Benchmarks reviewed 2026-07-08.
The cap rate formula, three ways
The capitalization rate ties a property’s net operating income to its value. Rearranged, one identity answers three questions:
cap = NOI / value × 100 value = NOI / (cap/100) NOI = value × cap/100
Solve for the cap rate to see how a price pencils, for value to price a target return, or for required NOI to hit a value at a given cap. A $150,000 NOI on a $2,000,000 price is a 7.50% cap.
Building NOI correctly (what’s excluded)
NOI is income after operating expenses but before debt service, capital expenditures, and depreciation. Build it from the top:
EGI = gross potential rent × (1 − vacancy%) + other income
NOI = EGI − operating expenses − management fee
Our builder example: $200,000 GPR at 5% vacancy plus $5,000 other income is $195,000 EGI; after $48,000 of operating expenses and a 4% management fee ($7,800), NOI is $139,200. Leave mortgage payments out — cap rate is an unlevered measure.
What cap rates mean for value: sensitivity
Small cap-rate moves swing value hard. The sensitivity matrix stress-tests implied value across a band of cap rates and NOI outcomes, so you can see the downside before you sign. It’s the number worth screenshotting into a memo.
Typical cap rates by asset class
Directional national ranges for stabilized assets, drawn from the CBRE 2026 U.S. Real Estate Outlook, CBRE’s H2 2025 Cap Rate Survey, and Q1 2026 net-lease reports (Appendix A.1):
| Asset class | Stabilized cap rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily | 4.5–6.5% | Class A compresses to ~4.5–5.5%; secondary markets run higher |
| Industrial | 4.5–6.5% | Tightest range; big-box ~5.5–7.0%, flex higher |
| Single-tenant NNN retail | 5.0–7.0% | Overall STNL ~6.8%; trophy tenants sub-5% |
| Retail centers | 6.5–9.0% | Anchored 6.5–8.0%, strip 7.0–9.0% |
| Office | 6.0–11% | Widest, most split range — Class A CBD 6.0–8.0%, Class B 8.5–11%, Class C 8.7–9.4% |
| Medical office | 6.0–7.5% | |
| Self-storage | 5.5–7.0% | |
| Net lease (investment grade) | 5.0–6.5% | |
| Hotel | 7.0–10%+ | Widest variation by brand and quality |
CBRE projects 5–15 bps of compression across most property types in 2026. Ranges also vary by market tier — primary markets typically run 75–150 bps below tertiary markets.
To build the NOI behind the cap, use the NNN Lease Calculator and CAM Charges Calculator; to test the debt a purchase price supports, the DSCR Calculator.
Cap rate limits: what it ignores
Cap rate is a snapshot. It ignores leverage, future rent growth, capex, and lease rollover — two properties at the same cap can have very different risk. Use it to screen, then underwrite the cash flows and financing before you commit.