Investment objective & strategy
As of Feb. 27, 2026 · prospectusObjective. The investment objective of the DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio (the Portfolio) is to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy. To achieve the DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolios investment objective, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Advisor) implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. The DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio, using a market capitalization weighted approach, purchases readily marketable equity securities of companies whose principal activities include ownership, management, development, construction, or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate. The Portfolio will principally invest in equity securities of companies in certain real estate investment trusts (REITs) and companies engaged in residential construction and firms, except partnerships, whose principal business is to develop commercial property. The Portfolio invests in companies of all sizes. A companys market capitalization is the number of its shares … To achieve the DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolios investment objective, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Advisor) implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. The DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio, using a market capitalization weighted approach, purchases readily marketable equity securities of companies whose principal activities include ownership, management, development, construction, or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate. The Portfolio will principally invest in equity securities of companies in certain real estate investment trusts (REITs) and companies engaged in residential construction and firms, except partnerships, whose principal business is to develop commercial property. The Portfolio invests in companies of all sizes. A companys market capitalization is the number of its shares outstanding times its price per share. Under a market capitalization weighted approach, companies with higher market capitalizations generally represent a larger proportion of the Portfolio than companies with relatively lower market capitalizations. The Advisor may adjust the representation in the Portfolio of an eligible company, or exclude a company, after considering such factors as free float, price momentum, short-run reversals, trading strategies, liquidity, size, relative price, profitability, and other factors that the Advisor determines to be appropriate. An equity issuer is considered to have a low relative price (i.e., a value stock) primarily because it has a low price in relation to its book value. In assessing relative price, the Advisor may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. An equity issuer is considered to have high profitability because it has high earnings or profits from operations in relation to its book value or assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing relative price and profitability are subject to change from time to time. As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolios net assets will be invested in securities of companies in the real estate industry. The Portfolio concentrates (i.e., invests more than 25% of its net assets) its investments in securities of companies in the real estate industry. The Portfolio generally considers a company to be principally engaged in the real estate industry if the company (i) derives at least 50% of its revenue or profits from the ownership, management, development, construction, or sale of residential, commercial, industrial, or other real estate; (ii) has at least 50% of the value of its assets invested in residential, commercial, industrial, or other real estate; or (iii) is organized as a REIT or REIT-like entity. REITs and REIT-like entities are types of real estate companies that pool investors funds for investment primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. The Portfolio will make equity investments in securities listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the Advisor. The DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Portfolio. The DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income. The DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio's ETF Class operates as an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specific index and may have a higher degree of portfolio turnover than passively managed index ETFs.
Top holdings
As of Jan. 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| WELLTOWER INC | — | $493.84M | 7.48% |
| PROLOGIS INC REIT | — | $468.10M | 7.09% |
| AMERICAN TOWER CORP | — | $381.96M | 5.78% |
| EQUINIX INC | — | $315.48M | 4.78% |
| DIGITAL REALTY TRUST INC | — | $307.13M | 4.65% |
| SIMON PROPERTY | — | $301.72M | 4.57% |
| REALTY INCOME CORP REIT | — | $301.13M | 4.56% |
| PUBLIC STORAGE | — | $234.40M | 3.55% |
| CROWN CASTLE INC | — | $203.17M | 3.08% |
| VENTAS INC REIT | — | $198.34M | 3.00% |
Portfolio moves
Oct 31, 2025 → Jan 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensional US Real Estate ETF · DFAR | 94% | 0.19% |
| SA Real Estate Securities Fund | 93% | 0.77% |
| Schwab U.S. REIT ETF · SCHH | 91% | 0.07% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of February 27, 2026, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of January 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. As reported in the fund's prospectus performance bar chart.
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