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

Land located next to water that has and will continue to experience water damage. The land generally is not suitable to build a structure on. In some cases, federal or local government may ...

The definition of in rem in real estate is a legal case against a property rather than a person. The legal application of in rem in real estate is most often seen when a homeowner defaults ...

Local governmental ordinance breaking down the country into districts that are restricted on how private property is to be constructed and used. It applies to the land and buildings. The ...

in masonry, the stones or bricks that are laid cross ways on a wall providing support to the horizontal stretcher bricks. The ends of the header bricks are visible in the wall. A beam ...

Founded in1934 and located in Chicago, IL with a 1993 membership of 8,300, the IAAO seeks to ameliorate assessment standards as well as to perform ongoing property assessment research. The ...

The definition of an open-end mortgage underlines the fact that the mortgage or trust deed can be increased by the mortgagee (borrower). The mortgagee may secure additional money from the ...

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

Subordinate neighborhoods that are tied to an urban area economically. For example, office buildings in a city are the workplace for residents in surrounding communities. ...

Branch of economics that is concerned with the study of factors that explain, and policies that promote, regional economic growth and development. Regional economic factors affect ...

Popular Real Estate Questions