In this article, we discuss 12 best real estate dividend stocks to buy now.
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) dated November 15, the real estate industry may pick up sharply in 2026, which is a long-anticipated change, as home sales are likely to see a double-digit increase. The chief economist at NAR, Lawrence Yun, predicts a 14% jump in American home sales in the coming year after 2025’s underwhelming numbers. In 2026, new home sales are estimated to be 5% higher, too.
However, Yun mentioned that larger residential sales do not mean that prices across the country are falling. In fact, NAR projects that home prices will increase 4% in 2026, driven by better employment statistics and lasting supply gaps. The NAR chief economist added that mortgage applications are coming in strong, new homes are being constructed, employment is stable, and the government shutdown is finally over as well. All of this bodes well for the 2026 residential housing market. He also pointed out that currently, housing in the $750K to $1 million price bracket has seen healthy gains, but the supply of more affordably priced properties remains limited.
On the other hand, in terms of commercial real estate, Deloitte’s report dated September 29 suggests that there is a guarded sense of optimism in the industry, given the economic volatility around the globe, uncertain policies and regulations, and high interest rates. While there has been a modest increase in debt financing availability, industry experts remain concerned about risks related to capital, refinancing, and policy shifts.
In Deloitte’s year-over-year look at its commercial real estate survey, 83% of participants said they expect revenue growth by the end of this year, down from 88% last year. Similarly, compared to last year, about 5% fewer respondents intend to raise spending, while about 8% expected it to remain steady. Nonetheless, 68% foresee increased costs this year.
With that outlook in mind, let’s take a look at the 12 best real estate dividend stocks to buy now.
Photo by Heidi Fin on Unsplash
Our Methodology
For this list, we used a stock screener to identify dividend-paying real estate stocks. To narrow the selection, we focused on companies with strong hedge fund interest and healthy financial performance. These firms are better positioned to endure market fluctuations due to their operational scale. We included hedge fund sentiment data for each stock as of Q3 2025, ranking them in ascending order based on the number of hedge fund holders.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
12. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 3.85%
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 25, Barclays analyst Richard Hightower remained bullish on AvalonBay, assigning a Buy rating on the stock with an accompanying price target of $216.
In a separate update, S&P Global updated its stance on AvalonBay from stable to positive on November 4. The rating agency anticipates that AVB’s operational track record will be consistent, given the solid demand for its suburban coastal assets and strong tenant demand. Q3’s increase in same-store residential revenue and net operating income was supported by a near-full occupancy at 95.7%, in addition to stable tenancy. S&P also observed that tenancy remains more affordable than homeownership in the current economy, which is beneficial for AVB.
The positive outlook indicates that S&P anticipates robust occupancy and stable rent growth for the next two years, since AVB’s properties are located in good areas. The firm also expects AVB to finance its projects in a way that credit protection measures do not escalate from present levels despite the expansion of its portfolio.
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) builds, acquires, and manages apartment communities in major American cities and some growing markets.
11. SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 2.28%
SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 17, Barclays analyst Brendan Lynch reiterated a Buy call on SBAC along with a target price of $219.
In a different business update, dated November 3, SBAC released its financial results for the third quarter of 2025. During Q3, the company purchased 447 communication sites, among them 446 sites from its earlier Millicom transaction. This acquisition was worth $142.8 million. Additionally, SBAC also constructed 151 towers during the quarter ended September 30, 2025. As of Q3 this year, the company has under its management 44,581 communication sites,
In terms of liquidity, SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) had $12.8 billion in total debt, $9.8 billion in total secured debt, cash and cash equivalents of $0.5 billion, and net debt amounting to $12.3 billion at the end of Q3 2025. Moreover, in Q3, the company acquired 748,000 Class A common shares for $154.1 million as part of its $1.5 billion buyback initiative. It also announced and delivered $119.1 million in cash dividends within the quarter.
SBA Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:SBAC) owns and operates wireless communication infrastructure across the Americas and Africa. Its real estate portfolio includes towers, buildings, rooftops, distributed antenna systems, and small cells.
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