set forth by the SEC, such as investing at least 75% of their total assets in real estate and generating at least 75% of their gross income from property rents or mortgage interest. ​This structure exempts REITs from corporate income taxes provided they distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders as dividends, underscoring their appeal as high-yield investment vehicles.

Investors seeking more diversification can access REITs through mutual funds or ETFs, which pool multiple REITs and can provide diversification across various real estate sectors. 

The primary benefits of REITs include high income potential and liquidity (compared to traditional real estate investing), making them attractive to everyday investors. However, they also pose risks like interest rate sensitivity, which can influence property values and investment yields. Moreover, the obligation to distribute most of their income limits their ability to reinvest in their business and provide growth opportunities compared to other equities. 

Jump to a section:

• Best Performing REITs YTD
• Best Performing REIT ETFs YTD
• Best Performing REITs over the last year
• Best Performing REIT ETFs over the last year
• Best Performing REITs over the last 3 years 
• Best Performing REIT ETFs over the last 3 years
• Best Performing REITs over the last 5 years 
• Best Performing REIT ETFs over the last 5 years
• Best Performing REITs over the last 10 Years 
• Best Performing REIT ETFs over the last 10 years
• What was the Growth of $10,000 in the Best REITs Over the Last 10 Years?

Best Performing REITs YTD

These are the top-performing REITs year-to-date in 2025, through August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REIT ETFs YTD

These are the top-performing REIT ETFs year-to-date in 2025, through August 31, 2025. If you’re interested in the best-performing ETFs overall over the last 10 years, check out this article. 

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Best Performing REITs over the Last Year

These are the top-performing REITs over the last year, as of August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REIT ETFs over the Last Year

These are the top-performing REIT ETFs over the last year, as of August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REITs over the Last 3 Years

These are the top-performing REITs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REIT ETFs over the Last 3 Years

These are the top-performing REIT ETFs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REITs over the Last 5 Years

These are the top-performing REITs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2020, and August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REIT ETFs Over the Last 5 Years

These are the top-performing REIT ETFs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2020, and August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REITs over the Last 10 Years

These are the top-performing REITs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2015, and August 31, 2025.

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Best Performing REIT ETFs over the Last 10 Years

These are the top-performing REIT ETFs on an annualized basis between September 1, 2015, and August 31, 2025.

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What was the Growth of $10,000 in the Best REITs Over the Last 10 Years?

If you invested $10,000 10 years ago into any of the ten best-performing REITs over the last 10 years, your balance today would be no less than $39K.

The best-performing REIT in the last 10 years was Global Medical REIT (GMRE). A $10,000 investment into GMRE 10 years ago would be worth over $227K today. Right behind it was Iron Mountain, Inc (IRM); investing $10,000 into IRM back in 2015 would’ve turned into over $57K.

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However, if you invested $10,000 10 years ago into any of the ten best-performing REIT ETFs over the last 10 years, your balance today would be at least $17K, while diversifying across a broader pool of underlying investments than with a typical REIT.

The best-performing REIT ETF in the last 10 years was the iShares Residential & Multisector Real Estate ETF (REZ). A $10,000 investment in REZ 10 years ago would be worth over $20K today. The second best-performing REIT ETF was the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF (RSPR); investing $10,000 in RSPR back in 2015 would also have turned into over $20K.

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