What if you'd held VNQ?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) at the month-end close of 2004-09 would be worth $5,018 at the close of 2026-08 — +401.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,916.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $1,119 | +11.9% |
| 2006 | $1,514 | +35.3% |
| 2007 | $1,264 | -16.5% |
| 2008 | $797 | -37.0% |
| 2009 | $1,037 | +30.1% |
| 2010 | $1,331 | +28.4% |
| 2011 | $1,446 | +8.6% |
| 2012 | $1,701 | +17.6% |
| 2013 | $1,740 | +2.3% |
| 2014 | $2,270 | +30.4% |
| 2015 | $2,325 | +2.4% |
| 2016 | $2,524 | +8.6% |
| 2017 | $2,648 | +4.9% |
| 2018 | $2,488 | -6.0% |
| 2019 | $3,208 | +28.9% |
| 2020 | $3,060 | -4.6% |
| 2021 | $4,300 | +40.5% |
| 2022 | $3,171 | -26.3% |
| 2023 | $3,547 | +11.9% |
| 2024 | $3,718 | +4.8% |
| 2025 | $3,839 | +3.2% |
| 2026 | $4,361 | +13.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VNQ was 2009-02 ($11.81): $1,000 then is $8,350 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($98.95): $1,000 then is $997.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VNQ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $5,018 today, a total return of +401.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VNQ?
Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2021, a +40.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,405 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -37.0%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in VNQ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-09 would have grown to about $63,314 on $26,400 invested.
Did VNQ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,916. VNQ trailed the S&P 500 by +27.4% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) historical total-return data from 2004-09 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.