iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) belongs to the REIT category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IYR. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IYR
IYR charges 0.38% annually. There are 20 ETFs in the REIT category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.07%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab US REIT ETF | 0.07% | 11.48B | Jan 2011 | IYR vs SCHH | |
| Fidelity MSCI Real Estate Index ETF | 0.08% | 1.45B | Feb 2015 | IYR vs FREL | |
| iShares Core U.S. REIT ETF | 0.08% | 4.66B | May 2007 | IYR vs USRT | |
| Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF | 0.10% | 1.08B | Oct 2013 | IYR vs HAUZ | |
| JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF | 0.11% | 1.29B | Jun 2018 | IYR vs BBRE |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IYR
IYR has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 35. There are 45 ETFs in the REIT category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 89.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus Real Asset Income ETF | 89 | 18.54M | Feb 2019 | IYR vs VRAI | |
| Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF | 75 | 2.30B | Oct 2020 | IYR vs DTCR | |
| Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF | 72 | 314.06M | Dec 2010 | IYR vs KBWY | |
| Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF | 70 | 4.21M | Jun 2021 | IYR vs JRE | |
| State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF | 69 | 2.00B | Apr 2001 | IYR vs RWR |
Top Performing IYR Alternatives (YTD)
IYR is at 12.83% YTD. There are 41 ETFs in the REIT category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 36.47%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF | 36.47% | 2.30B | Oct 2020 | IYR vs DTCR | |
| Direxion Daily Real Estate Bull 3x Shares | 33.18% | 45.85M | Jul 2009 | IYR vs DRN | |
| Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF | 25.29% | 314.06M | Dec 2010 | IYR vs KBWY | |
| Virtus Real Asset Income ETF | 23.00% | 18.54M | Feb 2019 | IYR vs VRAI | |
| ProShares Ultra Real Estate | 22.90% | 59.95M | Jan 2007 | IYR vs URE |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IYR
IYR has 13.92% 1-year volatility. There are 35 ETFs in the REIT category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.10%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InfraCap REIT Preferred ETF | 8.10% | 120.46M | Feb 2017 | IYR vs PFFR | |
| NEOS Real Estate High Income ETF | 10.69% | 306.72M | Jan 2025 | IYR vs IYRI | |
| IQ CBRE Real Assets ETF | 10.83% | 6.79M | May 2023 | IYR vs IQRA | |
| State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 11.00% | 2.87M | Jul 2025 | IYR vs XLRI | |
| Cambria Global Real Estate ETF | 11.52% | 67.21M | Sep 2020 | IYR vs BLDG |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IYR
IYR has a 1-year max drawdown of -8.54%. There are 25 ETFs in the REIT category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -4.82%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus Real Asset Income ETF | -4.82% | 18.54M | Feb 2019 | IYR vs VRAI | |
| InfraCap REIT Preferred ETF | -6.57% | 120.46M | Feb 2017 | IYR vs PFFR | |
| State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | -7.12% | 2.87M | Jul 2025 | IYR vs XLRI | |
| Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF | -7.14% | 4.21M | Jun 2021 | IYR vs JRE | |
| ALPS Active REIT ETF | -7.35% | 58.29M | Feb 2021 | IYR vs REIT |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, SOXX and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $869B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.14% | 99.95B | May 2020 | IYR vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -26.71% | 46.52B | Jan 2024 | IYR vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 90 | 80.24% | 44.69B | Jul 2001 | IYR vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 72 | 13.72% | 869.20B | May 2000 | IYR vs IVV | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 91 | 15.02% | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | IYR vs DGRO | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 7 | -2.43% | 41.54B | Jul 2002 | IYR vs TLT | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 33 | -16.42% | 28.08B | Apr 2006 | IYR vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 26 | -5.52% | 59.74B | Jan 2005 | IYR vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 79 | 23.08% | 80.11B | May 2000 | IYR vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 71 | 14.26% | 32.49B | Mar 2008 | IYR vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IYR
Investors most often compare IYR with VNQ, XLRE, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IYR with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IYR with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IYR with funds that move differently
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IYR.
Explore IYR Diversifiers