How to Evaluate Multifamily Properties for Maximum ROI

Owning multifamily rental properties is a great method for investors looking to generate consistent returns with real estate. They can also benefit from the tax advantages and potential for appreciation that come with owning rental property. It can be a bit difficult to determine how profitable a multifamily investment will be, however. There are many aspects to consider, and your personal risk tolerance will also play a part in your decision. In this post, we cover all the things you need to know so you can evaluate the potential ROI for a multifamily property.

Market Analysis

Before you even start looking at properties, you will need to determine the overall health of the market you’ll be investing in. Investing in a market that you know is growing will yield better returns than just going in blindly. Be sure to take a look at key indicators like rent pricing, vacancy rates, and population trends. A growing job market or significant infrastructure development can also be signs of future growth in an area. Finally, be sure to consider neighborhood amenities and the quality of schools in the areas surrounding your property as they too will play a role in demand.

Property Inspection

The next thing you’ll want to consider is the overall condition of the property. Conducting a comprehensive inspection will prevent you from running into unexpected repair items that will eat into your returns. You should hire a professional property inspector as they will be able to identify those more hidden issues and give you a detailed inspection report. Flood damage, structural damage, and problems with systems like plumbing or HVAC are all worth noting as they can be very costly fixes. You are better off avoiding properties with these types of significant issues.

Financial Review

Then, you will want to conduct a thorough review of the property’s financials. This means gathering accurate data on monthly rent and expenses. If possible, try to ask for rent rolls and maintenance records from the property’s current owner. If they keep well maintained profit and loss statements, that would be ideal. It will also help to have an idea of the direction rent prices are heading based on market rent data, as this can tell you about the future profitability of the investment. As a quick tip, you may want to skip out on properties that have little in the way of maintenance records, since you might be the one paying the price for those items going forward.

Legal Considerations

There are also some legal aspects of owning rental property to consider before diving into an investment. Proper due diligence in the title review stage is crucial since it can tell you about existing liens on the property and prevent an ownership dispute. You will also want to familiarize yourself with landlord-tenant laws for the state and local jurisdiction the property is located in. Certain areas will have laws that heavily favor tenants, and this may put you off if you don’t want to risk the trouble of dealing with a bad tenant with your investment.

Evaluate your Management Strategy

In order to maximize the ROI for a rental property, you will need to understand your management style and how it might impact your investment. Effective tenant and property management is key to ensuring consistent returns, but it involves many steps including handling tenant requests, filling vacancies, and keeping up with repairs and maintenance. If you prefer a more hands-off approach, you can always hire a property management company to take care of day-to-day operations, and some properties may already have managers in place. You will need to compare the cost of such services to the property’s bottom line to determine if it makes sense for the investment.

Leverage Professional Expertise

As you can see, there are many different aspects to consider before deciding to move forward with such a large purchase as a multifamily investment property. The good news is that you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. You can lean on the expertise of real estate agents, attorneys, and accountants (or other financial professionals) to help you get a full picture of the profitability of an investment. It’s important to be honest about your skillset, and even just your availability, and leave certain items up to professionals. They may be able to give you insights that you weren’t able to catch on your own or save you from going down the path of a bad investment. Leveraging the opinion of experts is something you should fully utilize if you want to ensure a maximum return for a multifamily property.

RCN Capital

The easiest way to save on rental property financing is to find a trusted lender that can get you the best leverages and rates. RCN Capital lends to real estate professionals, commercial contractors, developers & small business owners across the nation. We provide short-term fix & flip financing, long-term rental financing, and new construction financing for real estate investors. RCN Capital also has flexible and competitive loan options available. Are you looking to perform renovations on your investment property?