QREARX vs. VNQ

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about TIAA Real Estate Account (QREARX) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ).

QREARX is an actively managed fund by TIAA. It was launched on Oct 2, 1995. VNQ is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index. It was launched on Sep 23, 2004.

Performance

QREARX vs. VNQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TIAA Real Estate Account (QREARX) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QREARX vs. VNQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
QREARX TIAA Real Estate Account	0.61%	3.93%
VNQ Vanguard Real Estate ETF	1.67%	2.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QREARX achieves a 0.61% return, which is significantly lower than VNQ's 1.67% return.

QREARX

• 1D: -0.18%
• 1M: 0.19%
• YTD: 0.61%
• 6M: 1.65%
• 1Y: 3.59%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VNQ

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: -6.21%
• YTD: 1.67%
• 6M: -0.84%
• 1Y: 2.18%
• 3Y*: 6.57%
• 5Y*: 2.86%
• 10Y*: 4.69%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

QREARX vs. VNQ - Expense Ratio Comparison

QREARX has a 0.90% expense ratio, which is higher than VNQ's 0.13% expense ratio.

QREARX

TIAA Real Estate Account

VNQ

Vanguard Real Estate ETF

Return for Risk

QREARX vs. VNQ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

QREARX

QREARX Risk / Return Rank: 99
QREARX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
QREARX Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
QREARX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
QREARX Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
QREARX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

VNQ

VNQ Risk / Return Rank: 15
VNQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
VNQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
VNQ Omega Ratio Rank: 14
VNQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
VNQ Martin Ratio Rank: 17

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

QREARX vs. VNQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TIAA Real Estate Account (QREARX) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	QREARX	VNQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	4.69	0.13	+4.56
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	7.22	0.30	+6.92
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.65	1.04	+1.61
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	9.74	0.18	+9.56
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	40.50	0.70	+39.80
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QREARX vs. VNQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QREARX Sharpe Ratio is 4.69, which is higher than the VNQ Sharpe Ratio of 0.13. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QREARX and VNQ, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	QREARX	VNQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.69	0.13	+4.56
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.15	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.23	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.12	0.26	+1.87

Correlation

The correlation between QREARX and VNQ is -0.11. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

QREARX vs. VNQ - Dividend Comparison

QREARX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VNQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.92%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QREARX TIAA Real Estate Account	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VNQ Vanguard Real Estate ETF	3.92%	3.92%	3.85%	3.95%	3.91%	2.56%	3.93%	3.39%	4.74%	4.23%	4.82%	3.92%

Drawdowns

QREARX vs. VNQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QREARX drawdown since its inception was -1.45%, smaller than the maximum VNQ drawdown of -73.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QREARX and VNQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	QREARX	VNQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-1.45%	-73.07%	+71.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.37%	-12.44%	+12.07%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-34.48%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-42.40%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.28%	-9.24%	+8.96%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.05%	-13.71%	+13.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.09%	3.21%	-3.12%

Volatility

QREARX vs. VNQ - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for TIAA Real Estate Account (QREARX) is 0.30%, while Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) has a volatility of 4.57%. This indicates that QREARX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VNQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QREARX	VNQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.30%	4.57%	-4.27%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.53%	9.28%	-8.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.77%	16.31%	-15.54%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.76%	18.80%	-17.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.76%	20.70%	-18.94%