---
title: "RWR vs. VNQI: Domestic REIT Purity Against International Breadth at a Lower Cost"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/285845497.md"
description: "The comparison between Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (VNQI) and State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (RWR) highlights key differences in expense ratios, yields, and market exposure. VNQI offers a lower expense ratio of 0.12% and a higher dividend yield of 4.50%, while RWR has a 0.25% expense ratio and a yield of 3.40%. VNQI provides broad international diversification with around 700 holdings, whereas RWR focuses solely on the U.S. market with about 100 holdings. Investors seeking income may prefer RWR, while those looking for geographical diversification might opt for VNQI."
datetime: "2026-05-10T15:10:19.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/285845497.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285845497.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/285845497.md)
---

# RWR vs. VNQI: Domestic REIT Purity Against International Breadth at a Lower Cost

## Key Points

-   Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF offers broad exposure to international markets with a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.12% compared to the 0.25% fee for State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF.
-   State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF concentrates entirely on the domestic U.S. market whereas Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF holds hundreds of international positions.
-   Income seekers may find the distribution yield of Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF more attractive than the yield currently provided by State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF.
-   10 stocks we like better than SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF ›

**State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF** (NYSEMKT:RWR) offers concentrated U.S. property exposure, whereas **Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF** (NASDAQ:VNQI) provides broad international diversification with a lower cost and higher yield.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are often utilized for income and inflation protection, but the geography of those underlying assets matters immensely for a portfolio's risk profile. This comparison pits a domestic U.S. strategy against an international approach, highlighting how regional exposures, varying fee structures, and differing yields impact the risk-adjusted returns for long-term investors looking to diversify away from traditional equities.

## Snapshot (cost & size)

Metric

VNQI

RWR

Issuer

Vanguard

SPDR

Expense ratio

0.12%

0.25%

1-yr return (as of May 8, 2026)

15.92%

18.89%

Dividend yield

4.50%

3.40%

Beta

0.73

1.00

AUM

$3.7 billion

$1.8 billion

_Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield._

The Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF is the more affordable choice for long-term holders, featuring a low expense ratio of 0.12%, which is less than half the 0.25% cost of the State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF. For those investors who prioritize current income, the Vanguard fund also provides a higher payout, featuring a trailing-12-month distribution yield of 4.50% compared to the 3.40% yield offered by the SPDR fund.

## Performance & risk comparison

Metric

VNQI

RWR

Max drawdown (5 yr)

(35.80%)

(32.60%)

Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return)

$999

$1,291

## What's inside

The **State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF** (NYSEMKT:RWR) provides exposure to publicly traded real estate securities within the U.S. by tracking the **Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Capped Index**. The portfolio is relatively concentrated with 100 holdings and is dominated by the real estate sector. Its largest positions include **Prologis** (NYSE:PLD) at 10.17%, **Welltower** (NYSE:WELL) at 10.04%, and **Digital Realty Trust** (NYSE:DLR) at 4.77%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a trailing-12-month dividend of $3.73 per share and recently traded with an ex-dividend date of Mar. 23, 2026.

In contrast, the **Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF** (NASDAQ:VNQI) invests in international property stocks across more than 30 countries. The fund is much more diversified, holding around 700 positions. Its largest positions include **Goodman Group** (ASX:GMG) at 3.36%, **Mitsubishi Estate** (TYO:8802) at 3.09%, and **Mitsui Fudosan** (TYO:8801) at 2.71%. Launched in 2010, the Vanguard fund has a trailing-12-month dividend of $2.16 per share and tracks the **S&P Global ex-U.S. Property Index**.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

## What this means for investors

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are required by law to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income as dividends, making them a natural income vehicle. RWR is a pure expression of that structure, holding roughly 100 U.S. REITs spanning logistics, healthcare, and digital infrastructure. Every holding carries that mandatory income-distribution requirement.

VNQI ventures entirely abroad, spreading nearly 700 holdings across Japan, Australia, Europe, and beyond. International real estate indexes include real estate operating companies alongside REITs, meaning some holdings reinvest profits rather than paying them out, which can modestly soften the income profile. In practice, VNQI still yields more than RWR while charging less than half the fee.

These funds serve different portfolio roles rather than competing directly. RWR is the cleaner domestic income vehicle for investors who want familiar U.S. real estate exposure. VNQI suits those seeking to diversify geographically, accepting currency risk and varying property cycles in exchange for broader international reach at a meaningfully lower cost.

## Should you buy stock in SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF right now?

Before you buy stock in SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF, consider this:

The _Motley Fool Stock Advisor_ analyst team just identified what they believe are the **10 best stocks** for investors to buy now… and SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when **Netflix** made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $471,827**!\* Or when **Nvidia** made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $1,319,291**!\*

Now, it’s worth noting _Stock Advisor’s_ total average return is 986% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 207% for the S&P 500. **Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with _Stock Advisor_, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.**

See the 10 stocks »

_\*Stock Advisor returns as of May 10, 2026._

_Sara Appino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Digital Realty Trust, Goodman Group, and Prologis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy._

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

### Related Stocks

- [VNQI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VNQI.US.md)
- [RWR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RWR.US.md)
- [PLD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PLD.US.md)
- [WELL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/WELL.US.md)
- [DLR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DLR.US.md)
- [GMG.AU](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GMG.AU.md)
- [8802.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/8802.JP.md)
- [8801.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/8801.JP.md)
- [.SPX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/.SPX.US.md)

## Related News & Research

- [VNQ vs. VNQI: Vanguard's Domestic and International Real Estate Funds Make a Natural Pair](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285924484.md)
- [Equity Residential, AvalonBay to merge in mega real estate deal](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287198873.md)
- [3 BlackRock Dividend ETFs Offering 6%+ Yields, With One Paying Over 12%](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287361372.md)
- [Forget T-bills. This active ETF is paying more with less hassle.](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286950170.md)
- [US 10-year Treasury yield expected to fall by year-end](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287011743.md)