If you’re looking for a solid investment that will protect your portfolio from excessive volatility and generate income, you may want to jump into real estate investment trusts, or REITs.
Some of the leading REITs provide exposure to offices, apartment buildings, warehouses, hospitals, shopping centers and hotels, or a combination of all. All while paying out high attractive yields. That being said, here are some of the top high-yielding stocks you may want to consider especially with rocky markets.
iShares Core US REIT ETF (SYM: USRT)
With an expense ratio of 0.08%, the iShares Core US REIT ETF (USRT) yields 3.14%. It offers exposure to 133 holdings, including diversified REITs and other real estate holdings across multiple property sectors. Some of its top holdings include Prologis REIT, Welltower, Equinix REIT, Simon Property, Digital Realty Trust and Realty Income REIT.
It also just paid a dividend of just over 69 cents on December 19, 2025. Before that, it paid out just over 42 cents per share on September 19, 2025.
Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (SYM: KBWY)
With a yield of about 8.14%, the Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (KBWY) invests at least 90% of its total assets in the securities of small and mid-cap equity REITs that trade in the U.S. and carry respectable yields. Some of its top holdings include Global Net Lease, Service Properties Trust, Global Medical REIT, Gladstone Commercial, EPR Properties and Omega Healthcare to name a few.
It also has an expense ratio of 0.35% and just paid a monthly dividend of just over 12 cents per share on January 23, 2026. Before that, it paid a dividend of just over 12 cents on December 26, 2025. And before that, it was 12 cents paid on November 28, 2025.
First Trust S&P REIT Index Fund (SYM: FRI)
We can also take a look at the First Trust S&P REIT Index Fund (FRI).
With an expense ratio of 0.49% and a yield of 3.43%, the FRI ETF seeks investment results similar to the S&P United States REIT Index. Some of the top FRI ETF holdings include Prologis, Welltower, Equinix, Simon Property, Realty Income, Public Storage, Digital Realty Trust and AvalonBay Communities to name just a few.
The FRI ETF just paid a quarterly dividend of just over 33 cents per share on December 31. Before that, it paid out just over 17 cents on September 25, 2025.
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Written by Ian Cooper