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ICF vs REZ
Which ETF would AI Choose? iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF) vs. iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF (REZ)
Key Takeaways
- ICF tracks a concentrated, large-cap U.S. real estate investment trust (REIT) index with roughly 30 holdings and a 0.32% expense ratio, while REZ holds about 40 names focused on residential, healthcare, and self-storage REITs at a 0.48% cost.
- ICF spreads exposure across data centers, telecom towers, industrial, retail, and healthcare; REZ is far more concentrated in a single position, with Welltower alone accounting for roughly 23% of assets.
- ICF is the larger and more liquid vehicle, with materially higher assets under management (AUM) and average trading volume than REZ.
- Both funds are passive and non-diversified, but ICF offers broader subsector diversification and a lower fee, while REZ provides a purer, higher-conviction bet on needs-based real estate.
- Tickeron AI Verdict: ICF is the favored ticker, reflecting its lower cost, broader diversification, stronger liquidity, and more balanced sector exposure.
Introduction
Investors comparing these two iShares funds are effectively choosing between two ways to own U.S. listed real estate. ICF is a broad, large-cap REIT strategy, whereas REZ narrows the lens to residential, healthcare, and self-storage property types. They do not compete directly on index construction, but they do appeal to overlapping investor goals: durable, income-oriented real estate exposure. In a market cycle defined by shifting interest-rate expectations, resilient demographic demand, and growing investor appetite for alternative real asset subsectors, understanding how these funds differ in structure, concentration, and cost is essential for sound relative positioning.
iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF) Overview
ICF seeks to track the Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index, a benchmark of relatively large and liquid U.S. REITs that may benefit from the ongoing consolidation and securitization of American real estate. The fund typically holds around 30 securities and is non-diversified, meaning its portfolio is intentionally concentrated. Its expense ratio is 0.32%.
Top holdings include WELL (Welltower), PLD (Prologis), EQIX (Equinix), AMT (American Tower), SPG (Simon Property Group), and PSA (Public Storage). Sector allocations are comparatively diversified across telecom tower, retail, data center, multi-family residential, healthcare, industrial, and self-storage REITs. This breadth, combined with meaningful weight in connectivity-driven assets such as data centers and towers, gives ICF a structurally balanced but growth-tilted profile.
iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF (REZ) Overview
REZ seeks to track an index composed of U.S. residential, healthcare, and self-storage real estate equities, providing targeted exposure to needs-based property sectors. The fund holds approximately 40 names and carries an expense ratio of 0.48%, notably higher than ICF.
REZ is significantly more concentrated at the top. Welltower (WELL) represents roughly 23% of the portfolio, with Public Storage (PSA), Ventas (VTR), Extra Space Storage (EXR), and Essex Property Trust (ESS) also among the largest positions. Because it excludes towers, data centers, and most industrial and retail REITs, REZ behaves less like a broad real estate proxy and more like a thematic vehicle tied to housing, senior living, and storage demand.
Industry and Thematic Backdrop
U.S. real estate investment trusts have moved through a rate-sensitive period, with sector performance closely tied to interest-rate expectations, refinancing costs, and the durability of rental income. Within this environment, distinct catalysts separate the two funds. ICF benefits from artificial-intelligence and cloud-driven demand for data centers and telecom towers, alongside steady e-commerce logistics tailwinds for industrial landlords. REZ, by contrast, is anchored to demographic themes: an aging population supporting healthcare and senior-housing demand, and constrained housing supply underpinning residential and manufactured-home operators. The key shared risk is interest-rate sensitivity, which affects property values and borrowing costs across both portfolios.
Performance and Positioning Comparison
In recent market cycles, ICF has been supported by its connectivity and logistics exposure, which has helped offset softness in more traditional property types. REZ has drawn strength from resilient healthcare and residential fundamentals, but its heavy Welltower concentration makes its relative positioning more dependent on a single stock. ICF's lower expense ratio and broader subsector mix also reduce idiosyncratic, single-name risk. On volatility, REZ's concentrated top holdings can amplify swings relative to ICF, which spreads its weight across more property categories. Investors weighing fund performance should therefore consider not only returns but the diversification and cost profile driving them.
AI Screener
Tickeron's AI Screener is an AI-powered stock and ETF discovery tool that helps traders and investors filter the market using technical patterns, fundamentals, trend strength, volatility, and AI-driven signals. Users can scan thousands of securities with customizable filters for industry, market capitalization, technical indicators, price patterns, and performance metrics. The screener is designed to surface trade ideas, trending names, and breakout candidates more efficiently than manual screening. Explore the AI Screener to build a data-driven watchlist tailored to your strategy.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable structural factors, Tickeron's AI would currently favor ICF. It offers a materially lower expense ratio, a broader and more balanced mix of REIT subsectors, stronger liquidity, and meaningful exposure to high-growth, connectivity-linked assets such as data centers and telecom towers. While REZ provides focused access to needs-based real estate, its heavier single-stock concentration and higher fee weaken its risk-adjusted profile in a direct comparison. Accordingly, ICF emerges as the more efficient, diversified vehicle for investors seeking broad U.S. REIT exposure.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ICF is a Buy and REZ is a Hold.
ICF in upward trend: price rose above 50-day moving average on October 29, 2026
ICF moved above its 50-day moving average on October 29, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend. In 50 of 57 similar past instances, the stock price increased further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 88%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 09, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on ICF as a result. In 71 of 91 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 78%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for ICF just turned positive on October 09, 2026. Looking at past instances where ICF's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 39 of 48 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 81%.
The 10-day moving average for ICF crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 29, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 14 of 18 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 78%.
Following a +1.65% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where ICF advanced for three days, in 267 of 319 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 84%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 227 of 295 cases where ICF Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 77%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for ICF moved out of overbought territory on November 05, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 27 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 23 of the 27 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 85%.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 51 of 62 cases where ICF's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 82%.
The 50-day moving average for ICF moved below the 200-day moving average on October 28, 2026. This could be a long-term bearish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where ICF declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 85%.
ICF broke above its upper Bollinger Band on November 04, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
REZ in -1.43% downward trend, falling for three consecutive days on November 12, 2026
Moving lower for three straight days is viewed as a bearish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future declines. Considering data from situations where REZ declined for three days, in 242 of 287 cases, the price declined further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 84%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for REZ moved out of overbought territory on November 05, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 31 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 25 of the 31 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 81%.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 53 of 66 cases where REZ's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 80%.
REZ broke above its upper Bollinger Band on November 04, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 15, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on REZ as a result. In 64 of 76 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 84%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for REZ just turned positive on October 12, 2026. Looking at past instances where REZ's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 46 of 51 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 90%.
REZ moved above its 50-day moving average on October 30, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for REZ crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on November 02, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 22 of 25 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 88%.
Following a +3.43% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where REZ advanced for three days, in 267 of 311 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 86%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 219 of 281 cases where REZ Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 78%.
| ICF | REZ | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 85% | 3 days ago 81% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 82% | 3 days ago 80% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 78% | 3 days ago 84% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 81% | 5 days ago 90% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 83% | 3 days ago 82% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 80% | 3 days ago 84% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 84% | 12 days ago 86% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 85% | 4 days ago 84% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 82% | 3 days ago 83% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 78% |
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ICF and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ICF has been closely correlated with EXR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 77% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if ICF jumps, then EXR could also see price increases.
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