How to know if IRR is good or bad?

Asked by: Lizeth Leannon  |  Last update: September 25, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (50 votes)

A good Internal Rate of Return (IRR) typically exceeds the project's cost of capital (WACC) or the investor’s hurdle rate, with higher percentages generally indicating better profitability. While subjective, a "good" IRR is often considered to be 10–15% for moderate-risk projects, 20%–30%+ for high-risk ventures like startups, and is highly dependent on industry standards and risk tolerance.

How to know if an IRR is good?

What's considered a “good” IRR can vary based on the type of investment you're making. In general, many early-stage VC investors target a 30% net IRR, while many later-stage VC and growth equity PE investors target a net IRR of around 20% (both, over an average period of eight years).

How to interpret IRR results?

The internal rate of return (IRR) is a metric used to estimate the return on an investment. The higher the IRR, the better the return of an investment. As the same calculation applies to varying investments, it can be used to rank all investments to help determine which is the best.

How to check if your IRR is correct?

One quick way of checking that the calculated IRR is correct for a project is to insert the IRR % value answer as the minimum return % that is used to calculate the NPV.

What is an acceptable IRR rate?

Real estate investments often target an IRR in the range of 10% to 20%. However, these numbers can vary: Conservative Investments: For lower-risk, stable properties, a good IRR might be around 8% to 12%. Moderate Risk: Many investors aim for an IRR in the range of 15% to 20% for moderate-risk projects.

IRR Explained for Real Estate Investors (Is Internal Rate of Return the Best Metric?)

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What is a bad IRR?

A negative IRR typically indicates that a project will generate less than the initial investment, leading to a financial loss, which is usually considered undesirable.

What does a 12% IRR mean?

"12% IRR" means the Internal Rate of Return for an investment is 12%, indicating it's expected to yield an average annual return of 12%, making all future positive cash flows equal in present value to the initial investment, essentially representing the compound growth rate of the investment. It's a key metric for deciding if an investment is profitable, with a 12% IRR suggesting the project breaks even (Net Present Value is zero) at that rate, so it's attractive if your required return is below 12% and less so if it's higher.

What does a 22% IRR mean?

"22 IRR" means an investment is expected to yield an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 22%, representing the annualized rate of profit where the present value of future cash inflows equals the initial investment, making it a measure of profitability often compared to a company's cost of capital or hurdle rate. For many investors, especially in private equity or real estate, a 22% IRR is considered a strong return, signaling a potentially good investment opportunity.
 

What does IRR actually tell you?

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) tells you the compound annual growth rate an investment is expected to generate, acting as a profitability metric that accounts for the time value of money (dollars today are worth more than dollars tomorrow). It's the discount rate where the investment's net present value (NPV) equals zero, essentially showing the break-even point where inflows match outflows, helping investors compare projects and decide if they meet a minimum required return (hurdle rate). 

What is the rule of thumb for IRR?

So the rule of thumb is that, for “double your money” scenarios, you take 100%, divide by the # of years, and then estimate the IRR as about 75-80% of that value. For example, if you double your money in 3 years, 100% / 3 = 33%. 75% of 33% is about 25%, which is the approximate IRR in this case.

How to explain IRR to dummies?

What Is The Best Explanation Of IRR? The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is a financial metric that calculates an investment's annual growth rate. It determines the percentage return where the net present value of cash flows equals zero. IRR helps investors assess project viability and compare investment opportunities.

Is an IRR of 18% good?

Generally, an IRR of 18% or 20% is considered very good in real estate. Generally speaking, a high percentage return (greater than 10%) indicates a successful investment, while a low IRR (less than 5%) might mean investors should reconsider their investment options.

What does it mean if IRR is 10%?

For example, if a project or financial product has an IRR of 10%, it implies the investment is expected to generate a 10% annual return over its lifetime. This makes IRR a useful tool for investors and financial managers who need to assess and compare the potential returns of various investment options.

How do you interpret IRR results?

Higher IRR, higher potential profit: Generally, a higher IRR indicates a more profitable investment opportunity. Investments with higher IRRs have greater returns for each dollar of capital invested. Cash flow timing: IRR is greatly influenced by the timing of cash flows.

What does a 30% IRR mean?

What's an IRR of 30% Mean? An IRR of 30% means that the rate of return on an investment using projected discounted cash flows will equal the initial investment amount when the net present value (NPV) is zero. In this case, when the time value of money factors are applied to the cash flows, the resulting IRR is 30%.

Is a high IRR or low IRR better?

Generally, the higher the IRR, the better. However, in comparing several potential projects a company might choose one with a lower IRR as long as it still exceeds the cost of capital. That can be because it has other benefits beyond the purely financial ones.

How to know if IRR is acceptable?

What is a good IRR? In general, a higher IRR indicates higher profitability. If the IRR is less than the cost of capital, the investment may not be feasible. It's also important to consider how the IRR stacks up against other potential investment opportunities' IRRs.

How can IRR be misleading?

Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is widely used in venture capital to measure annualized profitability, but it has critical flaws that can mislead investors. Key limitations include sensitivity to cash flow timing, unrealistic reinvestment assumptions, and its inability to reflect absolute dollar returns.

What does 18% XIRR mean?

XIRR is that single rate of return, which when applied to every installment (and redemptions if any) would give the current value of the total investment. XIRR is your personal rate of return. It is your actual return on investments.

What is a good IRR over 5 years?

Understanding IRR helps investors and business owners evaluate the profitability of investments over a five-year horizon. A good IRR typically exceeds your cost of capital, indicating value creation. High-growth investments often target IRRs between 20% and 30%, depending on risk.

Is a 60% IRR good?

First, that IRR is a formula to compute the average annual return on an investment as a function of the length of the investment. Second, since startups are risky, most investors are looking for 40–60% IRR over 5 years, typically on the higher end.

Is an IRR of 40% good?

High-Risk Investments: Investors seeking higher investment returns an IRR ranging from 20-30 to 40 percent are most probably involved in venture capital or investing in startups as these tend to have a higher level of risk.

Is 12% return on investment realistic?

A 12% return on investment (ROI) is ambitious but historically achievable in the stock market (like the S&P 500 over certain long periods) but is not a guaranteed or conservative expectation, especially considering inflation and volatility; many financial experts suggest a more realistic average return (often 5-8%) for diversified portfolios, making 12% an optimistic, long-term goal for aggressive equity investors rather than a standard benchmark for all investments, say financial experts.
 

What is IRR telling you?

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of a project zero. In other words, it is the expected compound annual rate of return that will be earned on a project or investment.