Operating Expense Ratio (OER): Definition, Formula, and Example (2024)

What Is Operating Expense Ratio (OER)?

In real estate, the operating expense ratio (OER) is a measurement of the cost to operate a piece of property, compared to the income brought in by the property. It is calculated by dividing a property's operating expense (minus depreciation) by its gross operating income.

OER is used for comparing the expenses of similar properties. An investor should look for red flags, such as higher maintenance expenses, operating income, or utilities that may deter him from purchasing a specific property.

The ideal OER is between 60% and 80% (although the lower it is, the better).

Key Takeaways

  • In real estate, the operating expense ratio (OER) is a measurement of the cost to operate a piece of property, compared to the income brought in by the property.
  • The operating expense ratio (OER) is calculated by dividing all operating expenses less depreciation by operating income.
  • A lower operating expense ratio (OER) is more desirable for investors because it means that expenses are minimized relative to revenue.

Understanding Operating Expense Ratio (OER)

Formula for Operating Expense Ratio (OER)

OER=TotaloperatingexpensesdepreciationGrossrevenueOER = \frac{\text{Total operating expenses} - \text{depreciation}}{\text{Gross revenue}}OER=GrossrevenueTotaloperatingexpensesdepreciation

Operating Expense Ratio (OER): Definition, Formula, and Example (1)

In order to calculate the OER for a property, you need to know the operating expenses. These include all fees and costs incurred as the normal costs of doing business. You will also need to calculate the property's depreciation expense, which will vary by the particular accounting method employed.

Calculating OERs over a number of years may help an investor notice a property’s trends in operating expenses. If a property’s costs increase annually at a greater rate than income, the OER increases annually as well. Therefore, the investor may lose more money the longer they hold the property.

When owning an apartment building, an investor should figure in vacancies by using effective rental income, or potential rental income minus vacancy and credit losses, rather than potential rental income. Because managing vacancies are included in efficient property management, including vacancies in an OER gives a more accurate picture of operating expenses and shows where improvements may be made. For example, a poorly managed property will most likely have higher vacancy rates, which will be reflected in the OER.

Property management fees, utilities, trash removal, maintenance, insurance, repairs, property taxes, and other costs are included in OERs. Additional operating expenses that investors should figure into the OER include property management fees, landscaping, attorney fees, landlord’s insurance, and basic property insurance. These costs help run the property on a daily basis. For this reason, loan payments, capital improvements, and personal property are excluded from operating expenses.

A lower OER typically means the property is being managed efficiently and is more profitable for investors, and that less of the property’s income is covering operational and maintenance costs. If the business is scalable, the owner may increase the rent on each unit without greatly increasing operating expenses. In addition, the OER can show where potential issues may occur, such as utility bills increasing substantially, so investors can solve problems more quickly and protect their profit levels.

Example of Operating Expense Ratio (OER)

Take a hypothetical example, where Investor A owns a multi-family apartment building and brings in $65,000 per month in rent. The investor also pays $50,000 for operating expenses including his monthly mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, and so on. The property also is expected to depreciate by $85,000 this year.

Therefore, the annual OER can be calculated as:

[($50,000×12)85,000](65,000×12)=66%\frac{[(\$50,000 \times 12) - 85,000]} {(65,000 \times 12)} = 66\%(65,000×12)[($50,000×12)85,000]=66%

This means that operating expenses consume approximately two-thirds of revenues generated by this property.

Operating Expense Ratio (OER) vs. Capitalization Rate

The capitalization rate is usedin the world of commercial real estate to indicate therate of returnthat is expected to be generated on areal estate investmentproperty. Oftenreferred to as the "cap rate,"this measurement is computed based on thenetincomewhich the property is expected to generate. It is used to estimate the investor's potential return on investment in the real estate market.

The cap rate simply represents the yield of a property over a one-year time horizon (assuming the property is purchased on cash and not on loan). It is defined by the formula:

Caprate=netoperatingincome÷currentmarketvalue\text{Cap rate} = \text{net operating income} \div \text{current market value}Caprate=netoperatingincome÷currentmarketvalue

While the cap rate is similar to OER in terms of measuring the profitability of an investment property, it differs from the OER in that it uses gross revenue rather than net income and places that in the denominator. OER also does not take into account the market value of a property.

Limitations of the Operating Expense Ration

There are two drawbacks to the OER for real estate investors. First, because it does not include the market value of a property, it does not inform an investor about the relative value of a property at purchase or sale. It only speaks to the efficiency of ongoing operations. Thus, the OER should be used in conjunction with something like the capitalization rate when evaluating a property investment.

Second, because depreciation can be calculated in several different ways, the OER can be gamed by using a more favorable method of accounting for depreciation.

Operating Expense Ratio (OER): Definition, Formula, and Example (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for operating expense ratio example? ›

To determine a property's operating expense ratio, you can use the formula below: Operating Expenses/Gross Operating Income = Operating Expense Ratio For example, a building with operating expenses of $40,000 a year that brings in $100,000 of gross income would have a 40% OER.

What is the formula for operating ratio and example? ›

The operating ratio is calculated by dividing a company's total operating costs by its net sales. Sales represent the starting line item of the income statement (“top line”), whereas operating costs refer to the routine expenses incurred by a company as part of its normal course of operations.

How do you calculate expense ratio with example? ›

The expense ratio is how much you pay a mutual fund or ETF per year, expressed as a percent of your investments. So, if you have $5,000 invested in an ETF with an expense ratio of . 04%, you'll pay the fund $2 annually. An expense ratio is determined by dividing a fund's operating expenses by its net assets.

How to calculate expense ratio calculator? ›

How to calculate expense ratio? Divide total expense by the average assets. You get a percentage that tells you how much of the fund's assets are used annually by expenses. These expenses include management fees, administrative fees, 12b-1 fees, custodial costs, legal fees, and other expenses.

What is the formula for total expense ratio? ›

How is TER Calculated? The calculation used for determining TER is the following: Total expense ratio = (Total costs of the scheme during the period / Total Fund Assets)*100. TER is typically expressed as an annualized percentage of the assets of the fund.

What is an example of an expense ratio analysis? ›

You do not pay for this expense ratio separately; it is calculated as a percentage of the daily investment value. For example, if you invest Rs 5000 in a mutual fund with an expense ratio of 2%, then (2%/365=0.0054%) will be deducted from the investment value each day.

How to calculate program expense ratio? ›

Program expense ratio = Program expense / Total expenses.

Which is an example of an operating expense? ›

Operating expenses include rent, equipment, inventory costs, marketing, payroll, insurance, step costs, and funds allocated for research and development.

What is the formula for operating costs? ›

In formula form, it is Operating Cost = Job Cost + Process Cost. Operating costs are of three types: fixed, variable, and semi-variable.

How do you calculate operating expenses from income? ›

Operating income is a company's profit after deducting operating expenses such as cost of goods sold, wages and depreciation. Operating income = Gross income − Operating expenses.

How do you calculate operating cost to income ratio? ›

To get the cost-to-income ratio, you divide the operating expenses by the operating income, and multiply the result by 100 to express it as a percentage. This gives you the proportion of the bank's income that is being used to cover its operating expenses.

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