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💰 Return Metric

Equity Multiple Calculator

Calculate total return on invested equity. See how many times your initial investment comes back to you through cash flows and sale proceeds over the entire hold period.

2.0x+
Strong Target
Total ÷ Invested
EM Formula
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Equity Multiple Calculator

Total return on your invested equity

$
Down payment + closing costs
#
$
Annual NOI minus debt service
$
Sale price minus costs & loan payoff
Equity Multiple
Total Distributions
CF + sale proceeds
Total Profit
above investment
Avg Annual Return
simple annualized
Cash-on-Cash (Avg)
annual CF / equity

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Understanding Equity Multiple

The simplest way to measure total investment performance.

What Equity Multiple Means

Equity Multiple = Total Cash Received ÷ Total Cash Invested. A 2.0x EM means you got back $2 for every $1 invested. Unlike IRR, EM doesn't account for time — a 2.0x over 3 years is much better than 2.0x over 10 years. That's why investors use both EM and IRR together.

EM vs IRR

EM tells you the total magnitude of return. IRR tells you the annualized rate. A 2.5x EM over 5 years ≈ 20% IRR. A 2.5x EM over 10 years ≈ 10% IRR. Same multiple, very different time-adjusted performance. Always evaluate both metrics together.

Target Equity Multiples

Core: 1.3–1.6x over 5–7 years. Core-Plus: 1.5–1.8x. Value-Add: 1.8–2.5x over 3–5 years. Opportunistic: 2.0–3.0x+. Fund investors and LPs typically look for minimum 1.5x over the fund life (7–10 years).

Maximizing Equity Multiple

Three drivers: (1) Higher annual cash flow through NOI improvement and optimized debt structure. (2) Property appreciation through value-add improvements, rent growth, or cap rate compression. (3) Leverage — financing amplifies both cash flow and appreciation returns on invested equity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about equity multiples in CRE.

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