Real Estate Stocks Outlook for 2026: REITs, Homebuilders, and PropTech Reset After December Rate Cuts
Dec. 20, 2025 — Real estate stocks are heading into 2026 with a familiar catalyst back in the driver’s seat: interest rates. After the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds target range by 25 basis points to 3.5%–3.75% at its December meeting, investors are reassessing everything from REIT dividend durability to housing demand and refinancing risk. Federal Reserve But the story isn’t a simple “rates down, REITs up” trade. Mortgage costs remain stubbornly high by pre-2022 standards, housing affordability is still tight, and commercial real estate is navigating a split market where “prime” and “problem” properties are diverging sharply. Meanwhile,