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

Two or more authorized brokers who agree to cooperate together representing a principal for the completion of a real property sale. ...

A will where the decedent's nomination of an executor/executrix is flawed, requiring an administrator to be appointed by the court and annexed to the will. ...

Depicts the best way to allocate land to maximize usefulness and profitability. ...

Corporation having only one person, A corporation sole is primarily used for the purposes of a nonprofit ecclesiastic church related organization. Ina church, the corporation sole is headed ...

Beam that is supported only at one end. ...

(1) Methods that involve discounting the future cash flows generated by an income property. These techniques are used primarily for valuation. (2) Methods of selecting and ranking ...

Simply put, probate is a legal proceeding whereby the will of a deceased is tested for validity. The definition of probate is not known to most Americans. According to a Gallup survey, ...

Roof having a concave angle. ...

(1) Method of measurement lumber using the board foot cubic measure. The board measure is used to estimate quantities and prices of lumber materials. (2) Method of estimating lumber ...

Popular Real Estate Questions