Cap rate measures a property's unleveraged yield, cash-on-cash measures the current cash return on your invested equity, and IRR measures your time-weighted return over the whole hold. No single number tells the story — read all three together, and never trust one in isolation.
The cap rate is a property's net operating income divided by its price. Because it excludes financing, it lets you compare two buildings independent of how each is funded. It values the asset — but it says nothing about your actual return as an investor, because it ignores your loan and your equity.
Cash-on-cash return is the annual cash distributed to you divided by the cash you invested. Unlike the cap rate, it reflects leverage — it is the yield on your actual equity after debt service. Its blind spot: it only captures current income, not appreciation or the profit at sale.
The internal rate of return rolls every cash flow — distributions plus the eventual sale — into one annualized figure that rewards getting money back sooner. It is the most complete single number, but it can flatter a quick flip: a high IRR over eighteen months can mean very little total profit, which is why it is always read next to the equity multiple (how much your money multiplied).
We would rather be approximately right on a five-year hold than precisely wrong on an eighteen-month one. The metric that flatters a deal fastest is usually the one to question.
Jarom Pratt, Co-Founder & Principal
| Metric | Answers | Blind spot |
|---|---|---|
| Cap rate | What is the property worth / yield? | Ignores your financing and equity |
| Cash-on-cash | What cash do I earn each year? | Ignores appreciation and exit |
| IRR | What is my time-weighted return? | Can flatter short holds — pair with equity multiple |
Each metric answers a different question. Use all three.
The honest takeaway: a deal that looks great on one metric and quiet on the others deserves a second look. And every one of these figures is only as good as the assumptions behind it — the rent growth, vacancy, expenses, and exit cap rate baked into the pro forma. EagleCap underwrites those inputs conservatively, so the return survives if the plan slips.
Not necessarily. A higher cap rate means a cheaper price relative to income — often with more perceived risk — while a lower cap rate usually reflects a stronger market. It depends on the strategy.
All three, plus the equity multiple. Cash-on-cash shows your current yield; IRR and the equity multiple show the full-hold return. No single number is sufficient.
Cap rate is unleveraged (before any loan); cash-on-cash is after debt service on your actual equity. Financing is the difference between them.
Explore our full glossary of real estate and investment terms.
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