RLTY vs SPY
Cohen & Steers Real Estate Opportunities and Income Fund vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, RLTY or SPY?
Debt-oriented balanced against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y and the full window.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | RLTY | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 1.19% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $260M | $804.7B |
| Dividend Yield | 7.85% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 232 | 505 |
| YTD Return | +6.61% | +11.45%Best |
| 1Y Return | +2.02% | +15.87%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +12.21% | +20.93%Best |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +12.59% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 23.2% | 15.7%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -35.4% | -22.1%Best |
| $10,000 over 4.6 years | $10,998 | $18,906Best |
| Fund Family | Cohen & Steers Funds | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Allocation/Balanced | Equity |
| Style | Debt-oriented balanced | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | Feb 24, 2022 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 4.6 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Feb 24, 2022 to Sep 15, 2026 (4.6 years).
RLTY vs SPY growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 4.6 years both funds cover.
RLTY vs SPY Performance
Cohen & Steers Real Estate Opportunities and Income Fund (RLTY) is an ETF from Cohen & Steers Funds and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year RLTY returned +2.02% while SPY returned +15.87%. Year to date, RLTY is up 6.61% versus a gain of 11.45% for SPY.
Over three years, RLTY compounded at +12.21% per year against +20.93% for SPY.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
RLTY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 23.2% compared with 15.7% for SPY. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -35.4% for RLTY and -22.1% for SPY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.68. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
RLTY charges 1.19% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $119 vs $9 annually, a gap of $110 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, RLTY currently yields 7.85% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
At least 1.9% of SPY's money is in holdings RLTY also owns.
Only one direction is shown: for RLTY, our book for it lists positions totalling 138.3% of the fund, which is what a leveraged book looks like and is not a denominator we can divide by.
SPY and RLTY share little of their money.
The two holdings books were reported 154 days apart, RLTY as of Mar 31, 2026 and SPY as of Sep 1, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
18 positions in common, counted across the 168 positions we hold weights for in RLTY and 504 in SPY, against full books of 232 and 505.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in RLTY | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| WELLWelltower, Inc. | 15.93% | 0.26% | 15.67% |
| DLRDigital Realty Trust Inc. | 10.68% | 0.10% | 10.58% |
| CCICrown Castle International Corp | 8.88% | 0.05% | 8.83% |
| AMTAmerican Tower Corporation | 6.07% | 0.12% | 5.95% |
| PLDPrologis Inc | 5.22% | 0.20% | 5.02% |
| EQIXEquinix Inc. Real Estate Investment Trust | 4.05% | 0.15% | 3.90% |
| EXRExtra Space Storage Inc. | 3.99% | 0.05% | 3.94% |
| IRMIron Mtn Inc New Com Npv | 3.80% | 0.05% | 3.75% |
| HSTHost Hotels & Resorts Inc | 2.75% | 0.02% | 2.73% |
| PSAPublic Storage | 2.53% | 0.08% | 2.45% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of RLTY and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, RLTY or SPY?
RLTY has an expense ratio of 1.19% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $110 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, RLTY or SPY?
Over the past year RLTY returned +2.02% vs +15.87% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, RLTY or SPY?
RLTY has been the more volatile fund at 23.2% annualized versus 15.7% for SPY. Worst drawdown: RLTY -35.4% vs SPY -22.1%.
Should I hold both RLTY and SPY?
RLTY and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.68, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
What is the holdings overlap between RLTY and SPY?
At least 1.9% of SPY's money is in holdings RLTY also owns. Our book for RLTY is partial, so the real figure is this or higher. They hold 18 positions in common, counted across the 168 positions we hold weights for in RLTY and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, RLTY or SPY?
RLTY yields 7.85% while SPY yields 0.98%, so RLTY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than RLTY?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y, 3Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.