Concerns that interest rates will rise have dealt real estate ETFs a losing hand this year. The rough patch follows stellar performance last year. The largest REIT ETF, $46.9 billion Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ) is down 6% this year vs. a 7% decline for the average real estate ETF and 2% for the S&P 500. VNQ has risen an average annual 6.76% in the past 10 years vs. 5.01% for its peers tracked by Morningstar Inc. and 7.13% for the S&P 500.