How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property (2024)

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25 Aug 2023

How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property

Category: Investing 101, LeasingTags: How to Invest, Profitable Investment Property

Investing in a commercial property can offer fantastic tax benefits, low barriers to entry, and some of the highest return rates. Whether it’s an investment in a long or short-term property, investors can create positive cash flow with a high return on investment.

Here are tips to help when deciding what types of investment properties can help build wealth and equity and diversify your portfolio.

Research the Market

The first thing an investor should do is research, and a good tip is knowing the location of the property beforehand. Analyzing how much properties in the area sold for can help when determining cash-on-cash returns and cap rates. Many factors affect the price, rental expenses, tenants, and value of your property. As a result, if you want a decent return on investment, you should start your property search by analyzing the neighborhood to make sure it is a good real estate market.

Calculate the Value of Your Property

Calculating the value of your investment can help when deciding if purchasing a property makes financial sense. Some important metrics to add to an income property analysis include:

  • Cash Flow – By considering estimated rental income after rental expenditures, investors can judge whether a rental property will make money or require additional funds to be successful in real estate.
  • Cash on Cash Return – This is the annual pre-tax cash flow (NOI – annual mortgage payment) to the overall cash investment ratio (down payment, closing costs, any rehab expenses, and other loan charges).

What Types of Commercial Properties Are the Most Profitable?

  • High-Tenant Properties – Typically, properties with a high number of tenants will give the best return on investment. These properties include RVs, self-storage, apartment complexes, and office spaces. The more tenants there are—and the higher demand for your property—the more significant your income becomes and the less you will have to concern yourself with finding tenants with little notice.
  • Properties in Areas with Growth – High-traffic areas are particularly best in retail since they tend to bring in tenants who will renew their leases. These areas are also more likely to draw new tenants if current occupants leave for any reason. Another prime example of an area with potential growth is a newly developed suburb, which can be a magnet for investors.
  • Triple Net Lease PropertiesTriple net properties are usually single-tenant spaces, but those tenants are more likely to sign long-term leases. They are also ideal for inexperienced investors, as they place the responsibility of paying real estate taxes, maintenance, and building insurance into your tenant’s hands. This makes it easier to have a stable income from your investment rather than estimating your payment based on projected maintenance costs.

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FAQs

How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property? ›

The first thing an investor should do is research, and a good tip is knowing the location of the property beforehand. Analyzing how much properties in the area sold for can help when determining cash-on-cash returns and cap rates. Many factors affect the price, rental expenses, tenants, and value of your property.

How to calculate if an investment property will be profitable? ›

The simplest way to calculate ROI on a rental property is to subtract annual operating costs from annual rental income and divide the total by the mortgage value. However, there are some other calculations you can use to determine how much of a return you might expect when investing in a specific property.

What type of investment property is most profitable? ›

Commercial properties are considered one of the best types of real estate investments because of their potential for higher cash flow. If you decide to invest in a commercial property, you could enjoy these attractive benefits: Higher-income potential. Longer leases.

How do you determine a good investment property? ›

Simply divide the median house price by the median annual rent to generate a ratio. As a general rule of thumb, consumers should consider buying when the ratio is under 15 and rent when it is above 20. Markets with a high price/rent ratio usually do not offer as good an investment opportunity.

What is the 1 rule for investment property? ›

The 1% rule of real estate investing measures the price of an investment property against the gross income it can generate. For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must equal at least 1% of the purchase price.

What is the 2% rule in real estate? ›

The 2% rule is a rule of thumb that determines how much rental income a property should theoretically be able to generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a positive cash flow from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

What is the average ROI on a rental property? ›

The return on investment on a rental property depends on the factors we've discussed above. According to S&P 500, the average return on investment in the US property market is 8.6%. Residential properties earn an average return of 10.6%, while commercial properties have a slightly lower 9.5% return on investment.

What is the most in demand property type? ›

New research revealed that terraced properties with parking and gardens scooped the top spot with 41% of the nation's demand*. Terraced propeties tend to be more afforable to buy so they're very popular. More and more people desire space to park a car so if the property comes with outside space, it's a winner.

What is the greatest risk for investment property? ›

Key risks include bad locations, negative cash flows, high vacancies, and problematic tenants. Other risks to consider are hidden structural problems, real estate's lack of liquidity, and the unpredictable nature of the real estate market.

Why do most millionaires invest in real estate? ›

It's not just about making money; it's about preserving and growing wealth over generations. One of the secrets to millionaire wealth is the creation of multiple streams of passive income. Real estate investments, particularly rental properties, generate ongoing rental income, contributing to a consistent cash flow.

How to tell if a rental property will be profitable? ›

Find out an area's selling prices to get a sense of local market value. Research the average rent in the neighborhood and work from there to determine if buying a rental property is financially feasible. Compare all your costs to the rent you may charge to project your profit.

What are the most profitable rentals? ›

What type of rental property is most profitable?
Rental Property TypeROI PotentialOngoing Effort
REITsLowMinimal
Single-Family HomesHigh through appreciationHigh
Mobile HomesModerateLow
Airbnb RentalsHighHigh
2 more rows
Mar 4, 2024

How to tell if a rental will be profitable? ›

11 top features of a profitable rental property
  1. The size, condition, and age of the property. ...
  2. Cash flow and growth potential. ...
  3. The rental market. ...
  4. The neighborhood. ...
  5. Proximity to schools. ...
  6. Local amenities. ...
  7. Local economy. ...
  8. The job market.
Sep 28, 2022

How much monthly profit should you make on a rental property? ›

Keep in mind, when it comes to real estate cash flow, calculating your expenses and rental property income will be your number one key to success. Anything around 7% or 8% is the average ROI. However, if you'd really like to succeed, you should always aim higher at around 15%.

How long does it take to make a profit on a rental property? ›

Most of the time, you can get positive cash flow right from day one with your rental. Figuring out your profit for the year is a matter of taking how much rent comes in and subtract how much money goes out for expenses like taxes, insurance, and mortgage payments. What you're left with is your profit for the year.

What is the 80 20 rule in property investment? ›

What is the 80/20 Rule exactly? It's the idea that 80% of outcomes are driven from 20% of the input or effort in any given situation. What does this mean for a real estate professional? Making more money in real estate is directly tied to focusing your personal energy on the most high value areas of your business.

How to calculate rental property cash flow? ›

For example, if your rental property has a 15% vacancy rate (out of $36,000 gross rental income), that is $5,400 you missed out on because of tenant turnover. Gross cash flow: To find the gross cash flow, use the simple formula gross rental income + additional income – vacancy rate.

What is a good IRR for rental property? ›

What is a good IRR in Real Estate? A good IRR in real estate investing could be somewhere between 15% to 20%. However, it varies based on the cost basis, the market, the particular class, the investment strategy, and many other variables.

How to calculate ROI on rental property in Excel? ›

Calculating ROI is simple, both on paper and in Excel. In Excel, you enter how much the investment made or lost and its initial cost in separate cells, then, in another cell, ask Excel to divide the two figures (=cellname/cellname) and give you a percentage.

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