Top 15 Real Estate Stocks Ranked by Marvin Scores
Marvin's rules picked 15 Real Estate stocks as of 2026. CareTrust REIT, Ellington Financial and Essential Properties Realty Trust lead on Overall score, which compares each company with others in its own industry.
Real Estate covers companies that own, finance, develop or service property. Most of the names here are REITs, which are companies that own or finance property and pass much of their income on to shareholders. The list also includes a property services firm and a land developer.
These 15 stocks were chosen by Marvin's rules, not by opinion. Each blurb below shows a few figures and what they suggest in plain words, plus one caution where a number is weak or missing.
Keep in mind that a REIT that lends against mortgages works very differently from one that owns hotels or shopping centers, so figures such as margins and debt are not always directly comparable. Some figures are missing for certain companies, and the blurbs say so.
The list
How Marvin ranked these stocks
Marvin included companies above a minimum size, ranked them by Marvin scores, and kept only the Real Estate sector, with the highest Overall score first. No more than a small number of stocks from any one industry could appear. Scores are relative to each company's own industry, so a high score means a company looks strong compared with similar businesses today, not compared with every stock in the market.
Companies above about $300 million in size, ranked by Marvin scores (0-100, relative to each company's own industry). The Real Estate sector, highest Overall score first; at most 4 per industry.
The stocks, one by one
CareTrust REIT, Inc. CTRE
CareTrust REIT, a healthcare facilities REIT, has an Overall score of 96 and revenue growth of 60.8% last fiscal year, which is fast. Debt-to-equity is a low 0.27. Caution: return on equity is only 7.9%, and margin figures are not available.
Ellington Financial Inc. EFC
Ellington Financial, a mortgage REIT, has an Overall score of 96, an operating margin of 37.2% and revenue growth of 10.1%, which suggests solid profitability and steady growth. Return on equity is 9.9%. Caution: no debt figure is available, and debt matters for lenders.
Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. EPRT
Essential Properties Realty Trust, a diversified REIT, shows a strong operating margin of 62.8% and revenue growth of 24.8%, with moderate debt-to-equity of 0.67. Caution: return on equity is just 6.1%, so profit relative to shareholder capital looks modest.
Agree Realty Corporation ADC
Agree Realty, a retail REIT, has a Quality score of 96, an operating margin of 47.9% and revenue growth of 16.4%. Caution: its Opportunity score is only 53 and return on equity is a low 3.4%, and no debt figure is available.
EPR Properties EPR
EPR Properties, a specialty REIT, has a high operating margin of 55.1% and return on equity of 11.4%. Caution: revenue growth was only 2.9%, which is modest, and debt-to-equity of 1.53 is higher than most others on this list.
American Homes 4 Rent AMH
American Homes 4 Rent, a residential REIT, has an Overall score of 94 and a Quality score of 89. Return on equity is 8.0% and debt-to-equity is 0.76, which looks moderate. Caution: growth and margin figures are not available, so the picture is incomplete.
Newmark Group, Inc. NMRK
Newmark Group, a real estate services firm, grew revenue 20.3% and kept a free cash flow margin of 22.1%, with debt-to-equity of 0.94. Caution: its operating margin is thin at 7.7%, and its Quality score of 81 trails its Overall score.
Postal Realty Trust, Inc. PSTL
Postal Realty Trust, an office REIT, grew revenue 25.5% and has an operating margin of 37.8%, both healthy. Debt-to-equity is 1.15. Caution: return on equity is a modest 5.2%, and debt is somewhat higher than the lowest-debt names here.
Terreno Realty Corporation TRNO
Terreno Realty, an industrial REIT, has revenue growth of 24.5% and very low debt-to-equity of 0.21, with return on equity of 8.8%. Caution: its Quality score is 76, lower than its Overall score of 94, and margin figures are not available.
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. HST
Host Hotels & Resorts, a hotel REIT, has return on equity of 16.1%, one of the stronger figures here, and revenue growth of 7.6%. Caution: its operating margin is only 14.6%, which is thin next to other REITs, and no debt figure is available.
Orchid Island Capital, Inc. ORC
Orchid Island Capital, a mortgage REIT, has an Overall score of 49, a Quality score of 81 and return on equity of 17.0%, which is strong. Caution: growth, margin and debt figures are all missing, so there is limited detail to judge it by.
The St. Joe Company JOE
The St. Joe Company, a land developer, combines revenue growth of 27.4% with an operating margin of 30.2% and a free cash flow margin of 38.7%. Debt-to-equity is a low 0.49. Caution: one year of growth says little about longer trends.
NNN REIT, Inc. NNN
NNN REIT, a retail REIT, has a high operating margin of 62.3% and return on equity of 8.6%. Caution: revenue growth was a modest 6.6%, its Opportunity score is only 74, and no debt figure is available.
CTO Realty Growth, Inc. CTO
CTO Realty Growth, a diversified REIT, has a gross margin of 74.7% and revenue growth of 20.1%. Caution: return on equity is weak at 2.4%, and debt-to-equity of 1.13 is on the higher side.
ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. ARR
ARMOUR Residential REIT, a mortgage REIT, has an Overall score of 69 and return on equity of 16.7%, which is strong. Caution: its Quality score is lower at 48, and growth, margin and debt figures are not available.
Common questions
What is a REIT?
A REIT, or real estate investment trust, is a company that owns or finances property and usually pays out much of its income to shareholders. Some own buildings such as shops or hotels, while mortgage REITs hold loans backed by property.
Does a higher Marvin score mean a stock is a better choice?
Not necessarily. Scores describe how a company compares with others in its industry today, using figures like growth, margins and debt. They are not predictions or personal advice, and they do not cover your own goals or risk tolerance.
Why are some figures missing for certain stocks?
Not every measure applies to every business. Mortgage lenders and some REITs report their finances differently, so figures such as free cash flow margin, gross margin or debt-to-equity may not be available for them.
Keep reading
- Top 20 REIT Stocks by Marvin Score
- Top 15 Real Estate Stocks Marvin Rates Most Attractive Now
- Top 15 Real Estate Companies With the Strongest Businesses
- Top 15 Mortgage REIT Stocks by Marvin Score
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Marvin's scores (0-100) compare each company with others in its industry today. Growth and margin figures come from SEC filings. This is general information, not personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Do your own research.