Vanguard Real Estate ETF vs State Street SPDR: Diversification or Cost

Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) and State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) offer different approaches to real estate investing. VNQ provides broader diversification with 139 holdings and a higher 3.7% dividend yield but charges 0.13% in expenses. XLRE focuses on 30 large-cap stocks with a lower 0.08% expense ratio. Both delivered similar 5-year returns, but Vanguard's larger $70.8B asset base and higher yield make it the more solid long-term choice despite its slightly higher fees.