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
I am the person. The person himself/herself. The actual person. ...
Device that cuts off an electric circuit when the current becomes to strong. ...
The real estate industry bases the agency definition on the relationship between a real estate agent and the client they represent. Agency relationships have a fiduciary element to them ...
Holding pool of mortgages. It is marketed as a tax exempt mortgage backed security for investors. ...
Everyone knows what is a retirement home, but if we were to give our best most concise retirement home definition it would be of something like: real estate facilities that cater to retired ...
Situation in which a business debts exceed the fair market value of its assets. ...
Home inspector is the name the real estate industry calls the professional responsible for the close and thorough examination of a property. The home inspector usually is called upon ...
An individual for whom a court has awarded a financial judgment against a debtor. For example, a court award makes Smith a judgment creditor against Cole for $2,000. ...
Local government ordinances governing real estate development including structural and design aspects. Zoning ordinances usually define various usage classifications ranging from ...

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