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IYR vs RWR
Which ETF would AI Choose? iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) vs. SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (RWR)
Key Takeaways
- IYR tracks a broader U.S. real estate universe, while RWR is a purer real estate investment trust (REIT) strategy, creating meaningful differences in exposure and risk profile.
- RWR offers a cost advantage with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with roughly 0.37% for IYR.
- RWR is the more diversified fund by holding count, typically spanning about 100 names versus roughly 60–65 for IYR.
- Both funds share heavily overlapping top holdings led by Welltower (WELL) and Prologis (PLD), so the differences lie mainly in the tail of the portfolio.
- Tickeron AI Verdict: RWR — its lower cost, broader diversification, and purer REIT mandate give it the structural edge in this ETF comparison.
Introduction
Real estate ETFs have re-entered focus as investors weigh interest rate expectations, the health of commercial property markets, and the earnings resilience of data center, healthcare, and industrial landlords. IYR and RWR are two of the most established vehicles in the U.S. real estate space, and they compete directly for the same investor dollar. Both are passive, market-capitalization-weighted funds built around Dow Jones real estate indexes, yet they differ in index methodology, holding count, cost, and the breadth of their property exposure. Understanding these structural distinctions helps investors decide which fund better aligns with their sector exposure goals and relative positioning preferences.
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) Overview
IYR seeks to track the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index, a market-capitalization-weighted benchmark covering the real estate sector of the U.S. equity market. It is a passively managed, non-diversified fund that uses representative sampling, investing at least 80% of assets in securities with characteristics substantially identical to the index.
The fund holds roughly 60–65 securities. Its top holdings are Welltower (WELL), Prologis (PLD), American Tower (AMT), Simon Property Group (SPG), Equinix (EQIX), Digital Realty Trust (DLR), Realty Income (O), Public Storage (PSA), Ventas (VTR), and AvalonBay Communities (AVB). The top 10 names account for roughly half of assets.
A distinguishing feature of IYR is that it is not strictly REIT-only: it also includes real estate management and development companies and specialty property names such as CBRE Group (CBRE) and Weyerhaeuser (WY). Its expense ratio is approximately 0.37%, and the fund has traded since 2000, providing deep liquidity and a long track record.
SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (RWR) Overview
RWR seeks to match the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Capped Index, a market-capitalization-weighted benchmark composed exclusively of U.S. real estate investment trusts. It is a passively managed fund that offers investors a pure REIT allocation, spanning commercial, residential, healthcare, industrial, and specialty property owners and operators.
The fund typically holds around 100 securities, giving it a broader tail of small- and mid-cap REITs than IYR. Its largest positions are Welltower (WELL), Prologis (PLD), Public Storage (PSA), Simon Property Group (SPG), Equinix (EQIX), Digital Realty Trust (DLR), Ventas (VTR), Realty Income (O), Extra Space Storage (EXR), and AvalonBay Communities (AVB).
RWR carries a lower expense ratio of 0.25%, which compounds into a measurable cost advantage over longer holding periods. Launched in 2001, it is also well established, though its asset base is smaller than IYR’s. Both funds follow rules-based indexes that apply single-name weighting caps and are rebalanced periodically.
Industry and Thematic Backdrop
The real estate sector remains highly sensitive to interest rate expectations, because REITs rely on debt financing and are valued partly on their income yields relative to bonds. Recent market cycles have favored data center and tower landlords benefiting from artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending, as well as healthcare REITs supported by aging demographics. Meanwhile, office and certain retail property segments continue to face structural headwinds from hybrid work and e-commerce.
Both funds carry heavy exposure to data center and specialized REIT names through holdings like EQIX and DLR, and to healthcare through WELL. The broader macro environment — including the path of monetary policy, credit conditions, and property-level fundamentals — remains the dominant driver of fund performance in this segment.
Performance and Positioning Comparison
Because the two funds share many of the same top holdings, their fund performance has tended to move in close lockstep over recent weeks and months. The differences in relative positioning stem largely from portfolio composition at the margin. IYR’s inclusion of real estate services and development companies adds a layer of economic sensitivity, while RWR’s broader REIT tail introduces greater small- and mid-cap representation.
RWR’s lower expense ratio has helped it capture a slightly larger share of gross returns in recent periods, and its wider holding base can smooth idiosyncratic risk from any single name. IYR, by contrast, is more concentrated at the top and carries slightly higher fees. Both funds remain similarly volatile given their near-identical sector exposure, so cost and diversification emerge as the key differentiators in this ETF comparison.
AI Screener
Tickeron’s AI Screener is an AI-powered stock and ETF discovery tool that helps traders and investors filter the market based on technical patterns, fundamentals, trends, volatility, and AI-driven signals. Users can scan thousands of securities using customizable filters such as industry, market capitalization, technical indicators, price patterns, and performance metrics. The screener is designed to surface trade ideas, trending stocks, breakout candidates, and market opportunities far more efficiently than manual screening. Explore the AI Screener to refine your own real estate ETF and stock shortlist.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on structural factors rather than short-term price action, Tickeron’s AI would likely favor RWR in this comparison. Its 0.25% expense ratio undercuts IYR’s roughly 0.37% fee, providing a durable cost edge that compounds over time. RWR also offers broader diversification through a larger holding count and a purer, rules-based REIT mandate, which can improve risk-adjusted consistency without sacrificing exposure to the sector’s strongest themes. While IYR delivers useful breadth into real estate services, the combination of lower cost, wider diversification, and comparable liquidity makes RWR the more probabilistically attractive structure for long-term sector positioning.
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 IYR is a Buy and RWR is a Buy.
IYR in upward trend: price rose above 50-day moving average on October 29, 2026
IYR 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 46 of 52 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 12, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on IYR as a result. In 68 of 84 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 81%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for IYR just turned positive on October 09, 2026. Looking at past instances where IYR's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 40 of 47 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 85%.
The 10-day moving average for IYR 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 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 +1.44% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where IYR advanced for three days, in 255 of 309 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 83%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 224 of 298 cases where IYR Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 75%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for IYR 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 28 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 27 of the 28 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 90%.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 7 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
The 50-day moving average for IYR moved below the 200-day moving average on October 22, 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 IYR 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%.
IYR 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.
RWR's MACD Histogram crosses above signal line
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for RWR turned positive on October 09, 2026. Looking at past instances where RWR's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 41 of 46 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 89%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
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 RWR as a result. In 68 of 84 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 81%.
RWR 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.
The 10-day moving average for RWR crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on November 03, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 16 of 20 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 80%.
Following a +2.93% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where RWR advanced for three days, in 255 of 307 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 83%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 229 of 302 cases where RWR Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 76%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for RWR 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 23 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 22 of the 23 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 90%.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 8 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
The 50-day moving average for RWR moved below the 200-day moving average on November 05, 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 RWR 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 82%.
RWR 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.
| IYR | RWR | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 90% | 2 days ago 90% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 82% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 81% | 2 days ago 81% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 85% | 3 days ago 89% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 79% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 79% | 2 days ago 82% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 83% | 9 days ago 83% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 85% | 2 days ago 82% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 81% | 2 days ago 80% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 75% | 2 days ago 76% |
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IYR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, IYR has been closely correlated with CUBE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 78% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if IYR jumps, then CUBE could also see price increases.
RWR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, RWR has been closely correlated with KIM. These tickers have moved in lockstep 80% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if RWR jumps, then KIM could also see price increases.
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