Capitalization Rate
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.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Blockbusting is a despicable and illegal racist business practice. Here’s how Blockbusting happens: a real estate agent, or someone posing as one, comes to a homeowner and instills ...
Claim made by a federal or local government agency against a taxpayer's property for delinquent or overdue taxes. The tax lien is effected through tax assessment, demand, and failure to ...
Inspection required in certain types of sales of property to determine if termites are present within a building. ...
A reciprocal transfer of property from one entity to another. A market for securities of a real estate companies, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) ...
An opening with a hinged cover allowing access from one level to another in a structure. Often installed in a roof or the floor of a building to allow the entrance of people and materials ...
Form of real estate organization created by an agreement between two or more individuals who contribute capital and/or their services. Advantages are: it is easily established with minimal ...
Window normally mounted on hinges in a window casing. It swings outward to open. ...
model depicting on paper what a structure physically looks like. The dimensions are draw on a proportionate basis to the real thing. An example is a scale of an existing or proposed office ...
Funds of property bestowed upon a person or an institution. The income is used to serve a specific purpose for which the endowment was intended. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.