Cash-on-Cash Return VS Capitalization Rate

Cash-on-Cash Return VS Capitalization Rate

Real Estate Broker · NY · Member since 2022 · 14 posts · 0 votes

Cash-on-Cash Return VS Capitalization Rate
Both metrics used in evaluating real estate investments, but they focus on very different aspects of the investment and provide their own unique insights.

Cash-on-Cash Return (CoC):
Cash-on-Cash Return is a measure of the annual pre-tax cash flow generated by an investment property, expressed as a percentage of the initial equity investment.

Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate):
The Capitalization Rate, or Cap Rate, is a ratio that measures the annual rate of return on an investment property based on its current market value. It is the most common way to evaluate and compare potential returns on an investment without considering financing or debt.

Key Differences

Focus:
CoC Return focuses on the return on the actual cash invested in the property, considering financing.
Cap Rate focuses on the rate of return on the asset irrespective of financing.

Inclusion of Financing:
CoC Return considers financing and is more relevant for investors using leverage in their capitalization of the deal.
Cap Rate does not consider financing and provides a pure property-level return.

Application:
CoC Return is more suitable for investors seeking to evaluate the cash return on their invested capital.
Cap Rate is often used for quick property comparisons and assessing the property's potential return as a standalone investment at an asset level.

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  • Member since 2026 · 15 posts · 4 votes
    2mo

    Good breakdown. The thing I'd add from the ownership side is that both of these are outputs of the lease, and neither one tells you how durable the input is.

    Put two buildings side by side at a 7 cap. One has a corporate tenant with 12 years left, 3% annual bumps and a parent guaranty behind it. The other has three tenants on month to month at the same total rent. Identical cap rate, identical NOI today, and they aren't remotely the same asset.

  • Real Estate Broker · NY · Member since 2022 · 14 posts · 0 votes
    2mo

    100% 

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