Did you know…A higher cap rate can indicate a potentially higher return on investment?

Did you know a higher cap rate can indicate a potentially higher return on investment?

In commercial real estate, cap rate, short for capitalization rate, is used to estimate the potential return an investor will make on a property. The formula for calculating cap rate is:

NOI (Net Operating Income)/Asset Value

A higher cap rate implies a higher return on investment on a property in comparison to a similar investment – but a higher cap rate also carries more risk (DiLallo, 2024).

A property with a lower cap rate can mean lower potential returns but is also more stable and less risky. If an investor has a higher tolerance for risk and seeks the highest possible profits, they will want to target a high cap rate (Rafter, 2024).

A few things to remember about cap rates:

What is considered a “good” cap rate is subjective and dependent of a variety of factors – but, in general, there is agreement that a cap rate of 5-10% is healthy (Cap Rate 101: Definition, Calculation & Good Cap Rate Factors, 2022).

According to the Commercial Market Insights Report by the National Association of Realtors, as of January 2023, the following were the national average cap rates by property sector: Multifamily: 4.9%, Office: 6.9%, Industrial: 6.2%, and Retail: 6.7% (DiLallo, 2024).

Cap rate is most useful for determining if one real estate investment is worthwhile compared to other investments and for decision-making is best used in conjunction with other tools.

Featured Properties: 

705 Greenbag Road is a fully leased, two-story office building comprised of 3,020 (+/-) square feet. Currently occupied by Apex Physical Therapy, the property comes with a 15-year seller sale leaseback, ensuring long-term stability. The property is located outside the city limits of Morgantown roughly 2.9 miles from I-68, Exit 4 and 2.8 miles to downtown Morgantown and West Virginia University’s main campus. Cap Rate: 7.79%. View the detailed marketing flyer for 705 Greenbag Road. 

900 Fairmont Road is a fully leased, two-story office building comprised of 10,200 (+/-) square feet. The building is currently occupied by Wise Path Recovery Centers (managed by Ascension Acquisition LLC). The property is located inside the city limits of Morgantown and Westover, situated 2 miles of West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus, shopping and more. Cap Rate: 6.79%. View the detailed marketing flyer f0r 440, 442 Williamsport Pike.

440, 442 Williamsport Pike is a turn-key car wash located in a high-traffic area of rapidly growing Martinsburg, WV. Excellent visibility at the intersection of Routes 9 and 11 and prominent signage make this 7,667 (+/-) square foot offering a perfect generational investment or prime redevelopment opportunity for the right buyer. As-Is Cap Rate: 9.61%.  View the detailed marketing flyer f0r 440, 442 Williamsport Pike.

1023 Pittsburgh Street in Uniontown, PA includes two single-story office buildings on 3.76 acres. The buildings are comprised of 30,000 (+/-) square feet, 12,000 (+/-) square feet in Building 1 and 18,000 (+/-) square feet in Building 2. Features of this investment property include two off-street parking lots and a 24-hour emergency call system with central monitoring. Cap Rate: 9.31%. View the detailed marketing flyer for 1023 Pittsburgh Street.

32 Baird Street is an impressive 13-unit student housing asset at the doorstep to West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus. This turn-key, recently upgraded asset offers attractive in-unit amenities including a washer-dryer, patio/deck area, oversized closets, keyless entry doors and granite countertops. Cap Rate: 7.4%. View the detailed marketing flyer for 32 Baird Street.

References
Cap Rate 101: Definition, Calculation & Good cap Rate Factors. (2022, June 9). Commercial 1 Brokers. https://commercialonebrokers.com/what-is-capitalization-rate-1/.
DiLallo, M. (2024, April 5). Capitalization rate: Everything you need to know. The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/real-estate-investing/basics/capitalization-rate.
Rafter, D. (2024, July 2). Cap rate: What is it and how is it calculated? Quicken Loans. https://www.quickenloans.com/learn/capitalization-rate