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The primary distinction between State Street SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWO) and Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:HAUZ) lies in their geographic mandates and cost structures.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer a way to gain property exposure without the burden of managing physical buildings. These two funds approach the asset class differently: one provides a broad look across the entire globe, while the other specifically targets markets outside the U.S. to help investors diversify away from domestic concentrations and capture international growth.
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from monthly returns over the available fund history (up to five years). The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
The Xtrackers fund is significantly more affordable, carrying an expense ratio of 0.1% compared to 0.5% for the SPDR fund. While the Xtrackers fund provides a slightly higher payout for income-seeking investors, the yield gap between the two is relatively narrow at 0.37 percentage points.
State Street SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF targets publicly traded real estate companies that own and manage commercial or residential properties. The portfolio leans heavily toward real estate at 90%, with cash and others at 7%, and consumer cyclicals at 1%. Its largest positions include Welltower (NYSE:WELL) at 10.34%, Prologis (NYSE:PLD) at 7.75%, and Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX) at 6.15%. Launched in 2008, the fund manages 224 holdings and carries $1.2 billion in assets under management (AUM). State Street SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF has paid $1.63 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$47.08 share price works out to a 3.5% yield.
Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF seeks to track developed and emerging markets excluding the U.S., offering a diverse mix of 410 holdings to help investors diversify away from domestic property exposure. The fund is concentrated almost exclusively in real estate at 96%, with industrials and communication services each representing 1%. Top holdings include Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) at 4.20%, Mitsubishi Estate at 3.11%, and Mitsui Fudosan (TSE:8801) at 2.84%. Launched in 2013, it provides a low-cost entry into international property sectors and manages $1.0 billion in AUM. Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF has paid $0.82 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$21.38 share price works out to a 3.9% yield.
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.
Real estate has bounced back in 2026 as interest rates ease and income-seeking investors return to property markets. Both RWO and HAUZ offer a way into that recovery, but they are not fishing in the same waters.
RWO markets itself as a global real estate fund, but more than half of its portfolio is U.S. real estate, consisting of the same domestic REITs that most American investors already own through broader funds. If you're looking to truly diversify beyond U.S. property markets, that overlap raises a practical question about what you are actually adding.
HAUZ invests entirely outside the United States, holding more than 400 real estate companies across Japan, Australia, Europe, and beyond. That focus on international markets gives it a much different return profile from funds concentrated in domestic REITs.
RWO charges quite a high fee that can be difficult to justify when HAUZ has delivered comparable long-term returns and maximum drawdown. For most long-term investors who want actual international real estate diversification at the lowest possible cost, HAUZ is the more purposeful and efficient choice. RWO makes more sense only for those who want a single fund covering both U.S. and international property in one package and are comfortable paying significantly more for that convenience.
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Sara Appino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Equinix and Prologis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Which Global Real Estate ETF Is the Better Buy: State Street's RWO or Xtrackers' HAUZ? was originally published by The Motley Fool
