REIT Sector Performance in 2026

Data as of the October 19, 2026 close. Every figure on this page is checked against at least two independent sources, or two separate SEC filings, before it is published. How we verify data.

How each REIT sector has performed in 2026, measured by the median share price change of its listed REITs from the December 31, 2025 close through October 19, 2026. The median REIT overall has moved -2.0%; 9 sectors are ahead of that.

The middle column isolates the period since September 15, 2026, the day before the Federal Reserve raised rates, which shows how much of each sector’s year came from the rate move.

# Sector REITs Median year to date Median since Sept. 15 Best in sector Worst in sector
1 Hotels 13 +36.8% +8.6% Chatham Lodging Trust (+105.6%) Ashford Hospitality Trust (-56.8%)
2 Data Center 2 +19.6% -3.3% Equinix (+27.4%) Digital Realty Trust (+11.8%)
3 Specialty 5 +19.2% -0.4% Iron Mountain (+34.5%) Uniti Group (-22.4%)
4 Industrial 10 +7.8% -5.5% LXP Industrial Trust (+23.2%) Rexford Industrial (-6.1%)
5 Self-Storage 5 +7.0% -0.3% Public Storage (+13.9%) Global Self Storage (-2.2%)
6 Retail 18 +5.1% -4.9% CBL Properties (+30.1%) AH Realty Trust (-11.5%)
7 Net Lease 16 +1.7% -7.7% Postal Realty Trust (+31.5%) Global Net Lease (-14.9%)
8 Healthcare 15 +1.2% -6.6% Diversified Healthcare Trust (+52.0%) Medical Properties Trust (-43.0%)
9 Farmland 2 -0.4% -6.8% Farmland Partners (+2.6%) Gladstone Land (-3.4%)
10 Infrastructure 3 -5.3% +3.0% American Tower (+4.2%) Crown Castle (-8.8%)
11 Residential 13 -7.7% -3.4% Essex Property Trust (+1.9%) NexPoint Residential Trust (-40.4%)
12 Office 16 -10.0% -8.6% COPT Defense Properties (+17.8%) JBG SMITH Properties (-36.5%)
13 Gaming 2 -15.5% -5.6% Gaming and Leisure Properties (-13.1%) VICI Properties (-17.9%)
14 Timber 2 -16.3% -11.2% Rayonier (-13.7%) Weyerhaeuser (-18.9%)
15 Mortgage 30 -31.5% -19.5% NexPoint Real Estate Finance (+7.6%) Granite Point Mortgage Trust (-79.8%)

Excluded: REITs in liquidation, wind-down or with suspended dividends (Apartment Investment and Management, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Braemar Hotels & Resorts, Elme Communities, Franklin Street Properties, Piedmont Office Realty Trust, SITE Centers), because returning capital to shareholders moves their share prices for reasons unrelated to the market.

How This List Is Built

Each REIT’s price change is computed from Nasdaq and Cboe closing prices and used only when the two agree. Sector figures are medians, so one outlier cannot swing a sector. Dividends are not included.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best-performing REIT sector in 2026?

Hotels, with a median price change of +36.8% year to date as of October 19, 2026.

What is the worst-performing REIT sector this year?

Mortgage, with a median change of -31.5%.

How did REIT sectors react to the September rate hike?

Since September 15, 2026 the strongest sector median is Hotels (+8.6%) and the weakest is Mortgage (-19.5%).

Why do REIT sectors perform so differently?

Lease length, tenant demand and debt levels differ widely. Sectors with short leases can raise rents quickly when inflation runs hot, while long-lease sectors behave more like bonds and suffer more when rates climb.

Where can I see the REITs in each sector?

Each sector has its own ranked page on REIT Rankings, linked from the homepage, with every REIT graded on the same methodology.

Related Pages

Best-performing REITs of 2026 · Worst-performing REITs of 2026 · REIT dividend yield by sector · REITs since the Fed rate hike

REIT Rankings publishes data and grades, not investment advice. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Do your own research or consult a licensed advisor.