After all, it has top tenants like Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Dollar General (NYSE: DG). Year to date, the Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF (NYSE: VNQ) has risen by roughly 26%, easily beating the 18% gains from the S&P 500. Data from the National Association of REITs also shows that this asset class outperforms the S&P 500 Index 80% of the time during periods of high and rising inflation.