Freestanding 3-Tenant Shopping
For Sale
Contact for pricing
551 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA 94080
Single-story retail property along El Camino Real with convenient connections to residential, employment, dining, and neighborhood service areas.
Property Size4,554 SF
Price / SF$658.76
Days on Market154
Property Features for 551 El Camino Real
General Information
Standard status
Active
Size
4,554 SF
Total Parking Spaces
27
Property subtype
Retail
Zoning
RH-180
Occupancy
100%
Lease Type
NN
Investment Type
Net Lease
Net Operating Income
$153,630
Additional Details
Highway Access
Yes
Building Details
Buildings
1
Stories
1
Tenancy
Multi
Listing Agency:
Cushman & Wakefield San Francisco
Listed By:
Spencer Henderson · License #CA 02028350
Source:
Crexi
Added: Apr 1
Changed: Aug 30
Last Checked: Aug 30 at 4:58PM
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 Cushman & Wakefield San Francisco
Investment Insights
Based on property information with market context.
This 4,554-square-foot shopping center is a single-story, freestanding retail improvement configured for three tenants. The property is located at 551–553 El Camino Real in South San Francisco and carries RH-180 zoning.
El Camino Real serves as a major Peninsula commercial corridor, with surrounding national and local businesses, restaurants, neighborhood services, schools, residential areas, and office developments. The property is positioned for access to communities across northern San Mateo County and lies minutes from U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 280. Nearby residential and employment uses contribute to consistent activity around the corridor.
El Camino Real serves as a major Peninsula commercial corridor, with surrounding national and local businesses, restaurants, neighborhood services, schools, residential areas, and office developments. The property is positioned for access to communities across northern San Mateo County and lies minutes from U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 280. Nearby residential and employment uses contribute to consistent activity around the corridor.
Key Highlights
- 4,554‑square‑foot freestanding retail center
- Single‑story building configured for three tenants
- 551–553 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA 94080
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
$116,294
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
3.88%
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%
$2,325,880
$2.3M
Cap Rate 7%
$1,661,343
$1.7M
Cap Rate 9%
$1,292,156
$1.3M
Market Conditions
NOI Build-Up for 4,554 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
$174.3K $38.28/SF
− Vacancy
−$8.2K −$1.80/SF
EGI
$166.1K $36.48/SF
− OpEx
−$49.8K −$10.94/SF
NOI
$116.3K $25.54/SF
Area
San Mateo County, CA
Vacancy
4.70%
Lease Rate
$38.28 /SF/Yr
Expense Ratio
30.00%
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%
$2,325,880
Cap Rate 7%
$1,661,343
Cap Rate 9%
$1,292,156
Alternative Uses
Best Use
Retail
$1.66M
$1.45M – $1.94M
NOI $116,294 @ 7.0% cap · market cap 3.88%
Second Best
—
—
no second resolved use
Theoretical Best
Warehouse
$3.62M
$3.17M – $4.22M
NOI $253,211 @ 7.0% cap · market cap 8.44%
Zoning and permitted uses should be independently verified with authorities.
Property Analytics
Property Profile
Current Use
Lease Details
Yes
Highway access
Location Intelligence
Trade Area within ½ mile
1,191
Businesses Nearby
189k
Monthly Visits Nearby
Balanced
Demand for This Use
Explore this area
Business Placement
Foot Traffic Nearby
Shops & Services 47%
Dining 33%
Groceries 19%
Home Improvements & Furnishings 1%
Dollar Tree
Shops & Services
43,740 visits/mo
0.3 miles
Safeway
Groceries
35,647 visits/mo
0.3 miles
McDonald's
Dining
33,372 visits/mo
0.3 miles
Taco Bell
Dining
15,449 visits/mo
0.3 miles
Marathon
Shops & Services
13,508 visits/mo
0.3 miles
Demographics for 94080, CA
66,592
Population
23,364
Households
2.9
Avg Household Size
40
Median Age
40%
College-Educated
86%
High-School Grad
10.2 sq mi
ZIP Area
6,529
Density / Sq Mi
$135,966
Median Household Income
$61,138
Median Earnings
$2,840
Median Rent
$1,159,500
Median Home Value
Market
Vacancy Rate% for Retail in West region
Questions? Ask Rey
Realmo’s AI knows this listing — price, zoning, demand, history. Ask anything.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of property is this?
Shopping center - Single-story retail property along El Camino Real with convenient connections to residential, employment, dining, and neighborhood service areas.
Where is this shopping center located?
The property is located at 551 El Camino Real South San Francisco, CA.
What is the asking price?
The asking price for this property is $3,000,000.
What are key features of this property?
This property features: 4,554‑square‑foot freestanding retail center; Single‑story building configured for three tenants; 551–553 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA 94080
