VRAI vs. DFAR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus Real Asset Income ETF (VRAI) and Dimensional US Real Estate ETF (DFAR).

VRAI and DFAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VRAI is a passively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners that tracks the performance of the Indxx Real Asset Income Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2019. DFAR is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Feb 23, 2022.

Performance

VRAI vs. DFAR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus Real Asset Income ETF (VRAI) and Dimensional US Real Estate ETF (DFAR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VRAI vs. DFAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
VRAI Virtus Real Asset Income ETF	17.47%	6.67%	2.66%	6.12%	-7.54%
DFAR Dimensional US Real Estate ETF	3.46%	1.31%	5.25%	11.04%	-14.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VRAI achieves a 17.47% return, which is significantly higher than DFAR's 3.46% return.

VRAI

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: 2.46%
• YTD: 17.47%
• 6M: 15.58%
• 1Y: 19.95%
• 3Y*: 10.42%
• 5Y*: 6.33%
• 10Y*: —

DFAR

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: -6.28%
• YTD: 3.46%
• 6M: 0.97%
• 1Y: 2.53%
• 3Y*: 6.36%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VRAI vs. DFAR - Expense Ratio Comparison

VRAI has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than DFAR's 0.19% expense ratio.

VRAI

Virtus Real Asset Income ETF

DFAR

Dimensional US Real Estate ETF

Return for Risk

VRAI vs. DFAR — Risk / Return Rank

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

VRAI

VRAI Risk / Return Rank: 61
VRAI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VRAI Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
VRAI Omega Ratio Rank: 65
VRAI Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
VRAI Martin Ratio Rank: 62

DFAR

DFAR Risk / Return Rank: 17
DFAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
DFAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
DFAR Omega Ratio Rank: 16
DFAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
DFAR Martin Ratio Rank: 21

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.

VRAI vs. DFAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus Real Asset Income ETF (VRAI) and Dimensional US Real Estate ETF (DFAR). 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.

	VRAI	DFAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.12	0.16	+0.97
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.56	0.32	+1.23
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	1.04	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.33	0.30	+1.03
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.15	1.16	+4.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VRAI vs. DFAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VRAI Sharpe Ratio is 1.12, which is higher than the DFAR Sharpe Ratio of 0.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VRAI and DFAR, 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

	VRAI	DFAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.12	0.16	+0.97
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.06	+0.21

Correlation

The correlation between VRAI and DFAR is 0.72, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VRAI vs. DFAR - Dividend Comparison

VRAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.33%, more than DFAR's 2.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
VRAI Virtus Real Asset Income ETF	3.33%	4.68%	7.13%	5.02%	4.48%	3.34%	3.91%	2.80%
DFAR Dimensional US Real Estate ETF	2.98%	2.97%	2.89%	3.06%	1.69%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VRAI vs. DFAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VRAI drawdown since its inception was -47.51%, which is greater than DFAR's maximum drawdown of -32.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VRAI and DFAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	VRAI	DFAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-47.51%	-32.27%	-15.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.73%	-12.10%	-3.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.71%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.11%	-6.75%	+6.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.33%	-14.76%	+4.43%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.40%	3.13%	+0.27%

Volatility

VRAI vs. DFAR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Virtus Real Asset Income ETF (VRAI) is 3.12%, while Dimensional US Real Estate ETF (DFAR) has a volatility of 4.48%. This indicates that VRAI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VRAI	DFAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.12%	4.48%	-1.36%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.90%	9.28%	-0.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.84%	16.06%	+1.78%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.69%	19.32%	-2.63%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.34%	19.32%	+3.02%