American Homes 4 Rent vs. Essex Property Trust: Which Real Estate Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares two residential REITs: American Homes 4 Rent, which focuses on single-family rentals in the Sunbelt and Midwest, and Essex Property Trust, which operates multifamily apartments in supply-constrained West Coast markets. While both offer similar dividend yields (~3.7-4%), Essex Property Trust is recommended as the better buy due to its higher dividend per share ($10.36 vs $1.32), 32-year dividend growth history, stronger core FFO per share, and higher net margins (35% vs 27%), despite trading at a valuation premium.