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The Daily Insight

What does a cap rate of 7% mean?

Author

Sophia Hammond

Updated on March 10, 2026

What does a cap rate of 7% mean?

The cap rate is an asset’s unlevered (no mortgage) return, and a reflection of an asset’s relative risk. If the buyer were to purchase the property all cash in the example above, and if the property distributes the same net operating income, the buyer would receive a 7% return on their investment.

What is a good capitalization rate?

Investors hoping for deals with a lower purchase price may, therefore, want a high cap rate. Following this logic, a cap rate between four and ten percent may be considered a “good” investment. According to Rasti Nikolic, a financial consultant at Loan Advisor, “in general though, 5% to 10% rate is considered good.

What are the two components of the capitalization rate?

The capitalization rate is a profitability metric used to determine the return on investment of a real estate property. The formula for the capitalization rate is calculated as net operating income divided by the current market value of the asset.

Do you include mortgage in cap rate?

The return (or cap rate) of a specific property is the same for every investor. That’s because the mortgage payment isn’t included in the cap rate calculation.

Do you want a high or low cap rate?

Buyers usually want a high cap rate, or the purchase price is low compared to the NOI. But, as stated above, a higher cap rate usually means higher risk and a lower cap rate usually means lower risk.

What factors influence cap rate?

Cap rates are determined by three major factors; the opportunity cost of capital, growth expectations, and risk. Commercial real estate investments compete with other assets (e.g. stocks and bonds) for investment dollars.

What expenses are included in cap rate?

The 2021 Real Estate Investor’s Guide to Understanding Cap Rates. For real estate investments, Cap Rates are calculated by dividing your Net Operating Income (NOI), or Rent minus Expenses, by the market value of a property. Your expenses include everything except mortgage payments.

Is a 10% cap rate good?

For example, professionals purchasing commercial properties might buy at a 4% cap rate in high-demand (and therefore less risky) areas, but hold out for a 10% (or even higher) cap rate in low-demand areas. Generally, 4% to 10% per year is a reasonable range to earn for your investment property.

Do you subtract mortgage from cap rate?

Net Operating Income (NOI) ÷ Purchase Price Importantly, the cap rate formula does NOT include any mortgage expenses. As you can see in the formula for net operating income below, the expenses do not include a mortgage or interest payment. Excluding debt is part of why a cap rate is so useful.