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

Money raised by a syndicate promoter and placed into a fund prior to selecting the specific property in which funds will be invested. ...

The definition of acoustical materials is a wide range of materials that are used in construction or technology to provide soundproofing. There are different types of acoustic materials ...

Site where mobile homes are located. Mobile home parks are often mandated by municipal zoning laws. They provide necessary utilities to the mobile homes often including recreational ...

Situation in which a purchaser acquires mortgaged property and continues to pay the mortgagee for the debt outstanding. Although the new buyer continues to pay the mortgagee for the debt ...

Allocating the price paid to purchase to or more properties based on their appraised values. ...

Generally, the definition of a deposition means a pre-trial and out-of-court testimony that is given under oath. A deposition is integral to the discovery process to establish a ...

Law enacted by a local authority applicable to the action of people or things. An example is a fine of $5,000 for littering vacant real estate. ...

(1) A persons permanent and legal place of residence. While an individual may have one or more residences, it is only possible to have one permanent address. (2) The state where one has ...

Any written evidence or tangible material which can be reproduced as written material which is coherent and related to the subject at hand. This includes documents, contracts, inscriptions ...

Popular Real Estate Questions