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.
10. Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 2.40%
Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 25, John Kilichowski from Wells Fargo issued a Buy rating on Ventas. The analyst assigned a price target of $88 for the stock.
Separately, the company reported its Q3 2025 financials on October 29. Year-to-date at the end of the third quarter, Ventas had completed purchase transactions related to senior housing facilities worth $2.2 billion in promising markets. The company anticipates that these acquisitions will boost its growth and add to its financial returns. For 2025, the investment volume forecast for senior housing was also raised from $2 billion to $2.5 billion by Ventas. The company’s growth and future initiatives are supported by a solid liquidity position of $4.1 billion as of Q3 this year.
In another corporate update, dated November 17, Peter J. Bulgarelli, the company’s Executive Vice President and CEO of Lillibridge Healthcare Services, announced plans to retire on May 1, 2026. He manages Ventas’ Outpatient Medical & Research and Triple-Net Leased Healthcare operations. Bulgarelli became part of Ventas in 2018 after a 28-year career at Jones Lang LaSalle, where he oversaw the company’s healthcare, life sciences, higher education, and public sector divisions.
Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) is a real estate investment trust that specializes in senior housing communities, outpatient medical buildings, research centers, and healthcare facilities.
9. Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 3.96%
Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 26, Wells Fargo analyst James Feldman assigned an Equal Weight rating on CPT and trimmed the price target from $111 to $110.
Separately, the company reported its financial results for Q3 2025 on November 6. During the September quarter, the company concluded lease-up at Camden Durham and finalized construction at Camden Village District in Raleigh. Moreover, there is an ongoing lease at Camden Long Meadow Farms in Richmond. Camden Property sold two operating communities in Houston and one operating community in Dallas during Q3, which consisted of 626 residential apartments valued at $113.5 million. The company added a gain of nearly $85.6 million from this disposal.
By September 30, 2025, Camden’s total liquidity was approximately $796.3 million, which was made up of $25.9 million in cash and equivalents and $770.4 million in borrowing capacity under its unsecured credit facility and commercial paper program.
Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) owns, manages, and develops apartment communities across the United States. Camden’s urban apartment communities often include ground-floor retail, nearby offices, or mixed-use components. Its present real estate portfolio has more than 240,000 square feet of retail and office space.
8. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 3.07%
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 5, Truist analyst Anthony Hau reiterated a Buy recommendation on Digital Realty Trust, assigning a price target of $200.
In a different update, dated November 19, Digital Realty partnered with Schneider Electric, undertaking a $373 million Supply Capacity Agreement to provide data center power equipment, including Uninterruptible Power Supply systems, Low Voltage Switchgear, and Pre-Fabricated Skids. This equipment will bolster Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR)’s capacity to cater to the expanding data center demand, particularly because of AI use cases.
Digital Realty is benefiting from this agreement in terms of higher manufacturing prowess, a purpose-built switchgear assembly line, and economies of scale. This is on top of maintaining a flexible, multi-vendor process.
Digital Realty and Schneider Electric have previously partnered on power solutions, and this new deal broadens that work into prefabrication and switchgear. The companies announced this partnership during Schneider Electric’s Las Vegas-based Innovation Summit North America, where 2,500+ industry professionals met to talk about energy solutions.
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR) is a specialty REIT that owns, develops, and manages data centers, serving many industries including cloud computing, finance, energy, and healthcare in the United States and internationally.
7. Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 4.01%
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 20, Brendan Lynch from Barclays kept a Buy rating on Iron Mountain, along with a target price of $123.
Independent of the analyst action, a Reuters report dated November 19 revealed that the short-selling hedge fund duo, Gotham City Research and General Industrial Partners, has taken a short position in Iron Mountain. The pair, Daniel Yu and Cyrus de Weck, said Iron Mountain is investing in data centers at a level that is beyond its available long-term capital. Yu and de Weck are famous for their research work on SES Imagotag, which is now Vusion Group and Grifols, the Barcelona-based healthcare company.
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) is a specialty REIT that helps its clients manage both physical and digital assets, offering services for information management, digital transformation, security, and data centers.
6. Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 4.74%
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 26, Citi maintained a Neutral rating on Simon Property Group while lifting the price target from $170 to $185.
In another corporate update, dated November 18, Simon Property Group announced the acquisition of Phillips Place in Charlotte, North Carolina. The new property is situated in SouthPark’s central district.
Phillips Place is a top-tier mixed-use property that consists of 134,000 square feet dedicated to open-air retail space. It has 25+ retail outlets and cafes/restaurants, including well-known brands like alice+ olivia, Peter Millar, rag & bone, Ralph Lauren, Veronica Beard, RH Gallery with a Rooftop Restaurant, and The Palm. Simon Property now owns a hotel with more than 180 rooms and a multi-family residential complex as part of this acquisition.
The Phillips Place will continue to operate as it is, offering an immaculate shopping environment, and Simon will eventually enhance the experience by providing curated items over time and maintain its position as a bustling community center.
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is an American REIT that owns and operates high-quality shopping, food, and entertainment establishments across North America, Europe, and Asia.
5. Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 49
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 4.69%
Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 17, Barclays analyst Brendan Lynch upheld a Buy recommendation on CCI with a price target of $104.
In a separate business update, dated November 12, Anterix Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEX) and Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) revealed that they have partnered to offer utilities that grant utilities efficient access to tower structures in order to deploy 900 MHz private wireless networks.
Anterix TowerX was launched by both companies, and this service merges tower sites with advanced development capacity. The partnership will allow utilities the right to use Crown Castle’s 40,000+ tower sites in the US. TowerX plans to streamline deployment and fast-track utility projects that want to develop private LTE networks utilizing 900 MHz spectrum. The collaboration offers extensive site development and combined structures to promote grid improvement projects.
Dwayne Townsend, the CCI Vice President of Tower National Accounts, mentioned that this initiative between the two companies allows utilities to access wireless networks while trimming capital expenditure.
Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) owns and operates cell towers and thousands of miles of fiber across the United States, specializing in wireless and data infrastructure that enables connectivity between cities, communities, and businesses.
4. Prologis, Inc. (NYSE:PLD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 56
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 3.15%
Prologis, Inc. (NYSE:PLD) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 17, analyst Samir Khanal from BofA maintained a Buy recommendation on PLD and lifted the price target on the stock from $137 to $144. The analyst wrote in a research note that although the share performance was not top-notch, third-quarter earnings were solid for American REITs, with 69% of them exceeding market expectations.
In a different update, dated October 27, an SEC statement revealed that the company’s operating partnership, Prologis L.P., has priced its C$700 million, 3.600% notes set to mature on February 15, 2032. Prologis finalized pricing for these notes on October 20, with Scotia Capital and TD Securities being underwriters for this offering.
Before December 15, 2031, the notes can either be redeemed completely or partially, at a price equal to the greater of 100% of the principal or the present value of the upcoming payments through the call date, discounted at the Government of Canada yield with an added 21.5 basis point margin. After December 15, 2031, the notes can be redeemed at 100% of their principal amount.
This debt issuance is expected to raise net proceeds of roughly C$693.6 million, after related expenses have been accounted for. Prologis L.P. will utilize these funds to finance its corporate expenses, including repaying credit lines and mortgage debt.
Prologis, Inc. (NYSE:PLD) is a real estate company with a portfolio focused on fast-growing markets. The company rents out logistics facilities, mostly in the B2B and retail or online fulfillment sectors.
3. Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 56
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 1.44%
Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 25, analyst John Kilichowski from Wells Fargo assigned a Buy recommendation on Welltower, along with a $218 price target.
Separately, on October 27, the company reported that at the conclusion of Q3 2025, its net debt to enterprise value reduced to 7.6% from 13.1% the prior year. In 2025, Welltower managed to secure over $4.1 billion via senior unsecured notes, equity offerings, and money from asset sales and loan repayments. This money went towards new investments that will generate value for the company.
In the third quarter of 2025, Welltower poured $1.9 billion in total pro rata investments, including $96 million allocated for development initiatives. The company also sold properties valued at $30 million on a pro rata basis and made loan repayments worth $114 million. WELL also completed and brought six development projects online, including some partial conversions and expansions, amounting to $260 million in pro rata investment. Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) also carried out some real estate portfolio transactions in the UK and the US.
Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) operates at the center of the silver economy, focusing on rental homes for seniors across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Its portfolio of senior and wellness communities aims to develop community-focused spaces for older residents.
2. Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 2.50%
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 10, DBS analyst Andy Yu reiterated a Buy call on Equinix, along with a target price of $1,218.
In a separate business update, dated November 20, Equinix mentioned that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its probe into a short-seller report. The regulator does not suggest opting for enforcement measures.
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) was also subpoenaed by the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California regarding this short-seller report. The company is not anticipating any more action from the authority.
Equinix provides digital infrastructure worldwide via its data centers and connected networks, allowing organizations to deliver swift and reliable digital services. The company ensures smooth connectivity across countries, businesses, and neighborhoods.
1. American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 70
Dividend Yield as of November 28: 3.75%
American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. On November 17, Vikram Malhotra, a Mizuho Securities analyst, was bullish on AMT. He assigned a Buy call on the stock with a price target of $203.
Moreover, the company announced its Q3 financial results on October 28. AMT reported moderate to high single-digit revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth, with per-share AFFO clocking in double-digit growth. The CEO, Steven Vondran, attributed this growth to skyrocketing data demand. There was also strong leasing activity in the United States and abroad, driven by carriers expanding coverage and capacity. In AMT’s data centers, hybrid-cloud momentum, robust pricing conditions, and rising AI workloads led to a strong quarter and the highest level of new retail leases the company has signed yet.
American Tower disclosed total liquidity of nearly $10.7 billion as of September 30, 2025, which consisted of $2 billion in cash and cash equivalents and about $8.7 billion via its revolving credit facilities, adjusted for letters of credit.
American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) is one of the biggest REITs in the United States, which owns and manages communications real estate within the country and internationally. The company has thousands of communications sites and data center facilities in its real estate portfolio.
While we acknowledge the potential of AMT to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AMT and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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