# REM ETF: fees, returns, drawdowns and holdings

> What REM holds, its 0.48% yearly fee, returns by year, its worst drop, and which Tactfolio strategies hold it. Updated daily.

iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF (REM) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by iShares (BlackRock). This fund holds stocks of US mortgage real estate investment trusts, called mortgage REITs. It charges 0.48% a year. From May 2007 to October 2026 it lost about 2.2% a year, and its worst drop was −74.7%.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 16, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Expense ratio: 0.48% a year (about $48 on $10,000).
- Started trading on May 1, 2007.
- Worst drop since 2007: −74.7%.
- 1 Tactfolio classic strategy holds it.

## What does REM hold?

This fund holds stocks of US mortgage real estate investment trusts, called mortgage REITs. These companies own home and business loans and mortgage bonds rather than buildings. Their stock prices can swing a lot when interest rates change.

It tracks the FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index. It had 30 holdings as of October 15, 2026, according to iShares (BlackRock).

| Fact | REM |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF |
| Issuer | iShares (BlackRock) |
| Expense ratio | 0.48% a year |
| Started trading | May 1, 2007 |
| Tracks | FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index |
| Type | Real estate, ETF |
| Holdings | 30 holdings as of October 15, 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 16, 2026 on the [iShares (BlackRock) fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239543/ishares-mortgage-real-estate-etf) |

## What is the REM expense ratio?

REM charges 0.48% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.48% fee comes to about $48 a year.

You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.

## How has REM done since 2007?

From May 2007 to October 2026, REM lost about 2.2% a year. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $6,511 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.

| Measure | REM |
| --- | --- |
| Total return | −34.9% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | −2.2% |
| Worst drop from a high | −74.7% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 28.4% |
| Last 12 months | −12.9% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 1.7% |
| Last 5 years, per year | −6.1% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 0.4% |

Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

## REM returns by year

| Year | REM return |
| --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | −17.6% |
| 2025 | 13.3% |
| 2024 | −1.0% |
| 2023 | 14.4% |
| 2022 | −27.6% |
| 2021 | 16.1% |
| 2020 | −20.0% |
| 2019 | 21.3% |
| 2018 | −3.1% |
| 2017 | 18.4% |
| 2016 | 21.9% |
| 2015 | −9.3% |
| 2014 | 16.7% |
| 2013 | −2.6% |
| 2012 | 21.9% |
| 2011 | −9.2% |
| 2010 | 16.5% |
| 2009 | 11.3% |
| 2008 | −42.8% |
| 2007 (part of the year) | −36.4% |

## What was REM's worst drop?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. REM's worst fall was −74.7%, from June 5, 2007 to November 20, 2008. By October 16, 2026 it had not yet climbed back to that high.

The chart shows how far below its last high the fund was on each day. Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.

## Which Tactfolio strategies hold REM?

One classic strategy holds REM at least some of the time. Each is a set of written rules you can open, test and copy.

- [Composite Dual Momentum](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/composite-dual-momentum.md), by Gary Antonacci, 2012

## How does REM compare with similar ETFs?

Funds that can stand in for REM:

- [SCHH](https://tactfolio.com/etf/schh.md): Schwab U.S. REIT ETF, 0.07% a year
- [XLRE](https://tactfolio.com/etf/xlre.md): State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF, 0.08% a year
- [VNQ](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vnq.md): Vanguard Real Estate ETF, 0.13% a year
- [IYR](https://tactfolio.com/etf/iyr.md): iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, 0.37% a year

See [all 4 REM alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/rem.md), compared on the same dates as REM.

## Test REM in your own rules

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add REM, and see how a rule such as "hold it only above its 200-day average" would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.

## The details

Prices come from Tactfolio's stored daily prices for REM. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns.

Fund facts come from iShares (BlackRock). We checked them on October 16, 2026. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) and [how to read drawdown and CAGR](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/reading-a-backtest.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [Portfolio rebalancing](https://tactfolio.com/learn/portfolio-rebalancing): What portfolio rebalancing is, why a 60/40 mix drifts, calendar vs threshold methods, and how taxes and costs fit in.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## Common questions

### What is the expense ratio of REM?

REM charges 0.48% a year, according to iShares (BlackRock) as of October 16, 2026. That is about $48 a year for every $10,000 you hold.

### When did REM start trading?

REM started trading on May 1, 2007. It is run by iShares (BlackRock).

### What does REM track?

REM tracks the FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index. This fund holds stocks of US mortgage real estate investment trusts, called mortgage REITs.

### How much has REM returned per year?

From May 2007 to October 2026, REM lost about 2.2% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −74.7%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.

### Which strategies use REM?

One of Tactfolio's classic strategies hold REM, including Composite Dual Momentum.

## Sources

- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239543/ishares-mortgage-real-estate-etf)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.