Sectors & IndustriesReal EstateREIT - Residential

Best Residential REIT Stocks to Buy Now (2026)

Top residential reit stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +28.50% per year, and are the best residential reit stocks to buy now. Learn More.

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best residential reit stocks to buy right now are:

Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) is the #1 top residential reit stock out of 20 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +5.11% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) has a Due Diligence Score of 33, which is 10 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 23.

ELS passed 12 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Equity Lifestyle Properties has seen its stock return 11.33% over the past year, overperforming other residential reit stocks by 15 percentage points.

Equity Lifestyle Properties has an average 1 year price target of $70.50, an upside of 8.38% from Equity Lifestyle Properties's current stock price of $65.05.

Equity Lifestyle Properties stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 8 analysts covering Equity Lifestyle Properties, 0% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 50% have issued a Buy, 50% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) is the #2 top residential reit stock out of 20 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +5.11% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) is: Value: A, Growth: D, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: D, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) has a Due Diligence Score of 43, which is 20 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 23.

MRP passed 17 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Millrose Properties has seen its stock lose -7.79% over the past year, underperforming other residential reit stocks by -4 percentage points.

Brt Apartments (NYSE:BRT) is the #3 top residential reit stock out of 20 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +5.11% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Brt Apartments (NYSE:BRT) is: Value: D, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: A, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Brt Apartments (NYSE:BRT) has a Due Diligence Score of 25, which is 2 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 23.

BRT passed 8 out of 38 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Brt Apartments has seen its stock lose -2.34% over the past year, overperforming other residential reit stocks by 1 percentage points.

Out of 19 residential reit stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 residential reit stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) has an annual dividend yield of 49.62%, which is 42 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 7.94%. Apartment Investment & Management Co's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% two times in the last 10 years. Apartment Investment & Management Co's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Clipper Realty (NYSE:CLPR) has an annual dividend yield of 13.41%, which is 5 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 7.94%. Clipper Realty's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Clipper Realty's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Clipper Realty's dividend payout ratio of -47% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) has an annual dividend yield of 10.6%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 7.94%.

Millrose Properties's dividend payout ratio of 105% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Residential reit stocks were down -0.66% in the last day, and down -0.77% over the last week.

We couldn't find a catalyst for why residential reit stocks are down.

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued residential reit stocks right now are:

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) is the most undervalued residential reit stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Millrose Properties has a valuation score of 57, which is 43 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 14. It passed 4 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Millrose Properties's stock has dropped -7.79% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by -4 percentage points.

Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) is the second most undervalued residential reit stock based on its Valuation Rating of B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Apartment Investment & Management Co has a valuation score of 0, which is -14 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 14. It passed 0 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates AIV a Valuation Rating of "B".

Apartment Investment & Management Co's stock has dropped -69.53% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by -66 percentage points.

Elme Communities (NYSE:ELME) is the third most undervalued residential reit stock based on its Valuation Rating of C. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Elme Communities has a valuation score of 0, which is -14 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 14. It passed 0 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Elme Communities's stock has dropped -89.66% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by -86 percentage points.

46.15% of residential reit stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect residential reit stocks to rise by 6.33% over the next year.

0% of residential reit stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 0% of residential reit stocks are rated B (Buy), 64.71% are rated C (Hold), 29.41% are rated D (Sell), and 5.88% are rated F (Strong Sell).