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 +32.52% 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:

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) is the #1 top residential reit stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +7.53% per year. Learn more.

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

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) has a Due Diligence Score of 11, which is -16 points lower than the residential reit industry average of 27.

MRP passed 3 out of 38 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Millrose Properties has seen its stock return 39.82% over the past year, overperforming other residential reit stocks by 52 percentage points.

Millrose Properties has an average 1 year price target of $39.33, an upside of 26.43% from Millrose Properties's current stock price of $31.11.

Millrose Properties stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 3 analysts covering Millrose Properties, 66.67% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 33.33% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) is the #2 top residential reit stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +7.53% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) has a Due Diligence Score of 50, which is 23 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 27.

SUI passed 18 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Sun Communities has seen its stock return 1.35% over the past year, overperforming other residential reit stocks by 13 percentage points.

Sun Communities has an average 1 year price target of $138.13, an upside of 1.73% from Sun Communities's current stock price of $135.78.

Sun Communities stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 8 analysts covering Sun Communities, 25% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 25% have issued a Buy, 50% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) is the #3 top residential reit stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +7.53% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) has a Due Diligence Score of 15, which is -12 points lower than the residential reit industry average of 27.

AIV passed 6 out of 38 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Apartment Investment & Management Co has seen its stock lose -34.17% over the past year, underperforming other residential reit stocks by -22 percentage points.

Apartment Investment & Management Co has an average 1 year price target of $10.00, an upside of 72.41% from Apartment Investment & Management Co's current stock price of $5.80.

Apartment Investment & Management Co stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Apartment Investment & Management Co, 0% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 100% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

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:

Clipper Realty (NYSE:CLPR) has an annual dividend yield of 11.28%, which is 6 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 5.59%. 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 -27.5% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) has an annual dividend yield of 8.2%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 5.59%.

Nexpoint Residential Trust (NYSE:NXRT) has an annual dividend yield of 7.17%, which is 2 percentage points higher than the residential reit industry average of 5.59%. Nexpoint Residential Trust's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Nexpoint Residential Trust's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Nexpoint Residential Trust's dividend payout ratio of -163.5% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Residential reit stocks were up 1.04% in the last day, and up 1.69% over the last week.

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

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:

Apartment Investment & Management Co (NYSE:AIV) is the 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.

Apartment Investment & Management Co has a valuation score of 29, which is 7 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 22. It passed 2 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Apartment Investment & Management Co's stock has dropped -34.17% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by -22 percentage points.

Millrose Properties (NYSE:MRP) is the second 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.

Millrose Properties has a valuation score of 14, which is -8 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 22. It passed 1 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Millrose Properties's stock has gained 39.82% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by 52 percentage points.

Avalonbay Communities (NYSE:AVB) 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.

Avalonbay Communities has a valuation score of 43, which is 21 points higher than the residential reit industry average of 22. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Avalonbay Communities's stock has dropped -18.91% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the residential reit industry by -7 percentage points.

50% of residential reit stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect residential reit stocks to rise by 8.86% 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), 26.32% are rated C (Hold), 47.37% are rated D (Sell), and 26.32% are rated F (Strong Sell).