Historic Professional Office
For Sale
Contact for pricing
540 Court St, Reading, PA 19601
Historic office building with first-floor conference rooms, kitchen/pantry, and optional single-tenant or multi-suite layout.
Property Size4,790 SF
Price / SF$103.34
Days on Market522
Property Features for 540 Court St
General Information
Standard status
Active
Size
4,790 SF
Elevators
Yes
Property subtype
OFFICE
Amenities
conference rooms
kitchen/pantry
dining area
outdoor courtyard
Building Details
Buildings
1
Stories
3
Listing Agency:
Bennett Williams Commercial - Exton
(610) 321-1111
Listed By:
Bill Hess · License #RS271797
Source:
Moodyscre
Added: Apr 11, 2025
Changed: Sep 9
Last Checked: Sep 14 at 10:45AM
Displayed information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All listing content including descriptions, pricing, images are the copyrighted material of Bennett Williams Commercial - Exton
Investment Insights
Based on property information with market context.
Historic professional office building offering flexible occupancy as either a single company use or a multi-suite configuration. At approximately 4,790 SF, the first floor features two conference rooms, a new small kitchen/pantry, and a dining area with an outdoor courtyard for use.
Stairs and an elevator provide access to the second and third floors. The property is positioned close to the county courthouse, county services, and administration, as well as downtown Reading. Garage parking is available 1 block away.
The interior layout supports a professional services tenant mix, including firms such as law, real estate, accounting, and title companies, with common areas and courtyard space available on the first floor.
Stairs and an elevator provide access to the second and third floors. The property is positioned close to the county courthouse, county services, and administration, as well as downtown Reading. Garage parking is available 1 block away.
The interior layout supports a professional services tenant mix, including firms such as law, real estate, accounting, and title companies, with common areas and courtyard space available on the first floor.
Key Highlights
- Approximately 4,790 SF historic professional office building
- First floor includes two conference rooms
- New small kitchen/pantry and dining area with outdoor courtyard
Financial Insights
Estimated NOI and Cap Rate
NOI = area × lease_rate × (100 − vacancy) / 100 × (1 − expense_ratio). Net Operating Income — what the owner takes home each year before mortgage payments and income tax. Effective rent (asking rent minus vacancy losses) minus operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, management).
NOI / Yr
$40,134
Cap rate = NOI / list price × 100. Capitalization rate — annual return on a fully cash purchase, before financing. NOI divided by price. Higher means more income per dollar invested, but usually also more risk or older condition. 5–8% is typical for stabilized commercial property; double digits often signal distressed deals.
Cap Rate
8.11%
Suggested Prices Based on Cap Rates
Cap rates vary significantly by property type, market, and asset quality.
Typical U.S. stable-market ranges:
Multifamily — 4.5% to 6.5% (Class A in primary markets often sub-5%; Class C in secondary markets 6%+)
Industrial / Logistics — 5.0% to 7.0% (compressed heavily in recent years due to e-commerce demand)
Office — 6.5% to 9%+ (wide spread post-2020; CBD Class A vs. suburban Class B varies dramatically)
Retail — 5.5% to 8.5% (grocery-anchored on the low end, unanchored strip centers higher)
Hospitality / Hotels — 7.5% to 10%+ (higher due to operational risk)
Self-Storage — 5.5% to 7.5%
Medical Office — 6.0% to 7.5%
Net Lease (single tenant, credit) — 5.0% to 7.0% depending on tenant credit and lease term
Rules of thumb:
Primary markets (NYC, SF, LA, Boston, DC) trade at lower cap rates than secondary/tertiary markets, often by 100–200 bps (bps, aka basis points; 1 bp = 0.01%).
Class A assets trade ~50–150 bps tighter than Class B, and Class B tighter than Class C.
Cap rates move inversely with price — a lower cap rate means a higher price for the same NOI.
Spread to the 10-year Treasury is a common benchmark; historically 200–400 bps over the 10-year.
Cap Rate 5%
$802,680
$802.7K
Cap Rate 7%
$573,343
$573.3K
Cap Rate 9%
$445,933
$445.9K
Market Conditions
NOI Build-Up for 4,790 SF
Vacancy — income lost from leasable area expected to sit empty during the year, subtracted from gross rent.
EGI (Effective Gross Income) — gross rent minus vacancy losses, the realistic income before paying operating costs.
OpEx (Operating Expenses) — recurring costs to operate the property (property tax, insurance, utilities, maintenance, management); excludes financing and capital improvements.
NOI (Net Operating Income) — income a property generates after operating costs but before financing and taxes.
Gross rent
$62.1K $12.96/SF
− Vacancy
−$8.6K −$1.79/SF
EGI
$53.5K $11.17/SF
− OpEx
−$13.4K −$2.79/SF
NOI
$40.1K $8.38/SF
Area
Berks County, PA
Vacancy
13.80%
Lease Rate
$12.96 /SF/Yr
Expense Ratio
25.00%
Simulate Cap Rate and NOI
Suggested Prices Based on Cap Rates
Cap rates vary significantly by property type, market, and asset quality.
Typical U.S. stable-market ranges:
Multifamily — 4.5% to 6.5% (Class A in primary markets often sub-5%; Class C in secondary markets 6%+)
Industrial / Logistics — 5.0% to 7.0% (compressed heavily in recent years due to e-commerce demand)
Office — 6.5% to 9%+ (wide spread post-2020; CBD Class A vs. suburban Class B varies dramatically)
Retail — 5.5% to 8.5% (grocery-anchored on the low end, unanchored strip centers higher)
Hospitality / Hotels — 7.5% to 10%+ (higher due to operational risk)
Self-Storage — 5.5% to 7.5%
Medical Office — 6.0% to 7.5%
Net Lease (single tenant, credit) — 5.0% to 7.0% depending on tenant credit and lease term
Rules of thumb:
Primary markets (NYC, SF, LA, Boston, DC) trade at lower cap rates than secondary/tertiary markets, often by 100–200 bps (bps, aka basis points; 1 bp = 0.01%).
Class A assets trade ~50–150 bps tighter than Class B, and Class B tighter than Class C.
Cap rates move inversely with price — a lower cap rate means a higher price for the same NOI.
Spread to the 10-year Treasury is a common benchmark; historically 200–400 bps over the 10-year.
Cap Rate 5%
$802,680
Cap Rate 7%
$573,343
Cap Rate 9%
$445,933
Alternative Uses
Best Use
Office B
$573.3K
$501.7K – $668.9K
NOI $40,134 @ 7.0% cap · market cap 8.11%
Second Best
—
—
no second resolved use
Theoretical Best
Office A
$786.3K
$688.0K – $917.4K
NOI $55,043 @ 7.0% cap · market cap 11.12%
Zoning and permitted uses should be independently verified with authorities.
Property Analytics
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Current Use
Location Intelligence
Trade Area within ½ mile
2,825
Businesses Nearby
Explore this area
Business Placement
Demographics for 19601, PA
35,477
Population
14,024
Households
2.5
Avg Household Size
34
Median Age
12%
College-Educated
73%
High-School Grad
3.8 sq mi
ZIP Area
9,336
Density / Sq Mi
$41,133
Median Household Income
$30,433
Median Earnings
$986
Median Rent
$110,700
Median Home Value
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Market
Vacancy Rate% for Office in Northeast region
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of property is this?
Office building - Historic office building with first-floor conference rooms, kitchen/pantry, and optional single-tenant or multi-suite layout.
Where is this office building located?
The property is located at 540 Court St Reading, PA.
What is the asking price?
The asking price for this property is $495,000.
What are key features of this property?
This property features: Approximately 4,790 SF historic professional office building; First floor includes two conference rooms; New small kitchen/pantry and dining area with outdoor courtyard
