Real estate dividend stocks are great options for investors seeking to collect passive income. Commercial real estate tends to generate recurring rental income, enabling companies focused on owning real estate to pay attractive dividends.
Here's a closer look at some of the best dividend-paying stocks in the commercial real estate sector.
Top real estate dividend stocks
Most companies focused on owning income-producing commercial properties utilize a real estate investment trust (REIT) structure. REITs must pay dividends to maintain their tax advantages, so many of the top real estate dividend stocks are REITs.
Here's a look at some of the top real estate dividend stocks:
1. NNN REIT
2. Federal Realty Investment Trust
NYSE: FRT
Key Data Points
Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT +1.39%) is one of the best dividend stocks in the real estate sector. The retail REIT delivered its 58th consecutive year of increased dividends in 2025. That's the longest streak of annual dividend increases in the REIT sector and qualifies Federal Realty as a Dividend King. As of late 2025, Federal Realty offered an above-average dividend yield approaching 4.5%.
The REIT has consistently increased its payout by focusing on high-quality shopping centers in major markets. It also has a conservative dividend payout ratio for a REIT and a strong balance sheet. Those features give the company the financial flexibility to sustain its dividend while also investing in expanding its portfolio.
Federal Realty focuses on acquiring high-quality shopping centers in desirable locations across major metro areas. It also invests in developing and redeveloping properties to make them more appealing to shoppers and tenants. That has included building about 3,100 residential units at its properties, along with hotels and office buildings. The investments have diversified its revenue streams while reducing the potential impact of rising e-commerce adoption on its properties.
3. Essex Property Trust
NYSE: O
Key Data Points
Realty Income (O +0.59%) is another REIT with an excellent dividend growth track record. The company pays a monthly dividend that yielded almost 5.5% as of late 2025. The REIT had increased its payout 131 times since its initial public offering (IPO) in 1994, including in each of the past 111 straight quarters. That's more than 30 consecutive years. It makes Realty Income a great option for those seeking to collect passive income from real estate.
One of the keys to Realty Income's success is its focus on investing in a diversified portfolio of properties net leased to high-quality tenants. It owns retail properties (79.9% of its base rent in late 2025), industrial (14.6%), gaming (3.1%), and other properties such as data centers (2.4%). The REIT focuses on owning properties resistant to disruption from e-commerce and economic downturns, such as pharmacies, convenience stores, warehouses, and grocery stores.
Realty Income has a long history of expanding its portfolio by completing sales-leaseback transactions with its operating tenants. The deals provide the operating company with cash to expand while supplying Realty Income with more income-producing properties. The REIT has a conservative dividend payout ratio and a top-tier balance sheet. That gives it the financial flexibility to expand its portfolio to drive steady dividend growth.
Pros and cons of investing in real estate dividend stocks
Investing in real estate dividend stocks has its share of benefits and drawbacks. Some of the pros of investing in the sector include:
- Passive income: Real estate typically generates stable rental income, providing companies focused on owning commercial real estate with steady cash flow to support attractive dividends. That enables investors to easily make passive income from real estate.
- Growth: Most REITs aim to grow their cash flows through rental increases, development projects, and acquisitions. This growth enables them to increase their dividends and provide price appreciation potential for their investors.
- Inflation hedge: Rental rates tend to rise at a pace that keeps up with inflation. Commercial real estate also tends to grow in value at a rate that can exceed inflation. This provides investors with a hedge against the impacts of inflation.
On the other hand, here are some cons of investing in real estate dividend stocks:
- Sensitive to interest rates: The value of commercial real estate tends to fall when interest rates rise. Higher rates make it more expensive for real estate companies to borrow money, which can impact their ability to grow.
- Growth challenges: Real estate companies can face growth headwinds, such as tenant troubles and declining demand for certain property types (e.g., office space in the suburbs).
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How to invest in real estate dividend stocks
It's easy to add real estate dividend stocks to your portfolio. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to invest in real estate dividend stocks:
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
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