How Does the 80-20 Rule Apply to Real Estate Investing? (2024)

The 80-20 rule is also known as Pareto’s Rule, Pareto’s Principle, the law of the vital few or the principle of factor sparsity. The rule, applicable in many financial, commercial, and social contexts, states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes.

For example, many researchers have found that:

  • 80% of real estate deals are closed by 20% of the real estate teams.
  • 80% of the world’s wealth was controlled by 20% of the population.
  • 80% of a typical business’s revenue comes from 20% of its clients.

The 80-20 rule reflects the unequal distribution of outputs and can be used to determine the best way to focus efforts. However, it’s important to note that the rule is not a mathematical concept and doesn’t apply in every situation.

The Origins of the 80-20 Rule

In the early 20th century, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto was the first to describe the 80-20 rule. During this time, the distribution of wealth in Italy was a cause for concern. Pareto noticed that 20% of the Italian citizens owned 80% of Italian real estate. As he examined real estate ownership in other countries, he discovered a similar pattern. Later, Dr. Joseph Juran, an operation management expert, examined the law and found that it applied to various business and productivity contexts. Applying the rule to business production, he demonstrated that 20% of the problems in production methods were responsible for 80% of the defects in products. He then postulated that if 20% of the problems identified were addressed, the overall production could be increased.

A Closer Look at Pareto’s Principle

Although often misinterpreted and misrepresented, the 80-20 rule has nothing to do with mathematics. Some people have tried to make mathematical arguments about the rule — especially after considering that 80% + 20% equals 100% — but inputs and outputs are two different values. The cumulative value of input and output doesn’t need to equal 100. Also, the 80-20 rule doesn’t apply in every case. Sometimes, the ratio may be 95/5, 70/30 or something else entirely. The main point is to know such disparities exist and to think of how to use that information wisely.

However, the 80-20 rule is an invitation to examine where the highest profits or losses, productivity or lack of it and resources are being deployed. When the 80-20 rule is used in businesses, it is easy to identify what works and what doesn’t. For example, if 80% of your profits come from 20% of your real estate investments, then you should focus on that investment type. The 80-20 rule in real estate investments can help you identify your most valuable clients or partners. It can help you determine where you should concentrate efforts and where divesting might be the best plan.

How Does the 80-20 Rule Apply to Real Estate Investing? (2024)

FAQs

How Does the 80-20 Rule Apply to Real Estate Investing? ›

In the realm of real estate investment, the 80/20 rule

80/20 rule
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes (the "vital few").
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Pareto_principle
, or Pareto Principle, is a potent tool for maximizing returns. It posits that a small fraction of actions—typically around 20%—drives a disproportionately large portion of results, often around 80%.

What is the 80% rule in real estate? ›

Key Takeaways: The 80% rule means that an insurer will only fully cover the cost of damage to a house if the owner has purchased insurance coverage equal to at least 80% of the house's total replacement value.

What is the rule of 20 in real estate? ›

"Possession" requires more than incidental benefit from the public property, but requires actual physical occupation of the property pursuant to rights not granted to the general public; thus, the use of property such as hallways, common areas, and access roads at airports, stadiums, convention centers, or other public ...

What is the 80 20 investment strategy? ›

This investment strategy seeks total return through exposure to a diversified portfolio of primarily equity, and to a lesser extent, Fixed Income asset classes with a target allocation of 80% equities and 20% Fixed Income.

What is the golden rule of real estate investing? ›

It was during this period that Corcoran developed what she calls her "golden rule" of real estate investing. This rule calls for investors to put 20% down on properties and then get tenants whose rent payments cover the mortgage.

What is the 80-20 rule real examples? ›

80% of crimes are committed by 20% of criminals. 80% of sales are from 20% of clients. 80% of project value is achieved with the first 20% of effort. 80% of your knowledge is used 20% of the time.

What is the 4 3 2 1 rule in real estate? ›

Analyzing the 4-3-2-1 Rule in Real Estate

This rule outlines the ideal financial outcomes for a rental property. It suggests that for every rental property, investors should aim for a minimum of 4 properties to achieve financial stability, 3 of those properties should be debt-free, generating consistent income.

What is the 7% rule in real estate? ›

The top 7% are hustlers. If they don't know something, they'll learn it. If the heat is on, they'll put in the extra hours to make it happen. You don't have to know everything, everyone, have all the money, or talent, but if you'll apply those two principles, you'll do very well in real estate.

What is the number one rule in real estate? ›

1 Rule real estate FAQs

It states that the monthly rent of a rental property should be at least 1% of the property's purchase price. While this can be achievable in certain areas, high-cost markets like San Francisco may not align with this rule due to high property values and lower rent prices.

What is the 80-20 rule for dummies? ›

Once you have identified the 20% of tasks responsible for 80% of effects, prioritise them. These should be the areas that receive the most attention, resources, and effort. Focus on optimising the 20% of causes to increase their impact.

What is the 80-20 rule wealth? ›

He famously observed that 80% of society's wealth was controlled by 20% of its population, a concept now known as the “Pareto Principle” or the “80-20 Rule”. The Pareto distribution is a power-law probability distribution, and has only two parameters to describe the distribution: α (“alpha”) and Xm.

How does the 80-20 rule work with money? ›

YOUR BUDGET

The 80/20 budget is a simpler version of it. Using the 80/20 budgeting method, 80% of your income goes toward monthly expenses and spending, while the other 20% goes toward savings and investments.

What is the basic idea of the 80-20 rule? ›

You can use the 80/20 rule to prioritize the tasks that you need to get done during the day. The idea is that out of your entire task list, completing 20% of those tasks will result in 80% of the impact you can create for that day.

What is the 5 rule in real estate investing? ›

The first part of the 5% rule is Property Taxes, which are generally around 1% of the home's value. The second part of the 5% rule is Maintenance Costs, which are also around 1% of the home's value. Finally, the last part of the 5% rule is the Cost of Capital, which is assumed to be around 3% of the home's value.

What is the 70 rule in real estate investing? ›

Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home. The ARV of a property is the amount a home could sell for after flippers renovate it.

Is 80-20 portfolio a good investment? ›

If you're a younger investor with a long time horizon and are comfortable taking on more risk, the 80/20 portfolio may be a good fit. However, if you're closer to retirement or prefer a more conservative approach, the 60/40 portfolio may be a better option.

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