Real estate investing can be very lucrative and an excellent inflation hedge. Unfortunately, direct real estate ownership is often costly and difficult. Instead, high-quality real estate stocks provide opportunities for portfolio growth and steady income.
Investors can gain exposure to the real estate market via real estate investment trusts （REITs）， which often pay substantial dividends and have high liquidity compared to owning physical property. In addition to REITs, the real estate sector also includes development and management stocks that do not directly own properties. Here are eight of the best real estate stocks to buy today, according to CFRA analysts:
Stock
Welltower Inc. （ticker: WELL）
Prologis Inc. （PLD）
American Tower Corp. （AMT）
Ventas Inc. （VTR）
Iron Mountain Inc. （IRM）
VICI Properties Inc. （VICI）
SBA Communications Corp. （SBAC）
CoStar Group Inc. （CSGP）
Welltower Inc. （WELL）
Welltower is a health care REIT that invests in health care facilities, including senior housing, specialty care facilities and medical office buildings. Analyst Nathan Schmidt says the senior housing market is improving, and he anticipates significant pricing power and occupancy gains for Welltower through at least the next year. Schmidt says higher interest rates have raised funding costs for new construction, which has kept senior housing supply in check. Meanwhile, demographic trends have continued to drive demand. Welltower has also maintained its proactive acquisition strategy. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $240 price target for WELL stock, which closed at $206.97 on April 13.
Prologis Inc. （PLD）
Prologis is an industrial REIT that specializes in logistics real estate. Schmidt says demand for Prologis’ logistics centers is strong, and competition is limited thanks to factors such as difficult-to-obtain zoning entitlements. He estimates the company’s current land bank has potential to create $43 billion in value. Schmidt says e-commerce growth is a major long-term tailwind for Prologis given online retailers require three times the logistics space as traditional stores. In addition, Schmidt says Prologis’ expansion into the data center space will provide a significant growth source. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $148 price target for PLD stock, which closed at $137.15 on April 13.
American Tower Corp. （AMT）
American Tower is a specialized REIT that operates the world’s largest independent portfolio of wireless communications and broadcast towers. Schmidt says all the negative news surrounding tower stocks has already been priced into American Tower’s stock, including expectations for lower spending for telecommunications companies and the fact that DISH Wireless recently defaulted on its lease payments for cell towers. Looking past the negative headlines, Schmidt says he is bullish on long-term demand stemming from 5G buildouts, mobile video consumption and international market growth. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $210 price target for AMT stock, which closed at $180.94 on April 13.
Ventas Inc. （VTR）
Ventas is a health care REIT that specializes in health care facilities, including specialty care facilities, housing for seniors, medical office buildings and hospitals. Schmidt says demographic trends and positive supply and demand dynamics have Ventas positioned to create significant long-term value for investors. In fact, he says the favorable market cycle for senior housing is just getting started. Schmidt projects the population of Americans ages 80 and up will grow 4.8% annually through 2030 while annual senior housing supply growth remains at just 1% to 2%. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $94 price target for VTR stock, which closed at $84.41 on April 13.
Iron Mountain Inc. （IRM）
Iron Mountain is a specialized REIT focused on document storage and information management services. -Iron Mountain is one of the best-performing S&P 500 stocks of the past 30 years, and part of its outperformance stems from the company’s successful pivot from a physical storage provider into a high-growth digital infrastructure and data center provider. In fact, Iron Mountain’s 36% year-to-date gain is the best performance of any stock on this list. Schmidt says Iron Mountain’s expansion into adjacent markets has significantly increased its organic growth potential. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $123 price target for IRM stock, which closed at $111.88 on April 13.
VICI Properties Inc. （VICI）
VICI Properties is a specialized REIT that owns gaming, hospitality and entertainment properties in Las Vegas and other regions throughout the U.S. and Canada. VICI’s core assets include casino resorts such as Caesars Palace, MGM Grand and the Venetian in Las Vegas, as well as Chelsea Piers in New York and other non-gaming properties. VICI has a 6.3% dividend, the highest on this list. Schmidt says VICI’s gaming assets are best-in-class, and he anticipates a rebound in the gaming market in and outside Vegas in 2026. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $35 price target for VICI stock, which closed at $28.33 on April 13.
SBA Communications Corp. （SBAC）
SBA Communications is a specialized REIT that owns and operates a global wireless communications tower network. Schmidt says SBA shares are attractively valued on a fundamental basis relative to the REIT’s historical levels. He says additional Federal Reserve interest rate cuts would be a bullish catalyst for the stock, and a resilient U.S. economy should support general wireless communications demand. In addition, he says SBA’s consistent financial performance and strong balance sheet enable the company to pursue targeted acquisitions and invest in share buybacks. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $230 price target for SBAC stock, which closed at $220.24 on April 13.
CoStar Group Inc. （CSGP）
CoStar is a real estate services company that operates online real estate marketplaces and provides research for the commercial real estate industry. The company’s platforms include STR, Homes.com and Apartments.com. CoStar shares are down 44.9% year to date, the worst 2026 performance of any stock on this list. Schmidt says CoStar’s resilient business model has produced strong results in a variety of different macroeconomic environments. He says customers see CoStar’s database as indispensable, which gives the company significant pricing power and helps grow its user base. CFRA has a “buy” rating and $53 price target for CSGP stock, which closed at $37.06 on April 13.