Discussion paper

DP15657 The Rate of Return on Real Estate: Long-Run Micro-Level Evidence

Real estate—housing in particular—is a less profitable investment in the long run than
previously thought. We hand-collect property-level financial data for the institutional real
estate portfolios of four large Oxbridge colleges over the period 1901–1983. Gross income
yields initially fluctuate around 5%, but then trend downward (upward) for agricultural
and residential (commercial) real estate. Long-term real income growth rates are close to
zero for all property types. Our findings imply annualized real total returns, net of costs,
ranging from approximately 2.3% for residential to 4.5% for agricultural real estate.

£6.00
Citation

Chambers, D, C Spaenjers and E Steiner (2021), ‘DP15657 The Rate of Return on Real Estate: Long-Run Micro-Level Evidence‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 15657. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp15657