Top 14 Residential REIT Stocks, Ranked by Marvin Scores
Marvin ranks 14 residential REITs by Overall score within their own industry. American Homes 4 Rent is first, followed by Centerspace and Invitation Homes. Scores compare companies with their peers and are not advice.
Residential REITs are real estate investment trusts that own homes, apartment buildings or manufactured-home communities and earn income mainly from rent. This list shows the 14 residential REITs that Marvin's rules ranked highest, starting with American Homes 4 Rent, Centerspace and Invitation Homes.
Each company's figures are summarized in plain words below. Look at the gaps as well as the strengths. Some companies have strong profitability but thin growth, and others have low debt but weaker scores. For several stocks Marvin has no data on some measures, and each blurb says so.
Marvin's scores describe how a company compares with other residential REITs today. They are not predictions and not a recommendation to buy or sell anything.
The list
How Marvin ranked these stocks
Marvin included companies above a minimum size threshold and ranked them by Marvin scores, with the highest Overall score first. Every score is relative to the REIT - Residential industry, so a high score means a company looks strong compared with other residential REITs, not compared with all stocks. The data is as of 2026.
Companies above about $300 million in size, ranked by Marvin scores (0-100, relative to each company's own industry). The REIT - Residential industry, highest Overall score first.
The stocks, one by one
American Homes 4 Rent AMH
American Homes 4 Rent has Marvin's top Overall score at 94, with quality of 89. Return on equity is 8.0% and debt-to-equity is 0.76, which suggests modest profitability and moderate debt. Caution: growth and margin figures are missing, so the picture is incomplete.
Centerspace CSR
Centerspace scores 88 overall, lifted by an opportunity score of 94. Revenue grew 4.9% and operating margin is 26.0%, which is solid but not flashy. Caution: quality is only 48, return on equity is low at 3.2%, and debt-to-equity of 1.45 is fairly high.
Invitation Homes Inc. INVH
Invitation Homes has an overall score of 83 and quality of 79. Revenue grew 4.2% last fiscal year, return on equity is 7.3%, and debt-to-equity is 0.95, pointing to steady, modest growth. Caution: operating and cash flow margins are not available.
Vivmark Residential VMRK
Vivmark Residential scores 78 overall, with quality at 68 and opportunity at 83. Return on equity is 8.3%, a modest return on shareholder money. Caution: growth, margin and debt figures are missing, so there is little detail behind the scores.
Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. ELS
Equity LifeStyle Properties pairs a quality score of 84 with an operating margin of 25.6% and return on equity of 22.7%, a strong showing. Caution: revenue growth was only 0.3%, close to flat, and debt data is missing. Overall score is 73.
Essex Property Trust, Inc. ESS
Essex Property Trust has the highest quality score in the group at 94, with an operating margin of 32.5% and revenue growth of 6.4%. Debt-to-equity is 1.21. Caution: its opportunity score is only 42, which holds its overall score to 68.
UDR, Inc. UDR
UDR posts an operating margin of 38.5% and return on equity of 14.9%, both healthy, with quality at 73. Revenue growth is modest at 2.4%. Caution: debt-to-equity of 1.78 is on the higher side, and the overall score is 63.
Millrose Properties, Inc. MRP
Millrose Properties has a very high operating margin of 85.1% and the lowest debt-to-equity in the group at 0.42. Return on equity is 8.1%. Caution: growth data is missing, and its overall score is a middling 58.
Camden Property Trust CPT
Camden Property Trust reports revenue growth of 81.7%, an unusually large figure that is worth checking in the company's own reports. Return on equity is 8.6% and debt-to-equity is 1.44. Caution: quality is a middling 53, and margin figures are missing.
Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. MAA
Mid-America Apartment Communities has revenue growth of 0.8% and return on equity of 7.0%, both modest. Quality is 58 and opportunity is 37, giving an overall score of 48. Caution: margin and debt figures are not available.
UMH Properties, Inc. UMH
UMH Properties grew revenue 8.8%, one of the faster rates here, but return on equity is only 3.5%. Caution: quality is 42 and opportunity is 27, so the overall score is 42, and debt and margin data are missing.
Independence Realty Trust, Inc. IRT
Independence Realty Trust has debt-to-equity of 0.73, on the lower side, and revenue growth of 2.8%. Caution: return on equity is very low at 1.3%, and its opportunity score is just 6, for an overall score of 36.
Sun Communities, Inc. SUI
Sun Communities has a high return on equity of 21.5% and revenue growth of 2.0%. Caution: Marvin's scores are low, with quality at 31, opportunity at 11 and overall at 21, and debt data is missing.
NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. NXRT
NexPoint Residential Trust has the lowest overall score, 11. Revenue growth was -3.2% and return on equity was -13.5%, both negative. Operating margin is 11.1%, and debt-to-equity of 6.55 is the highest in the group. Caution: these figures point to weak results.
Common questions
What is a residential REIT?
A residential REIT is a company that owns and operates housing, such as apartment buildings, single-family rental homes or manufactured-home communities. It earns most of its income from rent and, as a REIT, generally has to pay out much of its taxable income to shareholders.
Does a higher Marvin score mean a stock is a better investment?
No. Marvin's scores only show how a company compares with other companies in its industry today. They do not predict future results, and they are not advice to buy, sell or hold.
What does debt-to-equity tell me about a REIT?
Debt-to-equity compares what a company owes with the value of its shareholders' stake. A higher number means more borrowing relative to equity, which can add risk when costs rise. Real estate companies often carry meaningful debt, so compare this figure with peers, as this list does.
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 20 Large-Cap Stocks Right Now, Ranked by Marvin Scores
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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.