At a glance
DFGR charges 0.22% a year, above the 0.2% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 9). It has $3.86B in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 3.97% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +3.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +13.2% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 40.6% of the fund, out of 441 in all.
The short version
Dimensional Global Real Estate ETF (DFGR) is an actively managed fund that held 441 real estate companies in the US and abroad as of July 31, 2026. Most are real estate investment trusts (REITs), and larger companies get bigger weights. It charges 0.22% a year, more than the iShares Global REIT ETF (0.14%), which shares about 90% of its holdings. Its trailing yield was 3.97% as of October 27, 2026.
Price history
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DFGR +3.7% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFGR official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +7.65% | — | — | — | +5.78% |
| S&P Global REIT Index (net dividends)2 index, same period | — | +7.67% | — | — | — | +6.10% |
| MSCI All Country World IMI Index (net dividends) index, same period | — | +22.06% | — | — | — | +18.71% |
| DFGR price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +6.6% | +3.7% | +13.2% | — | — | +6.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, DFGR returned +3.7%, 6th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+1.9%); its best was 2023 (+9.6%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 21.3% (Feb 2, 2023 to Oct 25, 2023), recovered by Jul 16, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +6.6% | — |
| 2025 | +7.7% | +7.65% |
| 2024 | +1.9% | +1.92% |
| 2023 | +9.6% | +9.64% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.4700 | |
| 2025 | $1.0700 | +12.6% |
| 2024 | $0.9500 | +31.9% |
| 2023 | $0.7200 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 441 securities; the ten largest made up 40.6% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| WELLTOWER INC. | 8.10% | |
| PROLOGIS, INC. | 6.61% | |
| EQUINIX, INC. | 4.92% | |
| AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION | 3.96% | |
| SIMON PROPERTY GROUP, INC. | 3.65% | |
| DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC. | 3.38% | |
| REALTY INCOME CORPORATION | 2.92% | |
| PUBLIC STORAGE. | 2.66% | |
| VENTAS, INC. | 2.22% | |
| GOODMAN GROUP Other | 2.18% | |
| IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED | 1.78% | |
| CROWN CASTLE INC. | 1.63% | |
| EXTRA SPACE STORAGE INC. | 1.53% | |
| VICI PROPERTIES INC. | 1.40% | |
| AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC. | 1.27% |
By country
United States 74.18%Australia 5.87%Japan 4.74%United Kingdom 3.66%Singapore 2.77%By asset type
Stocks 87.46%Other 12.18%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors added a net $233.6M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.03%, +0.95%, +2.75%.
How it works
DFGR does not track an index. Dimensional Fund Advisors manages it actively, but its starting point is market-capitalization weighting. Market cap is a company's share count times its share price, so bigger companies make up more of the fund. It buys US and foreign real estate companies of all sizes, in both developed and emerging markets. Its main focus is REITs, which are companies that pool investors' money to own income-producing property or real estate loans. At least 80% of net assets must be in real estate companies, spread across at least three countries, including the US. About 73% was in US companies as of the prospectus date.
Dimensional can adjust a company's weight, or leave it out, based on factors such as price momentum, trading liquidity, relative price (value) and profitability. It can also cap exposure to a single country or company. In practice it trades very little: portfolio turnover was 2%. As of July 31, 2026, the 10 largest holdings made up 40.6% of the fund, led by Welltower (8.1%), Prologis (6.6%) and Equinix (4.9%).
The fund does not use leverage or options strategies. It may use futures to manage cash coming in and going out, use currency forwards to settle foreign trades, buy depositary receipts (shares of foreign companies that trade outside their home market), and lend its securities for extra income.
What it really costs
- DFGR charges 0.22% a year, versus an average of 0.2% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.19% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- The fee includes a 0.01% waiver from the adviser, which may end.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $23 in the first year and $280 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFGR | $23 | $71 | $124 | $280 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a single-sector fund that adds global property exposure and quarterly income alongside a broader stock and bond mix, rather than serving as a core holding.
DFGR adds about 441 real estate companies from several countries, and it pays income each quarter. Its trailing yield was 3.97% as of October 27, 2026. Its history is short. The fund launched in December 2022, so it has not been tested in the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns. Its deepest drop was 21.3%, from February 2, 2023, to October 25, 2023. It recovered by July 16, 2024, about 8.7 months after the low. It had no losing calendar year from 2023 through 2025, but its worst quarter fell 9.82%. Someone selling shares during a drop like that would lock in the loss. Costs come to $23 in the first year on a $10,000 investment under the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict future returns, and a retirement plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want one fund holding 441 real estate companies, with about a quarter outside the US as of July 31, 2026.
- People who want quarterly income; the trailing yield was 3.97% as of October 27, 2026.
- Those who like Dimensional's approach: size-based weights with modest tilts toward value and profitability, and very low 2% turnover.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the iShares Global REIT ETF charges 0.14% versus DFGR's 0.22%, and the two share about 90% of their holdings.
- Investors who want a long track record; DFGR launched in December 2022 and missed the 2008, 2020 and 2022 downturns.
- Those uneasy with concentration: the top 10 holdings made up 40.6% of assets, with Welltower alone at 8.1%, as of July 31, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFGR this fund | — | 0.22% | $3.86B | +3.7% | +13.2% |
| REET iShares Global REIT ETF | 90% | 0.14% | $5.13B | +4.1% | +13.5% |
| AVRE Avantis Real Estate ETF | 89% | 0.17% | $861.1M | +3.5% | +12.6% |
| ERET iShares Environmentally Aware Real Estate E… | 79% | 0.3% | $14.2M | +1.9% | +12.4% |
| RWO SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF | 79% | 0.5% | $1.25B | +5.2% | +13.8% |
| DFAR Dimensional US Real Estate ETF | 74% | 0.19% | $1.78B | +7.6% | +14.0% |
| VNQ Vanguard Real Estate ETF | 74% | 0.13% | $73.11B | +9.6% | +13.8% |
| FREL Fidelity MSCI Real Estate Index ETF | 74% | 0.084% | $1.49B | +3.2% | +13.3% |
Questions investors ask
What does DFGR invest in?
DFGR owns real estate company stocks around the world, mostly REITs, which are companies that own income-producing property such as warehouses, data centers, cell towers and senior housing. As of July 31, 2026, it held 441 companies. About 74% were in the US, followed by Australia (5.9%) and Japan (4.7%). The largest holdings were Welltower, Prologis, Equinix, American Tower and Simon Property Group. It is actively managed by Dimensional and does not track an index.
What's the difference between DFGR and REET?
They hold very similar portfolios, with about 90% overlap, but REET costs less: 0.14% a year versus DFGR's 0.22%. As of October 27, 2026, REET's one-year return was 4.1% and DFGR's was 3.7%. Over three years, REET returned 13.5% a year and DFGR 13.2%. REET is also larger, with $5.13 billion in net assets versus DFGR's $3.86 billion as of July 31, 2026. DFGR's managers can tilt toward value and profitability.
Does DFGR pay monthly dividends?
No. DFGR pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.10 per share, a trailing yield of 3.97%. Payouts can rise or fall with the rents and profits of the REITs it owns. REIT dividends often don't qualify for the lower tax rate on qualified dividends, so holding the fund in a tax-advantaged account may change what you keep after taxes.
What is DFGR's expense ratio?
DFGR's expense ratio is 0.22% a year, according to its prospectus filed February 27, 2026. Under the SEC's standard example, a $10,000 investment earning 5% a year would cost about $23 after one year, $124 after five years and $280 after ten. Among nine similar funds compared, it ranked 7th on cost, and the group's average was 0.20%. The Schwab US REIT ETF (0.07%) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (0.13%) cost less.
How has DFGR performed since launch?
DFGR returned 5.78% a year from its December 2022 launch through December 31, 2025. Over the same period, the S&P Global REIT Index returned 6.1% a year and the MSCI All Country World IMI Index, a broad stock benchmark, returned 18.71%. Calendar-year returns were 9.64% in 2023, 1.92% in 2024 and 7.65% in 2025. Based on price, it returned 3.7% over the year ending October 27, 2026.