Definition of "Capitalization rate"

Natalie Bell real estate agent

Written by

Natalie Bellelite badge icon

Keating Real Estate

Also known as “cap rate” or “income yield”, Capitalization Rate is a useful way to compute the rate of return on a real estate investment. It is commonly used in the Income approach to determine the Market Value of a property.

Say you want to buy a property just to rent it and make a profit. You will be advised to discover the cap rate of that property in order to calculate what you will approximately earn renting that property to a Tenant.

To discover the capitalization rate of a property, divide the Net Operating Income (NOI) by the amount you’ll pay to acquire that property. In short, the capitalization rate is the value that one property produces divided by the value that property costs.

Here’s an example to better visualize it:

A building is for sale. It cost $100,000 when it was built 20 years ago. And it produces - between residential and commercial rent - $50,000 a year. The capitalization rate is 50,000/100,000, which equals 0.5%.

An important thing to realize regarding the cap rate is that it does not take into consideration the depreciation of a property. That’s why, when valuing a house, it’s crucial for an Appraiser to use all methods of evaluation appropriate to the case.

Real Estate Tips:

Maybe just learning a new term won't be enough to solve your situation. Check out our real estate questions; perhaps someone else has gone through what you're going through!

Or just head to The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory® and leave it to the pros.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A column designed to support a concentrated load. A pier column is made out of steel, steel reinforced concrete or wood. A structure extending out into the water supported by numerous ...

A situation that occurs when borrowed funds cost more than they produce. ...

Intermediate debt (5 to 10 years) without periodic payments but the entire amount (balloon payment) is due at the maturity date. If full payment is not made, the lender may foreclose on the ...

Lawsuit brought by one or more persons of a large group for the benefit of all members of the group. ...

Action that is beyond that allowed legally. Examples are charging illegally high interest rate on mortgages and real estate exceeding the amount permissible by legal statute, and a real ...

(1) Agreement to sell real estate with a pre-arranged reverse but at an established price. This may not be legal in some instances, and any resulting losses may not be tax deductible. (2) ...

Modification in the amount of money involved for some justifiable reason. ...

Real estate broker specializing in the listing and selling of commercial property. This property can include apartments, businesses, hotels, industrial, retail or wholesale uses. ...

Property zoning having the net effect, intended or not, of excluding the poor and minority groups from living in a particular area. Building lot size is the most frequently used ...

Popular Real Estate Questions