Income Approach
Direct and yield capitalization, gross income multipliers, expense reconstruction, lease analysis, and discounted cash flow.
Learn this first β free lessons on Income Approach
- PGI, EGI & Vacancy~11 min
- Expenses & NOI~12 min
- Direct Capitalization~13 min
- GRM & GIM~10 min
- DCF, Yield & Reversion~12 min
- Leases: Contract vs Market Rent~11 min
About Income Approach on the Appraiser Exam
Under the 2026 AQB content outline, Income Approach accounts for 4.5% of the Licensed Residential exam, 8.2% of Certified Residential, and 19.1% of Certified General. This section covers direct and yield capitalization, gross income multipliers, expense reconstruction, lease analysis, and discounted cash flow. Below you will find 200 free practice questions with detailed explanations to help you master this topic and pass your level's exam on the first attempt. The exam reports a scaled score; 75 is the passing scaled score and does NOT equal a raw 75% on practice questions. Scaled scoring adjusts for form difficulty.
Practice Questions
A property generates $85,000 in Net Operating Income and sells for $1,062,500. What is the overall capitalization rate?
EASYWhat is the present value of $150,000 to be received in 5 years, assuming a discount rate of 8%?
HARDA property has potential gross income of $180,000, vacancy and collection loss of $15,000, and operating expenses of $65,000. What is the Net Operating Income?
HARDA property has a net operating income of $85,000 and annual debt service of $68,000. What is the debt coverage ratio?
MEDIUMIn a percentage lease, rent is commonly structured as:
mediumA property generates $150,000 in potential gross income. Market data indicates a 7% vacancy rate and operating expenses of 35% of effective gross income. If the cap rate is 9.5%, what is the indicated value?
HARDA property is purchased for $500,000 with a loan of $400,000. What is the loan-to-value ratio?
EASYA property sold for $400,000 with annual gross rent of $40,000. What is the gross rent multiplier?
EASYIn a DCF, what is the reversion?
easyPotential gross income differs from effective gross income in that PGI assumes:
easyA building's gross rent multiplier (GRM) is 120. If the monthly rent is $2,500, what is the indicated value?
EASYThe reversion in a discounted cash flow model represents:
mediumA property's highest and best use analysis shows that retail use would generate $50,000 annual net income, office use would generate $45,000, and residential use would generate $40,000. Using a 10% capitalization rate, what is the indicated value for retail use?
EASYBuilding A (new, credit tenant, 20-year lease) and Building B (older, month-to-month tenants) sell the same week. Their cap rates should differ how?
mediumA commercial property has potential gross income of $120,000, vacancy and collection loss of 8%, and operating expenses of $35,000. Using a cap rate of 9.5%, what is the indicated value?
HARDAn office building has a gross rental income of $240,000, vacancy rate of 8%, and operating expenses of $75,000. What is the net operating income (NOI)?
MEDIUMWhat is the present value of $100,000 to be received in 5 years, assuming a 10% discount rate?
HARDAn overall rate extracted from a sale whose NOI excluded reserves, applied to a subject NOI that includes them, will:
hardA property is financed with 70% debt at 6% interest and 30% equity requiring a 12% return. What is the overall capitalization rate using the band of investment technique?
HARDReplacement reserves cover which kind of expenditure?
easyA commercial property has a gross income of $240,000 annually and sold for $2,000,000. Three years later, a similar property with gross income of $180,000 is being appraised. Using the gross income multiplier method, what is the indicated value?
HARDWhat is the primary distinction, for appraisal purposes, between 'vacancy loss' and 'collection loss'?
easyAn appraiser is analyzing a mixed-use property with retail and office components. The retail segment has a potential gross income of $180,000 with a market vacancy of 8%. The office segment has a potential gross income of $120,000 with a market vacancy of 12%. What is the overall effective gross income for the property?
easyAn office building generates $180,000 in net operating income and has a capitalization rate of 8.5%. What is the indicated value?
EASYA commercial property has a net operating income of $125,000 and is subject to a ground lease with annual rent of $15,000. What is the income attributable to the leased fee interest?
HARDA property generates $75,000 in net operating income and is valued at $1,000,000. What is the overall capitalization rate?
EASYA property has gross rental income of $120,000, vacancy and collection loss of $6,000, and operating expenses of $45,000. What is the net operating income?
EASYA property is valued at $500,000 with a loan amount of $400,000. What is the loan-to-value ratio?
EASYA property has a gross income multiplier of 8.5 and generates annual gross income of $96,000. What is the indicated value?
MEDIUMA property sold for $450,000 and generated monthly rent of $3,200. What is the gross rent multiplier (GRM)?
EASYA rental property has a potential gross income of $120,000, vacancy and collection loss of 5%, and operating expenses of $38,000. If the capitalization rate is 9%, what is the indicated value?
HARDAn income property sold for $1,500,000 and generates $125,000 in annual gross income. What is the gross income multiplier (GIM)?
MEDIUMThe mortgage constant represents:
hardApplying a GRM of 164 to a subject renting at $2,650 monthly indicates a value of:
easyA property owner has a lease that requires them to pay property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs in addition to base rent. The landlord's interest would be valued as:
HARDIn the context of the income approach, what does the term 'stabilized vacancy' refer to?
easyA 12-unit building rents at $1,450 per unit monthly with 6% vacancy and collection loss and $7,200 annual parking income. Effective gross income is:
mediumLoading a capitalization rate for an effective tax rate is done when:
hardA property is valued at $800,000 with a first mortgage of $600,000. What is the loan-to-value ratio?
EASYAn investor purchased a property for $1,200,000 with a $900,000 loan. The property generates $25,000 in annual cash flow after debt service. What is the equity dividend rate?
HARDAn income property generates $48,000 in annual net operating income. Using a capitalization rate of 8%, what is the indicated value?
EASYWhich item is NOT an operating expense in the appraisal sense?
easyA commercial property currently generates $100,000 annual net income. The building could be demolished and redeveloped for $2 million, generating $250,000 annual net income. Using a 10% cap rate, what is the value as improved?
MEDIUMAn investor pays $120,000 cash down on a $400,000 property and receives $15,000 annual cash flow before taxes. What is the equity dividend rate?
MEDIUMAn appraiser is valuing a 20-unit apartment building. Recent sales of similar properties show gross rent multipliers ranging from 8.5 to 9.2. If the subject property generates $180,000 in annual gross rent, what is the indicated value range using GRM analysis?
MEDIUMUsing the band of investment: 70% of the capital is debt with a mortgage capitalization requirement of 8%, and equity requires 11%. The overall rate is:
hardAn appraiser derives a multiplier from comparables using annual rents, then applies it to the subject's monthly rent. The result is:
mediumWhy is the terminal capitalization rate usually set above today's rate?
hardUnder a triple-net lease, who bears taxes, insurance and maintenance?
easyNet operating income is $84,000 and the market capitalization rate is 7%. The indicated value is:
easy+ 150 more questions
Other Appraiser Exam Topics
Real Estate Market
Up to 20% of exam
Property Description
Up to 11.8% of exam
Land or Site Valuation
Up to 4.5% of exam
Sales Comparison Approach
Up to 25.4% of exam
Cost Approach
Up to 13.6% of exam
Reconciliation
Up to 4.5% of exam
USPAP
Up to 21.8% of exam
Emerging Appraisal Methods
Up to 4.5% of exam
Appraisal Statistical Methods
Up to 4.5% of exam
- β’Master the three approaches to value (sales comparison, cost, income) and know when each applies
- β’Understand USPAP requirements thoroughly β Ethics Rule, Competency Rule, Scope of Work, and Standards 1 & 2 are heavily tested
- β’Practice math problems including capitalization rates, GRM, adjustments, and depreciation calculations β a financial calculator is allowed (see calculator policy)
- β’Review wrong answers and their explanations β understanding why an answer is incorrect is as valuable as knowing the right one
- β’Allocate study time based on your level's topic weight β Income Approach is 4.5% on LR, 8.2% on CR, and 19.1% on CG
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions cover Income Approach on the appraiser exam?
Under the 2026 AQB outline, Income Approach weight varies by license level: Licensed Residential 5 questions (4.5%), Certified Residential 9 questions (8.2%), Certified General 21 questions (19.1%). Each exam has 110 scored questions in total.
What is tested in Income Approach on the appraiser exam?
Income Approach covers direct and yield capitalization, gross income multipliers, expense reconstruction, lease analysis, and discounted cash flow. Questions test both theoretical knowledge and practical application of appraisal concepts.
How should I study for Income Approach?
Start by reviewing the key concepts and terminology, then practice with scenario-based questions. EstatePass offers 200 free practice questions for Income Approach with detailed explanations. Focus on understanding the reasoning behind each answer, not just memorizing facts.
Which license level weighs Income Approach most heavily?
Certified General leans on Income Approach most heavily at 19.1% of scored questions. Licensed Residential is 4.5% and Certified Residential is 8.2%.
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