Best Singapore REIT ETFs in 2026: How to choose for your portfolio

What happened? 

Interest in Singapore REITs remains strong and continues to grow. 

Many investors are attracted to REITs for their dividend income, but may not have the time or expertise to analyse individual REITs in detail.

A REIT ETF offers a convenient way to gain diversified exposure to a basket of REITs through a single investment.

What caught my attention is that Singapore REIT ETFs appear to be gaining traction.

According to SGX, REIT ETFs attracted S$188 million of net inflows in 2026 year-to-date, sending total assets under management to a record high as of 29 May 2026.

At the same time, Singapore REIT ETFs continue to offer dividend yields of above 4%, with some pure S-REIT ETFs offering yields of more than 5%.

In this article, I’ll compare the Singapore REIT ETFs listed on SGX, and look at how to choose one for your portfolio based on dividend yield, distribution frequency, fees, geographical exposure and sustainability. 

Why Singapore REIT ETFs?

As with ETFs in general, Singapore REIT ETFs offer instant diversification across various industries and geographies.

This means that the risks are spread out compared to owning single REITs.

Singapore REIT ETFs are also professionally managed, and REITs which have become larger or more liquid are included in the ETF as it is automatically rebalanced. 

Lastly, Singapore REIT ETFs are intended to offer a low cost way to own a basket of REITs, while offering the convenience of transacting once via the ETF.

Introducing Singapore REIT ETFs

There are 5 Singapore REIT ETFs listed on the SGX we can consider. 

Each of them is benchmarked to a different index, as shown in the table below. 

The largest Singapore REIT ETF based on its assets under management (AUM) is the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF, with AUM of S$878 million as of 29 May 2026. 

What to consider when buying Singapore REIT ETFs? 

With so many Singapore REIT ETFs to choose from, you might be wondering how we can select a Singapore REIT ETF best suited for our portfolios. 

There are a few factors we would consider, and these would include:

1. Dividend yield
2. Frequency of dividend
3. Fees and charges
4. Geographical exposure
5. Sustainability

#1 – Dividend yield 

As REIT investors, we are naturally interested in the dividend yield we are able to get from the REITs. 

Singapore REIT ETFs offer a dividend yield of 4% and above as of 29 May 2026.

Amongst the various Singapore REIT ETFs, the dividend yield of the CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF is the highest at 5.90%.

This is closely followed by the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF with a dividend yield of 5.42%.

#2 – Dividend frequency 

Most of the Singapore REIT ETFs make semi-annual dividend distributions to investors. 

The AmovaAM–StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF is the only ETF offering quarterly distributions. 

It is also important to note that each ETF has different dividend distribution timings. 

The chart below shows the months when each REIT ETF has historically paid dividends, depending on its distribution policy.

The CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF (SGX: SRT) and Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF (SGX:CLR) typically pay dividends in February and August. 

The AmovaAM Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF pays out quarterly, with distributions in February, May, August and November. 

The Phillip APAC REIT ETF distributes dividends in January and July, while the UOB APAC Green REIT ETF pays out dividends in April and October.

#3 – Expense ratio

As an investor in ETFs, we would want the fees incurred in managing the ETF to be kept low. 

The expense ratio tells us how much expenses the ETFs incur during the year. It is automatically deducted from the net assets of the fund.

The expense ratios of the Singapore REIT ETFs range from 0.54-1.14% per annum. The expense ratio may be subjected to change on a yearly basis.

The AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF has the lowest expense ratio of just 0.54%.

#4 – Geographical exposure 

There are two Singapore REIT ETFs which offer pure exposure to S-REITs: the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF and the CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF. 

The other three Singapore REIT ETFs have broader exposure to other regions in the region, including Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, and others. 

#5 – Sustainability

The UOB APAC Green REIT ETF is the world’s first APAC Green REIT ETF, and offers exposure to REITs tilted towards environmentally friendly properties.

How do the Singapore REIT ETFs fare on these measures? 

AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF (SGX:CFA)

The objective of the AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF is to replicate the performance of FTSE EPRA Nareit Asia ex Japan Net Total Return REIT Index.

About 65% of the underlying REITs in the ETF are listed in Singapore, while 13% are listed in Hong Kong, as of May 2026.

The AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF was formerly known as the NikkoAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF.

Learn more about the AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF here.

Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF (SGX:CLR) 

The objective of the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF is to replicate as closely as possible the performance of the Morningstar Singapore REIT Yield Focus Index.

The ETF is the largest pure S-REIT ETF by AUM listed on the SGX. 

Learn more about the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF here.

CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF (SGX: SRT)

The objective of the CSOP iEdge S-Reit Leaders ETF is to track the performance of the iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index.

The index is adjusted for liquidity, where constituents with a higher free-float market capitalisation are given a higher weightage.

Learn more about the CSOP iEdge S-Reit Leaders ETF here.

UOB Asia Pacific Green REIT ETF (SGX: GRN)

The objective of the UOB Asia Pacific Green REIT ETF is to track the iEdge-UOB APAC Yield Focus Green REIT index.

The underlying index consists of 50 REITs listed across the Asia Pacific region with a focus on yield selection with weightage tilted toward the environmental attributes of real estate assets. 

Learn more about the UOB Asia Pacific Green REIT ETF here.

Phillip SGX APAC Dividend Leaders Reit ETF (SGX: BYJ)

The objective of the Phillip SGX APAC Dividend Leaders REIT ETF is to track the iEdge APAC ex Japan Dividend Leaders REIT Index. 

The index measures the performance of 30 REITs that pay the largest total dividends while observing size, representation, free-float and liquidity constraints.

The ETF had 33 holdings as of May 2026, with exposure mainly to Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Learn more about the Phillip SGX APAC Dividend Leaders REIT ETF here. 

Which is the best performing REIT ETF?

Among the five REIT ETFs listed on SGX, Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF has the highest 1-year return at 12.84%, based on NAV as of 29 May 2026.

This is followed by the CSOP iEdge S-Reit Leaders ETF and the AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan Reit ETF at 12.33% and 9.69%, respectively.

How to buy the Singapore REIT ETFs?

You can buy Singapore REIT ETFs through a regulated broker that offers access in the Singapore stock market, such as Moomoo Singapore, Longbridge Singapore and Tiger Brokers.

Check out our guide to the best online brokerage and stock trading platform in Singapore. 

What would Beansprout do?

REIT ETFs offer a way for us to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of Singapore REITS without having to pick individual REITs. 

This makes REIT ETFs a potential option for investors who are looking to use REITs to build their income pots, within Beansprout’s four pots of wealth.

To select the best REIT ETF for our portfolio, we would compare their assets under management, distributions, exposure, and expense ratios.

If you’re looking for the Singapore REIT ETF with the largest AUM, then it’s the Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF.

If you’re looking for the Singapore REIT ETF which can offer you quarterly dividends, then it’s the AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF. 

If you’re looking for the Singapore REIT ETF which has the lowest expense ratio, then it’s the AmovaAM-StraitsTrading Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF. 

If you’re looking for the Singapore REIT ETF which offers the highest dividend yield, then it’s currently the CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF, followed closely by Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF.

If you’re looking for the Singapore REIT ETF which owns environmentally friendly REITs, then it’s the UOB Asia Pacific Green REIT ETF. 

If you want to limit your exposure to REITs listed in Singapore, then it’s the CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders ETF or Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF. 

That said, Singapore REIT ETFs are primarily exposed to property assets, and carry market risks.

Recently, we shared that it is worthwhile looking beyond Singapore REITs to Singapore blue chip stocks for dividend income. 

For broader exposure to the Singapore market beyond REITs, you can consider the STI ETF.  Read our guide to STI ETF here.

If you're new to ETFs, find out more about Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in Singapore here.

Which of the five REIT ETFs would you prefer? Leave a comment below or share with us in the Beansprout telegram group.

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